Please look at this enclosure I built, almost finished. There's basking heat/light at the top and UVB above and below. I've been advised by some Bearded Dragon owners (I've not had one yet) that although they will climb they can be clumsy and a fall would be dangerous, especially in this enclosure where the basking spot is about 3.5 feet from the lower floor. But I added an angled branch to make climbing easier and I just wondered if anyone thinks a couple Bearded Dragons could be in here safely. The aspen chips are there because I was going to put in a snake but I really wanted to use this for two Bearded Dragons. What do you think? Too risky for falls? Thanks... Andy

havent you asked this question before?

I really thought it was going to make a nice snake enclosure for your ratsnake... I'll leave it up to the Bearded Dragon people to comment on it's suitability for BDs.

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Andrea

In the wild Bearded Dragons spend most of their time on fenceposts, my Bearded Dragon enclosure is three feet tall with multiple levels. They are pretty agile but will occasionally jump from one level to another with no ill effects. I would just use a trial period where you can monitor them and see how they do. The only other advise I have is to move them to the feeding area when you put food in, the first couple of times I fed my dragons in there, they jumped from the top to the bottom to get the food.

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Answers are great. But I prefer questions!

Visit me at www.jaysreptiles.com

Hello,
No, that tank is not suitable for a Bearded Dragon. Of course, this is my opinion and I will state why I don't think that tank is safe for dragons.

The first reason is the height. 4 feet is tall, and with a clumsy reptile like a dragon, a fall or jump IS going to happen at some point.

With that said, I draw my attention to the opening that separates the 2 levels. Below is a picture that you took showing the opening and the "lip" surrounding it.



Now lets imagine that the dragon decides he wants to come down. He is going to have to climb down, or he is going to have to jump down. In this instant, he is going to jump quite a bit. The branches you are using are narrow, smooth, and are almost vertical coming up through that opening. My adults would not be capable of climbing up those branches easily to get to the second floor. Coming down, they would also have a difficult time as there is really nothing on the branches themselves to grasp onto.

My biggest concern with the branches is the opening that they are coming through though. If a dragon were to attempt a jump, or fell, from the branches in the second level, the dragon would most likely bounce of one side or the other of that opening. That could be potentially fatal. (Especially if they caught their head off of that lip surrounding the opening.)

The next problem I see with your design is heating. Since the tank isn't in front of me, I am going to go off theory and relativity to explain what I see as a problem.

Dragons require a basking spot. The obvious thing would be to make the basking spot up on the second level. The problem with that is that you are now forcing the dragons to use the second level, and the branches, in order for them to bask. Again, that goes back to the point that they can be clumsy and one or both dragons would jump or fall at some point, potentially causing serious injury.

So perhaps you create the basking spot on the lower level. This would stop them from having to climb to the second level for the increased heat. However, heat rises. So a majority of the heat would escape and head upwards. But lets say that the heat didn't rise, and you could maintain optimal temps on the bottom. The heat output of whatever element you use would need to be fairly intense to maintain a basking spot where the heat has an escape route. How is that going to effect the rest of the ambient air in that enclosure? The coolest temps would be up above if no heating were used for that level. So again, the dragon is forced to use the second tier. Which yet again, leads to the high probability of a fall or jump that could be potentially serious.

Now lets say that you could maintain adequate temps just on the bottom tier. The dragon can bask and thermoregulate because the temperature gradient down there fluctuates as he moves away from the heat source. Well that would be ideal for the dragon. In that instant, explain why the second tier is even needed? At that point, you could get rid of the possibility of the fall, and remove the possible danger.

If Bearded dragons were considered an aboreal species, your tank would be fine. They are not however. Bearded Dragons are a terrestrial species. They require "running" room, not climbing room.

To be honest, that enclosure would be more adequate for Dragons if it were laid on its back.

My opinion is not to use that enclosure with Dragons as it houses the serious possibility of the dragon injuring itself. I thought your initial snake idea was a good one.

If you want more opinions, reread your initial post asking this question. It was located here:

Rankins vs. Viticeps

Okay, that convinces me. Thanks Rich for the thoughtful response. I didn't mean to be bothersome reposting, I very much appreciate the opinions, and they've been very helpful, instructive, about Bearded Dragons and snakes on the snake pages. You know you can only learn so much from books and people trying to sell you.

I reposted because I added the angled branch thinking that might make climbing easier and I wanted to see what experienced keepers would think of the final version for Bearded Dragons. There were various opinions here and elsewhere. But I've since become a snake owner and loving it, and I realize this will make a decent snake cage.

Now, If I may.... below is a cage I made that might be suitable for Bearded Dragons. (I don't think I've ever posted this cage.) The internal dimensions are 44Long x 18Wide x 20High. The bottom is glass, with an undertank heater on one side. The top is steel mesh. I personally feel this is too small for more than one P. viticeps, but maybe a couple Rankins? If people think this is too small for Bearded Dragons, how about a Blue Tongue Skink?