In California during the winter of 1991 a friend introduced various species of reptiles to my husband and I. One of the many types we kept and studied during that time was the Inland Bearded Dragon (Pagona vittcap). At that time, they were hard to find but we managed to acquire seven babies, all of them the normal colored phase.
As our hobby progressed we bred the animals putting a classified ad in Reptile Magazine to sell the surplus. Even during the recession we continued building different environments for various species we were studying and keeping.
We owned a large 120 year old Dutch Row House which was rapidly becoming filled inside and out with enclosures suitable for the animals. Then a friend of ours took us on a short trip to Arizona to the beautiful little mining town of Bisbee.
This area is ideal for raising more arid species such as, the simple to keep, Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius). The recession had hit this area of Arizona deeply. Land and housing prices at an all time low. That is when the idea of Atomic Lizard Ranch came into being.
We then began to look for land along with a residence we could build upon to make a business, something out of the way with plenty of land to house the animals outside, yet close enough to Bisbee.
Around that time, it came to us that the arid and grassland species were the animals we enjoyed working with the most with the exception of some of the larger teids. The magnificent Red Tegus (Lubinambia refescans) and the Black & White Tegus (Lubinambis teguixin). We found a beautiful spot three miles from the Mexican border with clean water, open skies and incredible sunsets. Ideal for the two Dragons we love the most, the Rankins Dragon (Pagona brevis), sometimes still known as Henrii Lawsoni and the Inland Bearded Dragon.
Breeding Bearded Dragons - Information
Many people who like Bearded Dragons for pets decide to breed them either to help pay for their upkeep, to see the whole breeding process all the way through to caring for the babies or to create a business of something they love.
As in any business there are many aspects to consider but with live creatures there is always more than what would be normal from other endeavors.
CONSIDERATIONS
Before starting such a project or business one must be aware that there will be little time for taking vacations for longer than a few days since living things need constant care.
Another aspect is the ability to discern health issues and to care for these problems.
Good record keeping for selective breeding and outcrossing, (which consists of breeding animals that have desirable traits with unrelated animals), is necessary for success.
Space, setups, lighting, electricity, food, health care and maintenance can be surprisingly costly in money as well as labor.
Indoor and outdoor for whatever part of the country you reside in is also a consideration. In some parts of the country the humidity is too high for these animals or there is a certain insect that can either kill or cause discomfort outside. Inside, heat can be a problem either too much or not enough at certain times.
Marketing is also very important. To have an outlet for the babies can be a large issue especially in the summer and fall. Pet stores, for a home hobbyist, cannot always be relied on. A small business must learn to market on the internet, and that can be costly. Exporting can be good with a constant customer on the other end but size of the babies and the amount of babies for each shipment must be fairly high for a small business and if cared for properly they grow quickly so co-ordination of hatching groups is critical to get enough to ship at the right size.
 A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF BREEDING FOR A HOME HOBBYIST OR SMALL BUSINESS
We started breeding bearded dragons in 1992. At that time we had a waiting list for the Normal Phase Bearded Dragons since the color phase breeding lines were non- existent. Over the years, as we increased our stock we discovered that keeping the males in their own enclosure after brumation or cooling down was the best way to control record keeping and breeding activity of the males. We keep our females in large stalls and then introduce the females to the males during the breeding cycle. It is important that the males have plenty of room in their enclosure for breeding. A common cause of breeding failure is too small of an enclosure. Bearded dragons benefit from a greater range of visual perspectives which triggers social behaviors that assist in breeding activity. Lighting is also important, animals kept in low levels of light may also fail to breed. After the males and females have cycled through the breeding period, we then put them outside for sunshine or if it is in the winter we keep them in groups and then gradually decrease the heat and light for brumation. For the home hobbyist keeping a pair together at all times is fine and they will breed when their cycle begins. Housing 1.2, (1 male and 2 females), is also fine if space is a problem.
