Rankin’s Dragon, Pogona henrylawsonii
Rankin’s Dragons are often overlooked in favour of their Bearded Dragon relatives which are more common and well known (check out our Bearded Dragon guide if you’re interested). In nature, they inhabit the arid, rocky regions of Australia.
They are very similar to Bearded Dragons but are a dwarf species, fully grown at 10-12″, and have slightly different colouration and a more rounded head shape. They are still a very docile species that are active during the day and are easy to handle.
Rankin’s Dragon Husbandry
Daily Chores
● Fresh water daily
● Spot clean daily
● Spray Daily (Full clean once a month)
● Use F10 Veterinary Disinfectant
Vets and Insurance
● Exotics Vets are not easy to find, here in Brighton we use Coastways in Kemptown as they have an exotic vet called Celine. It is essential you find an exotic vet.
● There is insurance you can get for your reptile through Exotic Direct.
Handling your Rankins Dragon
When handling your Rankins dragon ensure you support his body and ensure your surroundings are safe. Rankins dragons are not the best climbers so make sure they are safe if climbing on any enrichment inside or outside the enclosure. Handling sessions should be around 45 minutes maximum due to Rankins dragons needing access to the UVB and heat in the enclosure. If you take your dragon outside during the summer time, ensure they are in an enclosure area and being monitored at all times.
Rankins dragons come from Australia which is nice and hot so ensure you only take your Rankins dragon out during peak summer times. Always make sure there are no pets like dogs and cats around when handling your Rankins dragon.
Rankins Dragon Diet
You should feed Rankins Dragons greens every day and bugs every other day. Young dragons require more insects in their diet for growth.
Greens suitable for your Rankins Dragon
- Spring Greens
- Rocket
- WaterCress
- Lambs Lettuce
- Chard (This should be more of a treat)
- Pak choi
- Dandelions
You can also use live food with Rankins Dragons eat a diet of live insects, which can include ‘calci worms’, waxworms and locusts. You also want to ensure your feeder bugs have been gut loaded (fed) before offering to your lizard. We use Arcadia Reptiles Insectfuel.
Supplementing your Rankins Dragon Diet
The use of high-quality reptile supplements in the correct amounts at the correct frequencies will help to ensure optimum bone health and skin health for your reptile, and help to avoid a plethora of nutrition-related illnesses such as metabolic bone disease.
EarthPro-A at every feed on all food items, CalciumPro Mg at every 4th feed, A quality full-spectrum powder with D3 and A can be offered at feed 6 or 8. We then carry on with this cycle.
Check out the feeding schedule using the link below
https://www.arcadiareptile.com/earthpro/feeding-programme/herbivores/
Minimum rehoming Requirements for a Rankins Dragon
You can source all enclosures, equipment, electrics and decor from us as we run a shop.
- 3ft x 2ft x 2ft Vivarium £150
- Arcadia Reptile Pro T5 24W 12% Kit £60
- 75W Arcadia Reptile Halogen £15
- Dimming thermostat £55
- Arcadia Reptile Ceramic bulb holder and plug £15
- Habistat Heat Cage £15
- Substrate and decor is up to you. We advice a Sand X Soil mix as substrate and a minimum of 2 hides and a water dish.
Setting up your Rankins Dragon
If you are getting a vivarium from us, we will set it up for you free of charge, If not, when setting up your electrics, ensure both the UVB and heating are on the same side. Fit your UVB on the top front of the viv, behind the runner and heating should centered on the warm side
When you buy everything from us, we can set up your enclosure free of charge