How to Raise a Dragon: 5 Things my Baby Bearded Dragon Taught Me

Let me introduce you to Solaris my Baby Bearded Dragon

We brought this month old bearded dragon into our home on Black Friday. Bringing in an ‘orphan dragon’ (lizard) into our home was not an impulsive decision. In fact, my boyfriend and I had been discussing the possibility of owning a lizard since August.

Solaris, or Sol for short, has been both a delight and an adventure to raise.

Why a Bearded Dragon?

First, I love animals.

If you were to ask me what my favorite one was, I’d tell you I’m the biggest cat person in the universe. I used to have the most precious kitty of all time, Princess for about 19 years and miss her dearly. I also own fish, specifically female beta fish, several catfish, guppies, and ember tetras.

Secondly, St. George’s Dragon Orphanage Inspired Me

Every single year I go to the New York Renaissance Faire, I enjoy stopping by St. George’s Dragon Orphanage located at 20 Swan Circle. While they proclaim that they are there to find homes for orphaned baby dragons, they really are there to sell green anoles. Green anoles are notoriously known to be great reptile pets for beginners in the ‘reptile hobby’.

This year, I was very very close to taking one of the many ‘orphan baby dragons’ home with me.

However, owning a pet, regardless of the kind of pet, is not something anyone should do impulsively. It’s a lot of responsibility so I managed to hold myself back and do my due diligence to research green anoles first before becoming a first-time lizard mom.

Lastly, I need companionship

After hours of researching and YouTube video watching, I knew what I wanted in my next pet.

While green anoles can be personable lizards that tolerate being handled, I wanted a pet that I could interact with more frequently. This requirement for me was heightened after Princess (my cat) passed away and suddenly my best feline friend of 19 years was no longer around to keep me company.

I continued to research and spoke to a few bearded dragon owners. It was almost unanimous that bearded dragons were a more ‘hands-on’ kinds of pet and this is what I wanted.

What I’ve learned from Solaris the Baby Bearded Dragon

1. Bearded dragon Genders are not determined until 3 months

When I adopted Solaris, I inquired about the gender of my latest family member. While I personally wanted a baby girl, I was told that male bearded dragons were better for first-timers since there is less complications.

The specific health issue brought up was Dystocia, or more commonly known as egg binding. This is a health condition that happens when female bearded dragons cannot lay eggs. With this new knowledge I hoped for a baby boy.

However it did not matter what I wanted. For the young baby bearded dragons in the batch that I observed all were of indeterminable gender. They were too young to label as either ‘male’ or ‘female’, so it’s was basically the “luck of the draw” for me.

I’ve been doing my best to stick with gender neutral pronouns for my baby bearded dragon, though I have honestly caught myself calling Sol “my baby boy” one too many times, or using the ‘he’ pronoun.

Regardless of what gender my Solaris turns out being, I’m going to love my baby dragon. I may use the nickname Aris if I find out that it’s a girl though.

2. Bearded dragons are picky diverse eaters

One of my close friends owns a leopard gecko. She has told me many times about how infrequently he eats and how picky he can be when it comes for feeding time.

When I adopted Solaris, I proudly told her that during my research phase, my baby dragon was going to eat a whole lot. Baby bearded dragons need to eat lots of protein to get big and strong, so they keep a high-protein diet when they are young and then have a more balanced diet later on.

I’m used to cats being hungry critters who eagerly eat their food the second you put it down on the floor.

However with Solaris, sometimes when I feed it crickets, the baby will just have one or two. Other times he’ll disregard the crickets entirely. He’s even less responsive to meal worms and mixed juvenile bearded dragon tablets that I’ve purchased from PetCo. Carrots were also a ‘nope’.

I will probably go down the dubia roach path that so many people on Reddit have advised for me to do. They have been known to be a staple in bearded dragon cuisine and could be easily bred for a cheaper long-term alternative to crickets.

3. Bearded Dragons are speedy little lizards!

While handling my niece’s bearded dragon, Luna, the girl was still and well-behaved. This gave me the impression that bearded dragons were slow and easy going reptiles, similar to turtles. While I’m sure a green anole is faster than a bearded dragon, I still was taken aback at how speedy Solaris is.