COPULATION
About three to four weeks after coming up from brumation, bearded dragons begin reproductive activities. Once copulations has succeeded the gestation period can be from three to six weeks. It can be difficult to accurately determine a reptile's period between copulation and egg-laying since females of many species can store sperm for extended periods of time. A Male can cause a female to ovulate by just biting the neck and placing his body over hers for several days. Thus the stored sperm can be used at that time. However, on average, it is usually 3 weeks after the first copulation that the eggs are ready to lay.
EGG –LAYING
After the 3 week period of gestation it is important the gravid (pregnant) female has a nesting site of at least 12 inches of burrowing substrate. We prefer to segregate the female putting her in another enclosure with a heat light and potting soil. It is important that the soil is properly moist so that the female can dig in to lay her eggs. After introducing the soil moisten and then compress it by pressing down. This makes the soil less likely to collapse as the female digs her nest. Moisten when needed, if you do not and the soil gets to dry she will not make a nest but could lay them on top of the soil or hold them and become egg bound. She may be very anxious a week or so before she begins to lay and must be offered plenty of water daily. Do not leaving the water bowl in the laying enclosure since she could lay her eggs in the water or it could wet the soil to such an extent that the eggs will not be viable. Offer food, she will notably decrease her intake of nourishment during this time.
CLUTCH SIZE
In our Inland Bearded Dragon groups, clutch sizes range from as little as 6 to as high as 38. Most clutches range from between 20 to 30 eggs. Smaller, younger females lay smaller clutches and old females eventually lay smaller and fewer clutches.
INCUBATION
After the dragon lays her eggs, carefully dig through the soil using your fingers to expose the eggs. There is a period of time when the eggs can be rotated and we feel this is around 7 to 8 hours. After that period of time they should be moved with care making sure they  are not turned. Reptile eggs must not be rotated like bird eggs, this detaches the embryo.
The eggs are then transferred to an incubation container such as low Delhi cups with clear plastic lids or some type of plastic storage box. We use the Delhi cups and place 3 pin holes in the top for ventilation of the eggs. A medium that is most commonly used by breeders is half Vermiculite and half Perlite. We add water to the medium until it is moist and not soggy. If squeezed it should clump. Here we must warn that in different parts of the United States humidity is a great factor in keep the egg viable in the medium. In a desert climate more water is needed and less for humid areas. We advise that the medium should be set up at least 48 hours before use in order to allow the medium to soak up the water and if need be to add more water.
Fill the Delhi cup half way with the medium. Place the eggs close to the center of the Delhi cup exposing half of the eggs for viewing. Each egg can be quite close together leaving enough room on the sides of the cups to check for moisture weekly or every 5 days if you live in a dry area. Use the thumb and index finger and roll the medium to feel for moisture. If it is still damp, it is probably fine. If the medium is too dry the eggs will dimple so it is best to check for a few days after first placing the eggs in the medium until you are accustomed to how much moisture is needed for your part of the country. If the eggs dimple, cover completely with medium and spray the top and sides until moist. Sometimes this can replenish the eggs if caught in time. Do not spray water directly on the eggs but just around the sides with a stream of water. The embryo will drown if sprayed directly with water and the eggs will rot.
An inexpensive poultry incubator such as a Hovabator can be purchase on the web or at most feed stores. Careful Calibration is critical to prevent overheating so turn on the incubator well in advance, before the eggs are laid, to make sure the temperature is stable. The ideal incubation temperature for Bearded Dragons eggs is 82-85 degrees F. If an increase of over two degrees of the set Temperature happens, babies can be deformed. Lower temperatures, temporarily, is not as critical. It is best to keep the incubator in a room that is cooler than the desired incubation temperature, particularly during the summer heat waves. Inexpensive incubators heat but do not cool so if it gets really warm in the room you might need to add ice cubes to the water on the bottom of the Hovabator. There are slotted areas for water in these incubators which is needed for humidity.
HATCHING
In sixty-eight to seventy-two days the eggs will begin to hatch. Twenty-four hours prior to hatching, bearded dragon eggs sweat to varying degrees; the sweating is followed by a slight collapse and noticeable loss of swelling of the egg twelve hours prior to hatching. The babies do not all hatch at once, but expect at last a five to seven day period before the clutch has completed hatching. |
