Bearded Dragon Care Sheet

Common Name: Bearded Dragon

Scientific Name: Pogona vitticeps

Difficulty: Beginner-Intermediate

Notes: These agamid lizards from inland Australia may be the poster child of the reptile hobby as a whole. They are easygoing, entertaining, and affable. While their care needs are a little more complex, the bearded dragon is an enjoyable and interactive pet that is well worth the time invested.

Handleability: Easy to handle. As hatchlings and subadults they are prone to jumping and skittering away in a startle. As they grow older, however, they become the eponymous ‘couch potato’, and are more than happy to hang out on shoulders or go on supervised excursions.

Length at full size: 16-24 inches at about 1 to 1 ½ years of age.

Recommended Tank Size:

Hatchlings to subadults up to 10 inches long: 40 gallon enclosure measuring approximately 36” x 18” x 18”.

Animals 10 inches long to adult: 120 gallon enclosure measuring 48” x 24” x 24” or larger.

The essential components of a bearded dragon’s enclosure setup will include a water dish, a food serving bowl/dish, a basking site, and two areas on either end of the tank for the animal to hide and sleep. Climbing decor such as branches, climbable hides, and secure, tip-proof rocks are greatly beneficial for the animal’s well-being. Substrate can be as simple as a lining of paper towel or newsprint, or as elaborate as a soil-sand mixture that mimics the gravel and sandy soil of their native, arid environment. Be wary of adding fake plants that may have pieces that could break off, as bearded dragons are attracted to anything potentially edible. Adding safe-to-eat plants can be a great enrichment item, but do not expect them to last long!

Sleep Pattern: Diurnal. These lizards are sun lovers and will be active during the day.

Temperature Range:

Basking Spot: 90-93°F (32-33°C)

Cool End: 80-90°F (26-32°C)

Lighting: Bearded dragons require both a heat lamp and a UVB bulb as their lighting sources. Heat bulbs usually are best chosen in accordance to the distance that it will be from the basking site. A 10.0 or equivalent percentage strength fluorescent tube that spans 2/3rds of the tank will be the best setup for your animal, but a smaller compact fluorescent can suffice for smaller animals until they grow larger. Ensure that the UVB is covering the basking site, and has no glass or plastic between the bulb and the inside of the enclosure.

Place your lights on timers to ensure a 10-12 hour photoperiod.

Humidity Range: 30-40%.

Diet: Bearded dragons are omnivores, which means a combination of both insect protein and vegetable matter are necessary for their health. Juveniles will eat 75% insects and 25% vegetable matter, and the proportions will shift to about 50/50 at around 9 months of age, to then shift to 75% vegetable matter and 25% insects at full maturity. All food items will be dusted with a calcium powder that does not include vitamin d3, as the UVB will allow for natural d3 synthesis. A multivitamin powder can be applied to food once a week. Feed once daily from hatchling to adult, and up to every three days for older adults.

Most vegetables are safe for bearded dragons to eat, but a list of the best vegetables and leafy greens include:

Collard greens

Dandelion greens

Endive or escarole

Mustard greens

Turnip greens

Acorn Squash

Butternut Squash

Green Beans

Okra

Parsnips

Snap Peas

Sweet Potato

Yellow Squash

Fruits may be fed sparingly as treats, and can include:

Mango

Papaya

Prickly Pear (Cactus Leaves)

Do not feed leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, or any of the brassica family frequently, as they all contain high levels of oxalic acid (oxalates), which is a calcium-binding agent that limits the absorption of calcium, and may encourage the development of Metabolic Bone Disease if fed more often than not. Do not feed romaine or iceberg lettuce as they have little to no nutritional value.

Crickets are a solid staple of the bearded dragon diet, as well as silkworms, superworms, and discoid roaches. Good insect treats are hornworms, waxworms, and butterworms, as they all have high fat and water content.

Water: Being arid animals, bearded dragons typically get their water through the food that they eat, and they do not typically recognize stagnant water as a source to drink from. A water bowl can be provided, but do not expect it to be used much if at all for drinking.

You can offer your bearded dragon a drink by dripping water on to its snout to elicit a drinking response. Other dragons will drink when they are put into a bath of conditioned lukewarm water, but it is not a behavior typically seen. Dehydration is something to keep an eye out for with bearded dragons, and a diet high in water-retentive food will help considerably.

Water should be free of chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals. Use a water conditioner such as ReptiSafe, SeaChem Prime, or an equivalent brand. You can alternatively procure your water through filtration systems designed for drinking water. Distilled and reverse osmosis water are sufficient to use as well, as long as a multivitamin is used in your feeding regimen.

Here's a selection of Bearded Dragons we currently have listed on our site.