CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO BREED BEARDED DRAGONS
IF ONE IS INTERESTED IN BREEDING BEARDED DRAGONS (THEY OFTEN WILL BREED WHETHER YOU ARE INTERESTED OR NOT), THE FOLLOWING SHOULD BE CONSIDERED:
1)THE ANIMALS YOU ARE ATTEMPTING TO BREED MUST BE HEALTHY. THIS MEANS THEY SHOULD HAVE GOOD WEIGHT AND DEMONSTRATE NO SYMPTOMS OF DISEASE.
2)YOU MUST HAVE AT LEAST ONE ADULT SEXUAL PAIR.
3)IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU MAINTAIN BREEDING DRAGONS (PARTICCULARLY FEMALES) ON A HIGH QUALITY DIET.
PREBREEDING CONDITIONING
THE STANDARD PROCEDURE FOR INDOOR BREEDING IS TO SET ALL LIGHTS ON A TIMERS AND REDUCE THE DAILY PHOTOPERIOD TO 10 HOURS OF DAYLIGHT AND 14 HOURS OF DARKNESS. THE HEAT LIGHT WATTAGE IS REDUCED SO THAT THE TEMPERATURE OF BASKING AREAS CLOSEST TO THE LIGHTS IS 75-80*F (23.9-26.7*C), WHILE THE VIVARIUM TEMPERATURE AWAY FROM THE LIGHTS IS SIGNIFICANTLY COOLER. OTHER SECONDARY HEAT SOURCES ARE SET ON TIMERS SO AS TO TURN OFF AT NIGHT. ALLOW THE NIGHT TEMPERATURES TO DROP DOWN TO 60* + - 4*F (15.6 + - 2.2*C) BUT BEARDED DRAGONS WILL SAFELY TOLERATE TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW 50's*F (10-12*C).DEPENDING ON THE CONDITIONS FEEDING BY DRAGONS WILL BE SIGNIFFICANTLY REDUCED DURING THE COOLING PERIOD.
THE REDUCED HEAT AND PHOTOPERIOD SCHEDULE IS INITIATED DURING THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF DECEMBER AND RUNS THROUGHFEBRUARY 15, AT WHICH TIME BOTH HEATING AND LIGHTING SCHEDULE OF 14 HOURS OF DAYLIGHT AND 10 HOURS OF DARKNESS.
BREEDING
WITHIN THREE TO FOUR WEEKS OF RETURN TO NORMAL CONDITIONS, BEHAVIOURS RELATING TO BREEDING WILL BE EVIDENT, INCLUDING AGGRESSIVE DISPLAYS AND FIGHTING BETWEEN MALES, SUBMISSIVE DISPLAYS OF FEMALES AND COPULATION. BEARDED DRAGONS ARE OFFERED FOOD DAILY DURING THE PERIOD BETWEEN RETURN TO NORMAL CONDITIONS AND THE ONSET OF BREEDING BEHAVIOURS. THIS ALLOWS ANIMALS THAT ARE THIN FOLLOWING HIBERNATION TO GAIN WEIGHT PRIOR TO ACTUAL BREEDING. FEMALES SHOULD BE MAINTAINED ON AN OPTIMAL FEEDING SCHEDULE THROUGHOUT THE BREEDING SEASON WHICH CAN EXTEND UNTIL THE END OF SUMMER.
EGG-LAYING
TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT YOU NOW NEED TO MAKE SURE YOUR LIZARDS HAVE SAND AND SOIL PATTED DOWN IN THEIR VIVARIUM, THEN DIG A COUPLE OF STARTER BURROWS, GRAVID FEMALES WILL FEEL QUITE PLUMP BY THE TIME THEY ARE READY TO LAY THEIR EGGS. YOUR BEARDED DRAGON WILL START DIGGING BURROWS BUT WILL NOT LAY EGGS UNTIL SHE MAKES ONE SHE FINDS SUITABLE(YOU SHOULDN'T FILL THE OLD BURROWS IN) ,ONCE SHE'S FOUND A SUITABLE BURROW YOU SHOULD MARK THE AREA, AND AFTER SHE HAS COVERED THE EGGS DIG THEM UP, BUT BE SURE NOT TO TURN THEM, THEN PLACE THEM IN AN INCUBATOR WITH A LAYER OF MOISTENED VERMICULITE, AND INCUBATE THEM AT 84*F (28.9*C), THE AVERAGE TIME IT TAKES EGGS TO HATCH IS ABOUT 69-79 DAYS(THIS VARIES FROM SPECIES TO SPECIES). PRE HATCHING: BEFORE THE EGGS HATCH THE SHELLS SHALL COLLAPSE INWARDS BECAUSE OF THE PRESSURE. NOTE:NEVER BREAK A SHELL TO REMOVE A LIZARD, AND ALSO REMEMBER IT CAN TAKE UP TO 24 HOURS FOR ALL TE EGGS TO HATCH.