If you know me, you know that my bearded dragon Chichi means the world to me, and I can always find a way to bring her up in conversation. Since she has come into my life I’ve realized how simple it is for me to balance taking care of her with school and work.

1. Bearded dragons are the only reptiles that show affection. Having a cat that jumps at every opportunity to sit in your lap and get fur all over you, or a puppy lick your face nonstop can be a little much. Beardies show affection a little differently, for example, my Chichi gently closes her eyes and relaxes her body until she’s almost completely flat. There are other ways she shows affection, but that one is by far the cutest. Although, because they are affectionate reptiles, they do require some lovin’ here and there.

2. Little maintenance. Bearded dragons require very little in their living space, and food is quite simple. Any beardie will be more than happy just having proper heat temperatures, something to climb on, and crickets and fresh kale. Because maintenance is so little, it makes it much easier to find someone to watch over a beardie while on vacation.

3. They’re so affordable. The initial cost to have the proper habitat equipment can be a bit pricey, but after setup, the only cost is vegetables or fruit, and a source of protein. Protein for a bearded dragon can be found in crickets, super-worms, and roaches. The easiest form of protein is crickets, the size and amount of crickets needed depends mostly on age. For example, I usually buy around 50-65 crickets for Chichi every other week, and she is almost a year old. Depending on the pet store you go to prices vary, but they usually run for 14 cents a cricket. As bearded dragons get older they require less crickets, and can eventually switch to protein pellets. Vegetables are easy and inexpensive. Bearded dragons can have any vegetable or fruit that is not citrus or white. Some examples are collard greens, carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, apples, bananas, and mangos. All together I spend five dollars every other week on crickets and about three dollars on fresh kale once a month.

4. They’re nonaggressive pets. Some reptiles can carry a bad reputation of being aggressive such as snakes or iguanas, but bearded dragons have never been known to hurt anyone. They are known to puff out their big black beards when they feel threatened, but don’t be alarmed-- this is a natural defense act.

5. Each beardie has their own personality. Since bearded dragons live alone in most habitats, none of their behaviors are reciprocated from others. This can be seen mostly in how they show affection. As I said before, Chichi gets extremely relaxed and closes her eyes, but that may not be the same way other beardies show affection. There are, however, certain behaviors that are common to most bearded dragons.

Don’t let college stop you from having a pet, just make sure it’s a pet you can take care of, even in the midst of your hardest days.