Does anyone have a bearded dragon?

[LoudestRoar]

My 6 year old has been asking for a bearded dragon. I've been reading up, and they seem like good pets for kids, but would like some first hand experiences if possible.

@hairypaws thank you for that, tongs I guess would be manageable.

I actually never realised so much went into looking after reptiles! Bugs for cleaning waste? Feeding the food?
I guess that's half the reason they're not thought of as "family" pets like cats and dogs, because they do seem to need fairly complex care (in comparison).

Very interesting thread!

@hothotsoup exactly, unfortunately that's the mistake a lot of people make. They are marketed as easy pets but the reality is the set up and maintenance whilst straight forward, is very expensive initially and takes some effort.

We had one for about 5 years. Was a dream to look after and once you have viv, heat lamp, and heat pads etc ( this is where the cost is!) the cost is a lot less than having most other pets.
My least favorite part of owning ours was finding the odd cricket walking up the curtains that had escaped the container.
My DC loved our beardie....for a time. I feel awful saying this but they aren't very 'exciting' to young kids and although animal lovers our DC soon lost interest in her.

@hairypaws where do you get the silk worms? i've been trying to track some down for years!!

@katesxo I haven't bought them for a while as my girl isn't too keen. I think it was via Facebook. Give me a minute and I will have a look.

@katesxo silkworm safari on Facebook. They are quite expensive so I probably won't buy again for a while.