Plants? Of some sort.

[James34780]

Was wondering if it is safe or worth it to keep any sort of live plants in the enclosure. If so, which plants are safe and which should I treat like atomic waste? Thank you for your time

 

[gilliesexotics]

Hi, to be honest unless you have a huge open cage. The moisture from watering your plants is truly not a great idea to have around dragons. You could make it work though. They will demolish plants like a hurricane went through your cage but if you have the right enclosure, patience and money to throw to plants it looks really nice. Here is a plant list i go by when selecting anything for a reptile. This is a safe plant list for chameleons but it should be pretty universal. I would still research which plant you decide for any recommendations with a bearded dragon. http://www.flchams.com/safe_plant_list.asp

 

[James34780]

Thank you and my cage is custom built out of an old entertainment center. Its about 53" x 20" x 20"

 

[Germ]

I agree with Gillies, BDs digging will cause quite a mess along with the humidity issues.

There is also the issue of the BDs ingesting the medium that the plants are planted in, posing high impaction risks. Plants in an enclosure would serve as eye candy for us but with not much benefit to the BDs. IMHO- The possible repercussions & risks are far too great with no real benefits to the animal.

We have to remember that these are a desert\scrubland creature, not tropical ...

 

[ThDude]

wouldn't a none spiky cacti like cats and kittens/chicks and hens or other types of plants that do not require much water?

Now, i think that we dont need to worry about plants, its to much trouble for what its worth, im just curious as to if it would even work

 

[Ozzie&Dino]

I had one of the fake plants for looks but quickly took it out because feeders climb and hide in it. I prefer more of a bare tank besides a bowl for veggies and a log and I have a hammock whenever they decide to use it.

 

[ize]

If the plants are green then you will probably wake up and find they have been eaten. I would not advise feeding them crickets in their herparium as any left uneaten can bite the beardies when they are asleep opening up the risk of infection.

 

[ThDude]

If the plants are green then you will probably wake up and find they have been eaten. I would not advise feeding them crickets in their herparium as any left uneaten can bite the beardies when they are asleep opening up the risk of infection.

very good point. this is another reason why i check my tank every night before bedtime for leftover crickets. though normally he eats them all.

 

[Germ]

There is nothing wrong with feeding in the enclosure, personally, I recommend it. But as you have mentioned, uneaten feeders should be removed prior to lights out.