The bearded agama is a real live dragon in miniature, which can be kept in an apartment, because it does not require exotic food or an expensive container for living. She is considered one of the most intelligent lizards : the pet quickly remembers his name and recognizes the owner.
How many live bearded agama?
The life expectancy of pets depends on the habitat, nutrition and proper lighting. It is a myth that some of the bearded agamas at home can live up to 40 years, but this is not true. The maximum age mark differs depending on the subspecies of the pet:
- Lizard Pogona vitticeps lives in the zoo for 10 years, but in an apartment more often dies at the age of 6-7 years.
- Hydrosaurus sailing hydramus can survive 24-26 years in captivity if it is not overfed and kept in a large terrarium in which it can actively move.
Bearded Agama - content at home
Maintaining a pet's life at home is not considered difficult, but it must take into account the climate and living conditions that aghamas choose for themselves in natural conditions. The maintenance and care of the bearded agama should take into account the fact that she feels well in hot, dry climates. They differ in that:
- Directly under the lamp in the terrarium there must be a snag or a block of wood on which the lizard can climb to warm up.
- Agama should not eat insects found on the street - they can be poisoned with pesticides.
- The lizard should not be exposed to drafts, otherwise it will fall ill.
Terrarium for the bearded agama
To keep the lizard suited only terrarium, and the cell can only be used as a temporary shelter or carrying. Having seen terrariums for bearded agamas, you should not rush to acquire the first one from them. Always remember the main rules for selecting a container:
- Taking into account that the pet grows, one terrarium needs a minimum of 180 cm in length and a width of 50 cm at a height of 40 cm.
- Access to the agama should not be on the top, but on the side, because the agama hand that falls down from the top can be perceived as a threat.
- The terrarium must be covered with a grate, as plastic, wood or glass interferes with the full circulation of air.
Ground for the bearded agama
Lizards like to burrow into the ground during rest and after fertilization, so its thickness should be at least 10 cm. Large stones, gravel, sawdust are dangerous for their health when eating: they should be replaced by sand or pebbles at least 10 mm in diameter. Today in pet stores you can find such cover options that can make a comfortable content of bearded agama:
- napkins made of dense fabric;
- substrates for reptiles;
- mats from pressed paper or cellulose fibers.
Lamp for bearded agama
Artificial lighting will help regulate the temperature and humidity in the terrarium, as well as strengthen the immunity of the lizard in winter, when there is a deficit of light. The content of bearded agamas in the cold season assumes the operation of an ultraviolet lamp for 13-14 hours daily. You can choose them with the following recommendations:
- The package shall bear the 7-8 UVB marking;
- the lamp is placed inside the container;
- it should be at a distance of 25-30 cm from the bottom.
Harness for bearded agama
If other species of lizards are calm about walking in the harness, then with agama things are not so simple. The structure of her body is different from most of the brethren, so she has a more fragile spine, which can be damaged during the breakthrough of the harness or an imprudent attempt to hinder the escape. The bearded agama lizard, when necessary, is transported in a securely closed transport, since even in the hands of the owner it can panic.
How to care for a bearded agama?
The most surprising discovery for a beginner is the fact that the lizard almost does not drink water. The drinker should be in the terrarium, but agama prefers to get moisture from juicy vegetables and fruits. There is another way to water a lizard: you can spray its body and container walls with water 2-3 times a day, because it loves to lick the water. In the rest, caring for the bearded agama is reduced to:
- Timely bathing. She needs it to prevent diseases in the warm season and during moulting. The head of the pet should always be at the top, therefore for water procedures, containers with low sides are suitable.
- Gradual acquaintance with the owner. A bearded agama can become manual if you communicate with her every day, lightly ironing her on his spiked chin, but not showing aggression.
What to feed the bearded agama?
This kind of lizard is classified as omnivorous, but this does not mean that it can add remnants of any food from the table or the first plants that came under the arm to the terrarium. It is clear that the bearded agamas eat in nature - leaves, stems, mice and small chicks. In captivity, they should be fed on a combined system of fresh food and convenience foods with vitamin-mineral complexes. The diet of agama consists of:
- newborn rodents;
- Bulgarian pepper;
- tomatoes;
- eggplant;
- leaf lettuce;
- bananas;
- grapes;
- crickets;
- clover;
- cockroaches.
Reproduction of bearded agamas
In a break between breeding, the heterozygous lizards are kept in separate cages, since staying with a male can cause severe stress in the female. When buying a different sex, if the apartment is already living his brother, they need to give to spend at least half an hour nearby: animals should get comfortable and do not feel fear for each other. The process of reproduction of the bearded agamas consists of several successive actions:
- Place the female and male in one container . It is necessary to follow the behavior of the female agama: if she sits in place and tries not to show activity, then she is planted, because she is not ready for mating. Try to repeat after 2-3 days for 10-15 minutes.
- Marriage games. Ready for mating, the male agama person inflates the hood and moves quickly. The female in response must pursue it and raise its front paws.
- Convergence. The bearded agama male approaches the partner from the side or from behind, slightly biting her neck. The mating process itself lasts 3-5 minutes.
- Conception. The female retains the sperm of the partner for a long time, therefore it can lay eggs even 2-3 weeks after it has been deposited.
How to determine the sex of the bearded agama?
These animals are characterized by dimorphism - a difference in primary sexual characteristics. It is called gemipenis - the copulatory organ of lizards and snakes. In a relaxed form, he hides in the cloaca, so determine the sex of the animal should be by eye and by palpation. People involved in the cultivation of bearded agama know that the male of this species has two penises, but only one of them is used during mating. After mating, one of the penises is drawn back into the cloaca. A female lizard under the tail can only find one hemipenis.
Diseases of the bearded agamus
Since the reptile is completely dependent on its owner, only he is able to monitor her immunity and prevent the appearance of various diseases in her. After the acquisition of the bearded agama, if it is planned to live in the terrarium with other relatives, it is placed in another container for quarantine for 2-3 days. In young animals and adults, diseases such as:
- Ticks. They are planted with an excess of food in the container and feed on the remains of food. On the body of agama can attach only a blood-sucking tick, which the animal can bring with a walk or get from snakes and geckos.
- Necrosis of tissues. A bearded agama may have problems with the tail due to malnutrition, infection, or a general decrease in immunity. Part of the tail dries and falls off, but only for a young person this process is dangerous.
- Metabolic bone disease. Violation of the synthesis of bone tissue leads to the fact that the agama hurts its paws and becomes a shaky gait.
- Intestinal obstruction. Dysfunctions and lack of calcium provoke thrombosis of the digestive tract and death of the lizard.
- Pneumonia. Drafts and low temperature in the terrarium are fraught with lung inflammation for the lizard.