Frilled Dragons

This page has been moved to : Frilled Dragon Caresheet

If you are new to keeping reptiles, please read our introductory care sheet :
Reptile Keeping for Beginners.

Caring for your Frilled Dragon

Chlamydosaurus kingii

Congratulations on purchasing your new Frilled Dragon from Paws for Thought. We hope it will bring lots of fun, happiness and companionship for many years to come.

We pride ourselves on being voted Best Independent Pet Centre in the U.K by Which Magazine. We take our animal welfare very seriously. If in the first few days of your Frilled Dragon coming home you are concerned about its health or well being, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are open seven days a week and often a simple phone call to one of our experienced staff may alleviate any minor problems and put your mind at ease over any difficulties you may be encountering.

Please read the following information below very carefully as a basic guide to caring for your Frilled Dragon. Any new owner would be wise to purchase a more in depth book.

Essentials
Paws for Thought’s Chameleon Vivarium for Juveniles
4 - 6 foot (Tall) Vivarium for Adults
Orchid Bark
Hide
Shallow, Heavy Dishes
Cork Bark/Rocks/Logs/Branches/Artificial Plants
Crickets/Locusts (Wax worms or mealworms occasionally)
Calcium D3 and multivitamin supplements (Nutrobal)
Spot Bulb, Thermostat, Spot Guard
UVB REQUIRED

Housing
One adult requires at least a 4 foot (Tall) Vivarium with plenty of room. These kinds of vivarium are not usually available as stock items from most shops, though we can have them made to order. Alternatively, VivExotic’s AX36 or AX48 vivariums are suitable for adults. Provide several hiding places throughout the vivarium so your Frilled Dragon will feel secure. Provide branches and/or large pieces of cork bark extending all the way up the vivarium so your Frilled Dragon can make full use of the space. The vivarium should be sprayed daily so that the humidity is maintained around 70%. Water must always be available in a heavy dish. In more elaborate set ups, some people provide a relatively large pool that is kept clean using aquarium filtration.

The temperature during the day should be maintained between 95-100F under the hot spot and 75F at the cool end. Locate the tank out of direct sunlight to avoid overheating. Due to the arboreal shape of the vivarium, the temperature gradient will be different to a standard vivarium. Instead of the vivarium being warm on one side and cool on the other, the temperature gradient in a Frilled Dragon vivarium will be from top to bottom as well as side to side, so it will be hot (around 95F) on a branch near your heat source at the top of the vivarium, and cool at the bottom by the water bowl/pool. This will give your Frilled Dragon a basking spot and shady area at the bottom of the vivarium to cool down as they would in the wild.

NB With all heating equipment, please be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and all heat sources, such as bulbs and ceramic emitters, should be covered with a guard.

Position your UVB bulb around 12 inches away from the basking site.

You will need a substrate that holds humidity well. Orchid Bark is a popular substrate for Frilled Dragons though Sphagnum Moss is also suitable, or even better, a combination of both.

Diet
Your Frilled Dragon should thrive on a diet primarily of insects, mainly crickets or locusts (of appropriate size) though you can occasionally feed them mealworm or waxworm for variety, though these should be fed in moderation due to their high fat content. All foods should be supplemented on a daily basis with a pure calcium supplement like Calypso and once a week with Nutrobal (a calcium supplement with added D3).

Frilled Dragons will also readily accept vegetables. Although they can not be fed exclusively on a vegetarian diet, it is a necessary to provide fresh vegetables daily so they receive all the nutrients they need.

The greens should consist of Kale, Brussell Tops, Parsley, Watercress, mixed with 20% Carrot, Melon, Grapes or other fruit. Do not feed your Frilled Dragon Iceberg or Round Lettuce although you can provide Mixed Lettuce sold in supermarkets that consist of Chinese Lettuce, Raddico, etc. Lettuce should be viewed as once a week feed as it contains high amounts of water and not as much goodness as the other foods mentioned.

Cleaning
Check the vivarium daily and remove faeces and dead food immediately. Wash out the water and food dishes daily. Place the Frilled Dragon in an escape proof container while cleaning the vivarium. The vivarium should be washed monthly in hot water and the substrate changed. Use a Reptile Safe disinfectant to sterilise the tank such as BEA Reptile Disinfectant. Rinse well with hot water and dry thoroughly.

Handling
Frilled Dragons are usually tolerant of handling though may be a bit nervous when young. If you are getting a young Frilled Dragon then it is recommended that you do not handle your dragon for more than 20 minutes a day to avoid stressing them out. As they get older you will find they become much calmer!