The average bearded dragon lives to the age of 8 or 10, but with proper care they can live longer. In fact, a healthy diet and the right living conditions can have a significant impact on the lifespan of your pet bearded dragon.
If you’re considering buying a pet beardie, make sure you go to a reputable bearded dragon breeder or adopt from someone who took good care of their pet. As a bearded dragon vet, we often treat lizards who have parasites or other illnesses as a result of poor living conditions.
Bearded dragons make great pets for beginner reptile owners They are relatively easy to care for and have endearing personalities However, there are some important things you need to know before bringing one of these friendly lizards home. This complete care guide covers everything a new bearded dragon owner needs to know to give their pet the best possible care.
Getting Started with Bearded Dragons
Bearded dragons, also known as “beardies”, originate from Australia. There are eight species, but the most common pet species is the inland or central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps).
In the wild, bearded dragons inhabit arid woodlands and deserts. They are diurnal meaning they are awake during the day and sleep at night. Bearded dragons are ectothermic, relying on external heat sources to regulate their body temperature.
Wild bearded dragons are omnivorous eating insects small vertebrates, plants and fruit. They have a “beard” under their throat which they can extend when threatened. Bearded dragons make great starter pets because they are generally docile, have endearing personalities, and are relatively easy to care for compared to other exotic pets.
Some things to consider before getting a bearded dragon:
- Adult size ranges from 16-24 inches long. They need a minimum 40 gallon enclosure.
- Initial setup costs range from $200-$500. Ongoing costs are ~$25-50 monthly.
- Bearded dragons can live 10+ years with proper care. This is a long term commitment.
- They require daily care and handling to stay tame and healthy.
Choosing Your Bearded Dragon
You can purchase a bearded dragon from a breeder or pet store. Avoid wild caught animals. Do research to find a reptile-specialized pet store or a reputable breeder.
The ideal bearded dragon:
- Is 4+ inches long (old enough to be away from mother)
- Has a full, rounded belly
- Moves actively and has bright, alert eyes
- Does not have discharge from nose/eyes
- Does not have stuck shed skin
Handle the dragon gently before purchasing. Avoid dragons that seem aggressive or lethargic.
Babies eat more insects, while juveniles and adults eat more veggies. There is no visible difference between male and female bearded dragons until they reach 4-5 months old.
Bearded Dragon Housing
Bearded dragons are active reptiles that need an appropriately sized habitat:
- Babies (up to 6 months): Minimum 20 gallon tank
- Juveniles (6-12 months): Minimum 40 gallon
- Adults (12+ months): Minimum 75 gallon tank
The enclosure should have a screen top for ventilation. Substrates like reptile carpeting or paper towels are recommended to prevent accidental ingestion.
Provide hides, climbing branches, and basking rocks for enrichment. Avoid substrate like sand or wood shavings which can cause impaction if ingested.
Heating and Lighting
As ectotherms, bearded dragons rely on environmental temperature to regulate their body heat. Proper heating is critical for their health.
You need two types of lights:
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Basking bulb – Provides heat so the bearded dragon can bask to raise its body temperature. Keep the basking area 95-110°F.
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UVB light – Needed for the bearded dragon to produce vitamin D3 to absorb calcium. Use a Reptisun 10.0 or Arcadia 12% bulb.
The cool side of the tank should stay around 80-85°F. Use thermometers to monitor temperatures. Turn off lights at night, but use a ceramic heat emitter to keep the temperature above 65°F if needed.
Bearded dragons need 10-14 hours per day of UVB light for proper health. Provide a day/night cycle by turning the lights on in the morning and off at night.
Feeding Your Bearded Dragon
Bearded dragons are omnivores, meaning they eat both plant and animal matter. Feed them a varied diet:
Insects: Crickets, dubia roaches, mealworms. Make up 60-80% of the diet for babies, 20-30% for juveniles/adults. Gut load insects with nutritious food before feeding.
Vegetables: Dark, leafy greens, squash, bell peppers, carrots. Chopped for easy eating. Make up 20% of baby diet, 70-80% for juveniles/adults.
Fruits: Bananas, berries, melons, apples. Only occasionally for juveniles/adults. Avoid citrus.
Supplements: Dust insects with calcium + D3 supplement 2-3 times per week. Add a multivitamin 1-2 times per week.
Always provide fresh, clean water in a shallow bowl. Replace water daily. Some spraying or bathing helps keep them hydrated.
Caring for Your Bearded Dragon
Handling – Regular handling is important for bearded dragons to stay calm and familiar with you. Support the belly/chest when picking up. Avoid restraining the back legs which can injure the spine.
Shedding – Bearded dragons shed in patches. Soak in a warm bath during shedding to help loosen skin. Do not peel off stuck shed.
Nails – Trim overgrown nails gently with nail clippers. Avoid the blood vessel (pink part).
Bathing – Give occasional 10-15 minute shallow, warm water baths for hydration and shedding aid.
Habitat cleaning – Spot clean daily. Remove waste, uneaten food. Disinfect entire tank monthly.
