Generally when choosing cage accessories for your pet lizard, you want things that closely resemble the type of environment your pet lizard comes from in nature. Even though your reptiles are usually bred in captivity, you still want them to feel secure in their surroundings and have the terrarium be pleasing to the eye.
Always buy your cage accessories from a reputable reptile supply company. You don’t want to purchase items that have been brought in from outside without being properly treated. Many items purchased in a pet store are made out of resin. The resin rocks are easy to sterilize especially if you have more than one cage, and you want to move the accessories from cage to another.
Bearded dragons love the smooth grape vine branches that have been specially treated for the purpose of your pet lizard basking under a heat lamp. Make sure the branch is not so tall that your lizard can burn it self under the lamp.
Never use heat rocks for your pet lizards. Heat rocks can cause severe burns and cause internal damage to your reptile. Always use a heat lamp that your lizard can bask under.
Substrates are another consideration when accessorizing your reptile cage. Cage carpets are a favorite since they are easy to clean and if you have more than one, you can replace the carpet while the other is drying. Other substrates are clean white paper, calcium sand, and rabbit pellets.
Don’t use substrates that a lizard cannot digest like corn cob bedding,wood chips or any type of shavings. These types of bedding are not designed for your pet reptile, snake or lizard. When your pet lizard tries to eat a cricket, some of the shavings or bark could be ingested at the same time, and cause a bowel blockage. This can severely injure your pet lizard.
The only type of sand that is safe for bearded dragons is the calcium sand. It will say that is safe for pet lizards. Again use caution when purchasing sand for your hatchling Beardie. If too much sand is ingested, it can cause terminal internal damage.
The safest and easiest substrate is either the reptile carpet or clean white paper. We chose the green reptile carpet with a heavy resin basking rock than gives our Beardie something to hide under along with a grape vine branch that she loves to hang out on.
