Bearded Dragon Care Guide

Bearded dragons are a wildly popular choice as pets, and for several reasons. They are relaxed and non-aggressive, but enjoy being active and exploring their surroundings. They are personable and very inquisitive, seeming to enjoy their keepers’ company and always wanting to know what you’re up to. “Beardies”–as they are affectionately known–are also a very manageable size for safe handling and may enjoy simply perching on your shoulder for long periods of time.

One unfortunate reason behind their popularity, however, is that bearded dragons are typically sold as babies and billed as beginner-level reptiles. Many buyers do not realize how big they get, how much space they eventually need, or how long they live. Although they are not extremely difficult to care for, they do require regular feeding and adequate attention. These factors sadly lead to many neglected or abandoned animals. Beardies do in fact make wonderful pets, but you should read up carefully about their care before you commit to getting one. When ready for your new lizard pal, you might consider adopting a bearded dragon before buying one from the pet store.

Fast Facts

• Scientific name: Pogona vitticeps
• Native range: Australia, eastern and central
• Natural habitat: Open desert, dry forests and scrublands
• Adult size: 1-2 feet long
• Tank size: 100-gallon terrarium or larger
• Lifespan: 10-15 years

Fun Facts

• Bearded dragons are the single most popular reptile pet in the world.
• They get their name “bearded” from the flabby skin around their throats, which they can flare out while opening their mouth to scare off predators. “Dragon” is a common given to several species of lizards in Australia, such as water dragons.

Bearded dragons in the Wild

Bearded dragons inhabit arid, semi-desert regions and open woodlands. They are diurnal, meaning they are primarily active during the day. They may avoid the hottest midday hours by retreating into burrows, but they bask in the mornings and afternoons and may sometimes move about at night. Bearded dragons are often seen near towns and suburbs sunning themselves on rocks, branches, or fence posts.

These lizards are omnivores that forage for soft plant matter like fruits and flowers, but also hunt opportunistically for insects and small vertebrates. They are social animals, often seen basking or denning in groups. It is their omnivorous diet, hearty nature, social habits, and tolerance of people that makes them such great pets.

Bearded Dragon Captive Care

Bearded dragons make fun and lovable pets, and they are in fact the #1 reptile pet globally. These friendly lizards get along great with humans, and individual animals can exhibit very unique personalities. They seem to enjoy being handled and love to explore. Beardeds also have easier requirements than most other medium and large-sized lizards, but aren’t exactly easy to keep. They need a large enclosure, sufficient heat and gradient, plus UVB lighting in order to thrive. They also require frequent feeding and a varied diet that includes insects, vegetables, and supplements.

Housing

As a rather large lizard that’s adapted to open desert habitat, bearded dragons do best in a large enclosure. Experts recommend a 120-gallon or larger, but this may not be practical for many keepers. Something like a 55-gallon long aquarium can work, but this is an absolute minimum for an adult dragon. In a tank this size you must make sure to provide a thermal gradient, warm and cool hiding spaces, and climbing structures that increase the usable vertical space.

Recommended bearded dragon enclosures:

• Zen Habitats 4’x2’x2′ reptile enclosure with natural-style wood panels
• Repti Zoo 120-gallon glass terrarium with sliding front doors and screen lid
• Reptile Habitats 120-gallon bearded dragon enclosure with black PVC panel construction
• OIIBO 120-gallon reptile enclosure with sliding doors and black wood panels

Cage Furniture and Decor

Climbing structures and other decorations have many benefits. They not only look cool; they encourage exercise, stimulate your dragon’s natural instincts, and help promote overall wellbeing. Here are some ideas for decor:

• Cork logs
• Sturdy branches
• Artificial or live plants
• Lizard Hammock

Substrate

As for substrate, bearded dragons are not too picky in this regard. One of the best options is simply to use playground sand (make sure it’s free of chemical additives), because it closely mimics the sandy soil of their natural habitat. The sand is also cheap and easy to keep clean. You will have to pick up droppings frequently because these lizards have a very active metabolism. Aside from sand you could use reptile-specific bedding, gravel, pet-safe carpet, or even paper towels as a temporary solution.

Can you keep more than one bearded dragon together?

Although bearded dragons sometimes congregate in the wild, their natural habitat has no shortage of open space where they can also get away from each other. This means that in captivity they can become territorial. Babies and juveniles are often kept in communal tanks, but adults—and especially adult males—should not be housed together for risk of fighting and injuring each other.

Temperature & Humidity

In their natural desert habitat, bearded dragons thermoregulate by moving in and out of burrows, and they commonly retreat during the hottest times of day. Similarly, your enclosure should provide a thermal gradient of hot and cool areas.

The warm side of the tank should be generally 76 F (24 C) to 86 F (30 C) with a basking spot of 90-105 F (32-37.7 C). You may need to use a heat emitter or undertank heater in addition to a basking lamp to achieve these temperatures. Make sure that the heat source is far enough from any basking surface so that your lizard cannot touch it directly and suffer burns.

