Sexing Bearded Dragons Lift tail CAREFULLY and look above the vent on the tail...if there are two lumps it is a male and if there is only an indent or one lump it is a female. Females tend to have narrow heads when males have wider heads. Males tails are thinner than females and the vent is larger and straighter on a female. It is very hard to tell on babies which is which. At around three months you can tell for sure which is which ! Substrates and Water( I do NOT sell to Sand Users ) NO SAND EVER !!!!!!! I am an advocate for NO SAND and no particle substrates ! I myself use ceramic tile and it is the easiest substrate ( What you use on the bottom of the enclosure). NO WALNUT SHELLS, NO BARK..nothing loose. These lizards use thier tounges to taste everything..they are very inquisitive. Thier toungues are sticky and they will ingets particle substrates and cause impaction and all sorts of problems you do NOT want to deal with. The SAFEST substrates are as follows : Butcher paper, Reptile carpet, papertowels ( I use these for babies because they poo so much, and they are easily changed out a few times daily !) and ceramic tiles. Your dragons do NOT need a water bowl..they get all of their water from thier greens and veggies and live prey, some will drink in thier bath though and that is perfectly fine..a water dish will increase humidity and that is NOT a good idea ! Lighting and Uv I use 100 Watt tight Beam basking bulbs. I use reptisun 10.0 uv bulbs ( THEY HAVE TO HAVE UV LIGHTS to absorb calcium..no ifs ands or buts !) You can purchase these uv lights at LLLreptile.com for under 20 dollars....they HAVE TO BE REPLACED every 6 months !! The lights need to be the length of your enclosure ! The 10.0 light is THE BEST I have ever used..it brings out color in them as well and increases appitite and overall health of your dragon. Temps and humidity for enclosure Temps 115* basking temp and 85 ambiant on the cool side !! Humidity will not be a problem if you have your temps correct..but if you live in a VERY humid area you may need a dehumidifier for the room your dragon is in ! ( I live in Alabama on the gulf and we do not have a problem even as humid as it is here ! ) You NEED a digital thermometer..it is a MUST with beardies...you can also purchase these point and click threms at LLLreptile for $25...PLEASE purchase one and DO NOT trust those dial therms or strip therms..they are not correct..I have checked and they can be as much as 15* off ! Heating and equipment Digital Thermometer Postal Gram Scale ( These are used to weigh your dragons..it is a wonderful peice of equipment to have because you can monitor the weight and growth of your dragon very easily and if weight drops you can catch an illness early and possibly save your dragons life !) NO HEAT MATS ...unless you live in a very cold area...IF SO..stick them to the SIDE of the enclosure on the HOT basking side..NEVER the bottom ! NO HEAT ROCKS...your beardies have heat receptors on thier backs and heads..NOT bellys and those heat rocks can malfunction and BOIL your dragons intestines !! They do not feel pain like we do !! Caging You have provided for your Dragon 20 gallon is GREAT for a baby...but KNOW THIS..these babies will grow SO FAST within 4 months you will HAVE TO have a 40 gallon breeder or larger...so plan ahead !!! RULE IS...once your dragon is between 10 and 12 inches long..it needs to be moved to the larger enclosure !! The dimensions for your dragon for life should be no less that 4 Ft long By 24 inches front to back and 18 inches high atleaste ! Diet Description You should feed your dragon Crickets ( NO LARGER than the space between thier eyes !!!) 1/4 inch crickets is what I feed babies until they are about 8 inches long then I move to 1/2 inch ! NO BAIT crickets..they carry diseases...buy from a reptile feeder site or store ! Flukerfarms.com is great for crickets It is the ONLY supplier I use anymore !! Silkworms...one silkie equals 3 crickets I feed my dragons silkworms and they love them..they are VERY NUTRITIOUS and have absolutely NO risks of disease ! Mulberryfarms.com is where I get My Silkies and they are wonderful to deal with ! I recommend them strongly as a supplier ! Roaches... They are wonderful feeders...they are very nutritious and the lizards go nuts for them. I get mine from wormman.com and they are always on time and alive and the right size. Superworms ( AS A TREAT ONLY ( They are like candy bars and the beardies can become addicted to them and refuse other food if fed to many too often I get mine from crixandwiggles.com ( Mike owns and runs it and is a WONDERFUL person to do business with...he also sells crickets and they are wonderful as well ! I strongly recommend him to