Solaris generally is laidback when it comes to being picked up and carried, but when it comes to putting the little critter on the ground, I never know how it’ll behave. Sometimes he’s calm and curious, letting his eyes and head explore the room. Sometimes he’s really relaxed and will stay still. And other times, he’ll make a mad dash.

I almost feel like I’m playing a Dungeons and Dragons campaign with Solaris. I roll a die every single time I put the baby dragon down and its behavior is determined by the randomness of the die.

This is why I make sure to be extra vigilant when I let Solaris explore the bathroom or my bedroom. The baby dragon has nearly leapt off my mattress and bathroom sink in the short amount of time I’ve had it.

4. Bearded dragons are very curious

I am very used to being with curious creatures. Cats are notorious for being the most curious animals, even having a phrase, “curiosity killed the cat” to solidify this fact. However Solaris is much more curious than I expected from a lizard.

While Solaris is in its cage, it’ll keep alert for whatever sounds and guests are in my bedroom. If I’m nearby on my computer, or if my grandmother stops by, Solaris will turn its head to watch us. When I take Solaris out to look at the fish, it’ll look at the different fish in my tank. I’ve noticed that Solaris particularly enjoys watching my red beta fish and my ember tetras.

My boyfriend even has remarked that when he held Solaris up to our bedroom mirror, Solaris saw its reflection and looked intrigued by seeing double.

5. It’s close to impossible not to love bearded dragons

I fell in love with Solaris the moment I held the baby bearded dragon in my hand. However my boyfriend felt less excited about the prospect of having the dragon around. He claimed that he wasn’t going to bond easily with Solaris. However Solaris was quick to melt the icy walls of his heart with his large eyes, curious personality, and sweet demeanor.

My grandmother was another individual who claimed that she wasn’t going to love the reptile. However the small critter that she first claimed was a silly investment on our behalf was soon stopping by our bedroom to check in on Solaris. She even suggested we move the cage to the living room! However she’s still a bit hesitant about holding Solaris, but I’m sure that’ll come with time.

Resources for Bearded Dragons

Videos about Bearded Dragons

Here are a few standout videos that either helped me with Solaris. These videos were either watched during my research phase or after I adopted him. These are valuable to those of you who are considering adopting your very own bearded dragon.

• “Bearded Dragon, The Best Pet Reptile?” by Clint’s Reptiles

• “Common Bearded Dragon Care Mistakes” by Cold Blood Creations

• “How to Bond With Your Bearded Dragon” by Varalidaine

• “How to Potty Train a Baby Bearded Dragon!” by KzE_Production

• “Making Sweaters for my Bearded Dragon!!” by Tyler Rugge

• “Types of Bearded Dragons - Colors & Morphs Explained” by 7th Galaxy Dragons

need more youtube?

See what other videos Carprincess has been watching and recommends.

View the list

Other Resources for Bearded Dragons

For those of you who do not enjoy YouTube videos or would rather other forms of educating yourself on bearded dragons, here are a few other resources that you can use:

• My blog post on how I trained my bearded dragon to be potty trained.

• The Bearded Dragons subreddit on Reddit

I post and check this subreddit frequently. This is a very interactive and knowledgeable environment where you can ask questions for clarity or simply share your love for your bearded dragon (or the lifestyle itself) with others so your friends won’t roll their eyes every single time you want to share what your lizard did.

• Bearded Dragon Diet Guide article on Reptile Guide

There are a lot of resources to help you figure out what to feed your bearded dragon. However I liked this article the best so I’ll share it with you. Keep in mind that bearded lizards are able to eat lots of different foods, but you should always double check before trying something new.

• Reptile Expos

Want to talk face-to-face with an expert about bearded dragons? While pet shops are okay, not everyone working at PetCo, PetSmart, or your local pet shop is going to be knowledgeable about bearded dragons. This is why I highly recommend you google what Reptile expos are happening nearby you. I plan to going to one in 2020 and am very excited to see how its like.

My niece got her bearded dragon at a reptile expo and told me how beneficial it was to have the breeders there to answer all of her questions and be able to tell her about the baby dragon she was taking home.

Do you own a Bearded Dragon?

If you do, please comment below and tell me about your dragon? Otherwise, if you own any other kind of reptile or pet, I’d still love to learn about them.

I have created an Instagram for Solaris, and if you are interested in following my baby dragon, please feel free to do so! If your account is centered around bearded dragons, you’ll definitely get a follow back!

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