Accessories

Accessories

Keep a baby dragon's home simple to start with. Excessive "furniture" in a young dragon's enclosure can make it difficult for them to find or catch their live prey, a small round, flat, basking rock is sufficient. We do not recommend the use of electric heat rocks as the temperatures are not controlled and they have the potential to cause serious injury. After your dragon becomes comfortable in its enclosure you can begin adding accessories such as hammocks, logs and branches to climb on, hiding holes and imitation plants (please research edible plants that will not harm your dragon before adding live plants to the enclosure). All enclosure accessories acquired naturally (i.e. rocks, branches etc.) must be bacteria and parasite free before introducing them to your dragon's home. Clean items by soaking them in a solution of 10% bleach to 90% water (not recommended for porous materials such as wood), rinse thoroughly and bake them for approximately 15 minutes at 300 degrees. This method will ensure the death of most bacteria, parasites and their eggs. Weekly cleaning of enclosure items can be done with a solution of 30% vinegar to 70% water. Use the bleach solution once per month for a thorough cleaning but make sure you also rinse thoroughly! Accessories bought from the pet store should also be washed in the vinegar solution prior to adding them to the enclosure. Do not use detergents or other soaps as they may have the potential to be toxic to your dragon. It is a good practice to use a freshly laundered cloth specifically for this purpose, to prevent cross contamination to both the dragon and your family.