Vet checkups – Get an annual exam to check for parasites and health issues. Take a stool sample.
Common Health Issues
Metabolic bone disease – Caused by improper calcium/vitamin D3. Seen in fast-growing juveniles. Prevent with proper supplements.
Gastrointestinal impaction – Caused by ingesting substrate or other foreign objects. Can be relieved by warm baths, belly rubs, hydration. Seek vet help if no improvement.
Parasites – Roundworms and coccidia are common. Good hygiene and annual fecal checks help prevent.
Respiratory infections – Caused by poor heating and humidity. Fix husbandry issues and see a vet for antibiotics if not improving.
Mouth rot – A bacterial infection seen as cheesy deposits in the mouth. Caused by poor hygiene, trauma. Needs antibiotic treatment.
With proper care, most bearded dragons live long, healthy lives. Do plenty of research before bringing one home. A good veterinarian is invaluable for helping keep your pet stay healthy. With the right setup and care, bearded dragons make personable, endearing pets.
How to Care for Your Pet Bearded Dragon
Bearded Dragon Cages and Housing
An ideal bearded dragon cage will keep in humidity and heat, and also be easy to clean. We recommend glass tanks because they’re easy to maintain and most comfortable for your beardie friend. Cages made of wire mesh can be hard on a bearded dragon’s toe nails, while plastic containers lock in too much humidity.
Bearded dragons need plenty of space in their cage. The size needed depends on the size and age of your beardie.
- For a baby, use a 10 gallon glass tank
- For a juvenile, use a 20 gallon glass tank
- For an adult – 40 gallon glass tank (or larger)
Logs, Rocks and Plants:
Bearded dragons love to climb and they’ll enjoy crawling around obstacles placed inside their cage, or basking on a log beneath their heat lamp. You can put rocks, plants and logs into their cage, as long as they’re purchased from a reputable site or store. Because of the risk of bugs, diseases, and parasites, you should never place items that you find outdoors into your beardie’s tank.
To keep your bearded dragon safe, check to make sure that any rocks or logs are a safe distance from heat lamps.
Bearded Dragon Substrate:
Do not use sand, Vita-sand or gravel in your beardie’s cage. These may seem like a natural choice, but they can create impactions, a type of blockage in the gastrointestinal tract, because beardies love to lick things including the bottom of their cage! They will also accidently ingest sand when trying to eat if fed on these substances. Bearded dragons constantly use their tongues to get an idea of where they are. If they ingest too much sand, they will likely develop an impaction and require veterinary care.
Many people glue together slate or tile to create a basking ledge and floor for the tank. This is a great option because it’s easy to clean. Paper towels also make for an easy, healthy substrate for your beardie’s cage. Feces will be easy to spot on the white towels and you can quickly replace them with a fresh stock. Repticarpet can also be used to line the tank.
Providing the Right Climate for Your Bearded Dragon
Your bearded dragon’s cage should be equipped with proper lighting and heat. This is fundamental to the health of your pet, since bearded dragons need exposure to both UVA and UVB rays. Bearded dragons need UVB to synthesize vitamin D3 in their skin, allowing them to use the calcium they get in their diet. Without vitamin D3, they cannot use calcium, and this can be very dangerous for their health.
Bearded dragons are known as mid-day full sun baskers, which means that they need high UVB exposure with a UV index between 2.6 and 3.5. Always be sure follow the directions of the bulb you are purchasing and don’t place the bulb in the center of the enclosure lid; place it towards either end of the enclosure. The bearded dragon should be able to escape the heat or UV exposure if they desire.
Keep your bearded dragon on a regular light cycle, turning on and off the bulbs at the same time each day. Beardies should be exposed to 12-13 hours of daylight. For references on our UVB lighting recommendations refer to our Lighting Guide here.
How Hot Should Your Bearded Dragon Tank Be?
You need to outfit your tank with a thermometer. Ideally, you should have two. Place one thermometer on either side of the tank (cool and hot sides) in order to get a complete picture of the environment in the tank. The thermometers should be placed at the middle of the tank’s height. Note that if the thermometer is placed too close to the heat, it will give an incorrect reading.
The hot spot in the tank should be between 90-100°F for adults. It can be up to 110°F for bearded dragons under 6 months old and up to 105°F for beardies under a year. The cool side of the tank should be between 80-90°F. At night, the tank can cool down between 72-80°F. Ceramic heat emitters can be used at night if the tank falls below the recommended night temperature. Be sure to keep the bulbs off at night, since light can disturb the sleep cycle of a bearded dragon. Change your UVB bulb every 4-6 months, since their efficacy dwindles quickly over time, even if the bulb still produces light.
We do not recommend using under tank heaters for bearded dragons, as they emit heat without light. Beardies utilize the light to determine when they should move away from the heat they feel. Without this stimulus, they often do not move away from the heat that is created by the under the tank heater. This puts your bearded dragon at risk of overheating and burns.
Bearded Dragons and Shedding
Bearded dragons shed their skin as they grow. When they’re young, they may shed once a month or more, but as adults their shedding slows to about once or twice a year. While your beardie is shedding, make sure to keep the humidity in their cage to 50-60%. (We recommend purchasing a hygrometer to measure humidity.)