The cool end should be 70-80 degrees, and the nighttime temperature of the entire tank can settle into this range as well. If your house gets colder than this, you should provide an undertank heater or heat lamp on the enclosure at night.

Humidity is not a huge concern because these animals are adapted to the desert. A water dish big enough to soak in will provide all the moisture they need, but a light misting every now and then won’t hurt, and may help when it’s time to shed their skin.

Lighting

As diurnal desert dwellers, beardeds require daily exposure to a UVB light source, such as direct sunlight or a specialized UVB-producing lamp. Be wary of incandescent heat lamps labeled as “full-spectrum” because this term is used loosely by manufacturers, and the light may not actually provide the necessary wavelengths. Check the label to make sure it offers both UVA and UVB. These are both necessary for calcium metabolism in bearded dragons.

At night, never use white light of any kind for either lighting or heat. This can cause stress to your animal, leading to issues such as sleep deprivation, loss of appetite, and other stress-related symptoms. If you need to provide supplemental heat at night, use a heating element that produces no light or a nocturnal reptile bulb that makes dim blue light.

Feeding Bearded Dragons

Bearded dragons are omnivores, meaning they need a mix of protein and plant foods for proper nutrition. The exact amounts and frequency depend on age. Here are some guidelines:

• Hatchlings (0-6 months old): 60-80% of the diet should be insects and they should be fed twice a day. The remainder of the diet should be veggies fed at least once a day.
• Juveniles (6-12 months old): 50-60% of the diet should be insects, which can be provided once a day. The rest should be veggies provided once a day.
• Adults (12 months and older): Just 20-30% of the diet needs to be protein, and this can be mostly insects but may include pre-killed mice. Protein food is required just 2-3 times a week, and veggies should be available daily.

It’s actually fine to skip a feeding now and then if you have to, and this can actually help your dragon maintain an optimal weight. The key is semi-regular feeding and a well-rounded diet with proper proportions. This will ensure a healthy, happy pet that always looks forward to interaction and mealtimes.

Best Foods For Bearded Dragons

Bearded dragons enjoy eating a variety of different foods, including live prey and fresh vegetables. This is good because it means you have many options for providing their diet, and you do not have to rely on finding them a certain type of food. However, a varied selection of foods along with proper supplements are best for their health. You should feed your bearded dragon a mix of several of these foods:

• Insects: crickets, mealworms, silkworms, small feeder roaches.
• Rodents: frozen-thawed pinky or fuzzy mice (Rodents are not necessary if calcium and vitamin supplements are regularly provided).
• Vegetables: Collard greens, spring mix, arugula, kale, spinach, shredded green beans, bok choy, carrot greens, dandelion greens/flowers (make sure these are free of chemicals).
• Fruit (high in sugar and should only be fed occasionally): Berries, figs, apples, mango, cantaloupe.

Beardies will commonly pick and choose which fruits and veggies they want to eat, and may leave scattered food around the tank. Be sure to clean this out in order to avoid mold and possible health problems. Each lizard develops its particular preferences, so you’ll learn over time what yours likes best to eat.

Supplements

To ensure that your bearded dragon is getting all of the vitamins and minerals that they need, you should use both a calcium supplement and a multivitamin supplement. This is because store-bought feeder insects are often poorly fed and not fully sufficient in nutrients. Sprinkle or dust prey with calcium powder just before feeding them to your lizard 2-3 times a week (more for babies), and use a multivitamin powder nearly as often. Read more about dusting feeder insects on our blog.

How To Hold Your Bearded Dragon

One of the reasons beardies make such great pets is that they seem to enjoy being handled. They have a naturally social disposition and they rarely claw or bite. That said, it’s still important to get your dragon gradually accustomed to handling, and to always be safe about it. Here are some tips.

• Gently pick up your dragon with your hand underneath its torso and be sure to support all four feet. If one foot is left out, s/he will feel off balance and thrash to regain it.
• Dragons are usually very trusting, so you must be gentle when handling them. They don’t like being held tightly; let him or her rest in your palm while your fingers lightly cover the back.
• Use slow, controlled movements. Quick movements remind them of predators and may trigger a flight response.
• Petting is tolerated and even appreciated, but do so gently. Never tug, pull, or tap. Only rub in the head-to-tail direction, not the other way against the scales, as this can damage their skin.
• If your beardie is shedding, resist pulling at the loose skin. You may pull off scales that haven’t completely detached yet. It will come off eventually on its own, and you can then clean it out of the tank.
• You can try letting your dragon rest on your shoulder—close to the ground at first—so they can learn to hang on.

Beardies are curious and love to explore, so you can let them down and allow them to roam with supervision. Remember that they are natural burrowers so you must be careful of furniture or openings that they could disappear inside of.

Bonus: How To Make an Epic Bearded Dragon Vivarium

Here is an example of a bearded dragon terrarium by YouTuber SerpaDesign. Now, this habitat is way fancier than what a pet dragon actually needs, and way more elaborate than most people can pull off. But if you want some ideas about how to set up your tank, you can undoubtedly find inspiration from this impressive terrarium build. Enjoy!