# Mountain Dragon - info for a beginner



## blue_chili (Mar 11, 2010)

Hi,

I'm in Tassie and was interested in getting a pet lizard, I would love a Bearded Dragon but i don't believe you can get them in Tassie so was thinking of a Mountain Dragon. What i'm after is something reasonably low maintenance, has personality, and can be interacted with. Understand a lizard isn't a cat or dog so dont expect that level of companionship, I already have a couple of cats but would like another pet that can be kept in an inner city townhouse with no backyard. I have no children, its just me and the husband. 

Was after information on setting up a tank (whats needed in the tank and how big it should be), how much an initial setup cost, what to feed them, and where I could possibly have a look at, and obtain, a Mountain Dragon. I am not interested in collecting one from the wild. My parents have heaps of Blue Tongues in their backyard but they don't appeal to me as much, open to suggestions but I don't think there is much to chose from in Tassie?

Also would like any info on vets in the Launceston area that can give advice on reptiles as I've had fish before and trying to get help when they are sick is impossible, perhaps I was just asking the wrong vets but they never seemed very interested in helping.

And what do you guys do if the power goes out - do you just take your lizard to a friends house that has power or let them lay on you for body heat? Wasn't sure how much of an emergency a lack of power would be to a lizard - is there a certain amount of time they can be without heat?

Have looked on the web but there doesn't seem to be much specific to Mountain Dragons. Feel free to refer me to any websites or books with good info specifically on Mountain Dragons.

Any advice appreciated. Thanks in advance.


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## TassieHerper (Apr 26, 2010)

first and for most in order to keep a mountain dragon in tassie you need a herp licence. if you don't have one and you get caught you can be up for fines of $20,000,

it doesn’t cost anything to get a herp permit and the forms can be found on line.

you will find it hard to find someone who breeds any reptile in tassie as it is illegal to do so unless you are a registered breeder or are part of a research institute. in most cases people go on expeditions and catch them.

set ups can vary greatly in cost depending on the quality of the equipment used down to the size of the terrarium. a mature male averages from around 47-66 mm in length from snout to vent while a mature female can often measure 82 mm from snout to vent.

with this in mind and wanting to have some leg stretching room for your dragon i would suggest nothing smaller than a 3 foot long by 1.5 foot deep by 2 foot high terrarium.

Tarrarium set up is anything from $500-1200 again depending on what it is you are putting in it. some of the key things you will need are:

Terrarium/Tank
substrate
Heating element, this can be in the form of a heating rock /log or a heating mat.
heating light you will need to maintain the enclosure to between 15 and 25 degrees
UVB light. This provides the vitamin B they would normally get from direct sun light.
water bowl, fountains always make a great touch for a water bowl.
some foliage to provide cover. fake plants are an easy bet as they are far more tolerant than real ones and they are easy to clean. 
hide rock. These guys don’t like being out in the open all the time.

Try typing in husbandry supplies or reptile gear in a Google search and see what it brings up.

these little guys like small invertebrates. anything from crickets to ants to slaters is a good bet. so long as it is no bigger than the space between its eyes you are set.

when it comes to power outages you shouldn't have to much of a problem. most heating devices can maintain heat for up to an hour after the power is turned off. due to the nature of Tasmania and how it is prone to rapid environmental changes these little guys are great adjusters to heat variations 
as for a vet. your best bet would be to get cosy with your local wild life park. they would be in the best position to help you out. i do believe that Trowunna is up your end. Bill Flowers from there might be able to help you out.

i hope that has helped you out a little bit, considering how long ago you made the post you may have answered all the questions yourself.


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