When a bearded dragon is about to start shedding, you can raise the humidity level to help ease the process since elevated humidity can assist with proper shedding. Unlike snakes, beardies shed in pieces. Sometimes their faces will go into shed, followed by their hind legs. Problem areas can include toes, hind legs, tail and cloaca. During the shedding period, observe your bearded dragon closely to make sure they are getting all of the sheds off.
You can soak your pet in a warm water bath to help them shed properly. Test the water carefully to make sure it’s not too cold or too hot. The recommended temperature is 80-85°F. Soaks can be anywhere from 15-45 minutes depending on if the beardie enjoys the bath and as long as the water temperature and supervision can be maintained. After bathing, let your beardie dry under their heat lamps.
Medical Care for Your Pet Bearded Dragon
When Should You Bring Your Pet Bearded Dragon in for a Checkup?
When you bring home a new bearded dragon, be sure to schedule an appointment with an exotic pet vet. During the initial exam, the veterinarian will check for possible infections or parasites. You should also bring your beardie in for an annual exam, including fecal and blood work. This will help ensure that your pet lives a long and healthy life.
Common Bearded Dragon Health Concerns
Here are some common bearded dragon health concerns. Observe your pet carefully and make sure to bring them to a vet if you notice any unusual behavior or symptoms. This helps prevent illness and increases the chances that your bearded dragon vet can diagnose any problems as early as possible:
- Metabolic bone disease or MBD
- Vitamin deficiencies
- Hypervitaminosis
- Sand or dirt impactions
- Wasting disease or Atadenovirus
- Dehydration
- Protozoa or parasites
- Egg binding or dystocia
- Mouth rot or stomatitis
How to Tell When Your Bearded Dragon Is Sick?
These behaviors or symptoms may indicate that your beardie is sick. If you observe them, schedule an appointment with a bearded dragon vet nearby.
- Lethargy
- Abnormal skin discoloration
- Stuck shed
- Decreased appetite
- Decreased fecal production
- Loose or runny stool
- Excessive open mouth breathing
- Decreased use of limbs
- Open mouth – If your beardie is lethargic and lying with its mouth open while on the cool side of the tank, it could be experiencing breathing trouble.
Bearded Dragon Emergencies:
The following is a list of bearded dragon emergencies or signs that your beardie might need critical care. If you witness any of these, seek medical care right away:
- Overheating or burns
- Falls from high surfaces
- Broken bones (including the tail)
- Impaction
- Egg binding
- Excessive head bobbing
- Seizures or head tilt
Even if you aren’t sure if your bearded dragon needs critical care, your safest bet is to contact your local exotics specialty vet for advice. At Long Island Bird & Exotics, we are on-call 24/hours a day. Contact us about your bearded dragon emergencies if you live in the NY area!
Complete Bearded Dragon Care Guide | Everything You Need To Know in 2023
FAQ
Do bearded dragons need to be held every day?
Handling times
Bearded dragons are quite docile reptiles and make great pets, you can reinforce this behaviour early on with a baby Bearded dragon by having regular handling sessions 2-4 times a day for 5-15 minutes at a time until they become comfortable.
How to take care of bearded dragon for beginners?
Baby dragons should be fed twice daily, with the greens chopped up small. Juveniles and adults should be fed once daily. Older bearded dragons (larger than 30cm) need about 40 percent livefood and 60 percent greens. Feed in the morning so that the dragon can digest its food during the day.
What is the bearded dragon Care Guide?
This is our complete bearded dragon care guide. It contains everything you need to know to be able to properly care for any bearded dragon regardless of age. This care sheet consists of all the valuable information that’s available on our site, except we have put it into an easy to follow manual.
How do you handle a bearded dragon?
Only handle your pet dragon for short periods of time. Place the dragon back into its enclosure onto a secure surface, never a branch or rock it could fall from. Wash your hands thoroughly. Handling your bearded dragon correctly is important because you must move it while cleaning the enclosure. Handling it wrong can cause damage.
What is a bearded dragon care sheet?
This Bearded Dragon Care Sheet will cover just about everything you need on raising healthy and happy bearded dragon. It is split up into nine sections, each on a different topic. We will take you down each step of bearded dragon husbandry – from setting up the enclosure to organizing a consistent feeding schedule.
What makes bearded dragons easy to care for?
Bearded dragons are one of the easier lizard species to care for because they do not require an extensive tank setup. With adult species, handling and feeding is not necessary every day, making it possible to fit their care into a full-time schedule.
What should you feed your bearded dragon?
Bearded Dragons eat insects in their diet, preferably live ones to help encourage their natural instincts to forage for food. You will need space to accommodate keeping both your lizard and the crickets or other insects you chose to use for feeding.
What should I do if my bearded dragon has MBD?
Always provide adequate full-spectrum lighting at the proper placement, and supplement the diet with calcium powder containing vitamin D3. If you suspect your bearded dragon may be showing signs of MBD get it to a veterinarian immediately for treatment.