provide you with excellent feeders.) The Greens You will NEED for your Dragon as food EVERYDAY for its entire LIFE Your dragon needs greens every day changed out twice a day it’s entire life ( Some babies will refuse them..but KEEP THEM in their enclosure daily changed twice as they wither...and they will recognize them as food...about 4 months old...alot of them sooner ! The greens you need to feed are as follows: Escarole, Turnip Greens, Mustard greens, Collard Greens & Chickory are your staples. Romaine lettece > ( PURELY for water value..just a little of it mixed in...not a staple) There are MANY others you can fin a perfect list at Beautifuldragons.com....PLEASE read it and print it out..it is VERY helpful !!!! Fruit and veggies such as squash and zuchini and carrots can be shredded with a grater as they get a little bigger...just VERY FEW CARROTS because they bind calcium ! Supplements and usage Calcium and Repti Vitamins MUST BE USED !! Cricket dust MUST BE USED on the live prey every time as babies and juvies...you can purchase these things at pet stores and also on Flukerfarms.com and LLLreptile.com ( I Recommend LLLReptile for ALL Uv and Heat Bulbs they have THE BEST prices around and are GREAT to deal with..You can also get thier calcium and vitemins as well as furniture ect from them !) The calcium and vitemins must be sprinkled on the salad daily as well !! Maintenance I bathe each of my Dragons every morning separately...they are trained to poo in thier baths ! This keeps thier enclosures very clean at all times and also keeps them hydrated ! ( They need WARM water up to thier shoulders...and if that freaks them out lower the level of water and scoop it over thier backs and heads....my babies Are udes to water and you should have no problems !! WHEN IN SHED...two soaks a day for 15 minutes..water changed as it cools is recommended to help them with thier shed ! ( NEVER pull skin off unless it is hanging..it it is WET in the bath and ready to easily come off..watch the toes and tip of the tail to MAKE sure the skin comes off..if not SOAK more..to help !) Clean cages DAILY !!!! Thourough entire cage clean once a week !!! LET it air out if you use bleach and water ( That’s what I use) before you return your dragon to the enclosure !! Advice on this species This reptile is the DOG of reptiles..they LOVE to be with thier owners and they have personalities that will win your heart !! The males head bob and wave and the females wave ALOT !! They males as well as some females beardes turn black at maturity ! They are just wonderful pets all around. NEVER EVER KEEP TWO DRAGONS IN THE SAME ENCLOSURE !!! A male will breed a female to death and stress her out..."SOMETIMES" TWO females THE SAME EXACT SIZE can be kept together..but if you decide to do that BE PREPARED with another enclosure incase of a fight !! They live alone in the wild and only come in contact with oneanother during breeding season !! THEY DO NOT LIVE ON SAND in the wild, they do encounter it but do NOT have to live in it ! Keeping them on sand is like making them live in thier own toilet which IMO is CRUELTY to animals and the sand harbors bacteria As well !!...please do not believe what the petstore people tell u, MOST do NOT HAVE A CLUE !!!!..calcium sand is VERY BAD..it is NOT digestible and your dragon can get TOO much calcium..and also get impacted..also the dust in horrific and can cause eye and respiratory infections...that goes back to NO particle substrates ! The WORST substrate being walnut and corncob and bark..those can cut thier intestines and cause internal bleeding..which leads to death ! We have a responsibility to take the BEST care with as few risks to them as possible and in turn we get a healthy happy WONDERFUL pet !! IF U HAVE ANY PROBLEMS CALL ME DAY OR NIGHT !! I will help you with ANY problems you are having and or answer ANY questions !!! Enjoy your dragon and cover the entire outside of the cage with white typing paper for about a month..it cuts down on thier stress and don’t handle them too much the first week..then in small amounts to work them up to 30 minutes out...as they start eating better...they WILL prob go off food for a bit when you get them THAT IS NORMAL ( When they first get to your house for a week or so !)..just keep trying and walk away..let THEM eat in peace...and it will increase quicker. ASLO The rule is as many as they can eat in 15 minutes 3 Xs a day....it can be up to 100 crickets a day for each dragon...most start at about 30 a day and eat more and more as they grow ! Also they STAY in shed as they are growing SO rapidly !!!! Thank you for visiting and or buying your baby from me and know 24/7/365 I am avavilable to you !!! Jenny 251 - 455 - 4230