Bearded Dragon Care Info

Lifespan: 8-12 years

About Dragons: Bearded Dragons are popular reptile pets that are native to Australia. They range in size based on species and genetics, but typically measure 12-24 inches long when fully grown. They have special spiky scales around their body that they use to defend themselves from predators. There are many breeders of Bearded Dragons, so they should never be purchased “wild caught”. There are also many Bearded Dragons in reptile rescues- so before purchasing a Dragon, consider if adoption might be the right step for you!

A very fun fact about Dragons is that they have a 3rd eye on the top of their head. This is known as a parietal eye, a vestigial eye remnant that is used to tell if it is night or day, and help sense shadows overhead.

Behaviour and Handling: Hatchling dragons can be nervous and flighty. Their first instinct in protecting themselves is to run and hide, since they are too small to defend themselves from predators. It is best to approach dragons this age with slow, deliberate movements. When picking them up, make sure to support their entire body. It is best to transport them in a box, as they are very fast and can easily slip out between fingers. Juvenile dragons are usually much more confident, and are more likely to puff out their beards at something threatening than run away. Adult dragons, when well socialized, are typically docile and friendly. They enjoy spending time with their humans, and they have a lot of personality.

Dragons are not vocal, so they use body language to communicate their feelings. A content dragon will be its normal colour (this will vary with the different morphs of Dragon that are in the pet trade- you will get to know your dragon’s colours!). They should lounge with their heads held up, and their body relaxed. Dragons who are upset, stressed, or feel threatened will puff out their throats, puff up their body, their colour will turn darker, and their throat (or, beard) will turn black. Dragons who are ill will typically lie with their heads down, and their body colour may be paler with a black beard. Head bobbing is a common behaviour that dragons will display- this can be for many reasons. It can be a display of dominance, a show of submission, or a sign of stress.

Dragons are naturally solitary reptiles. This means that they should never share an enclosure with another dragon. Dragons housed together are prone to fighting, and one dragon often will not let the other one eat.

Housing: Bearded Dragons have very specific needs for their enclosures. These needs fall into the following categories: space, heat, UVA/UVB lighting, humidity, and enrichment.

Dragons are long lizards who require a lot of space. Adult dragons can grow up to 2 feet long, so their enclosure must give them enough room to comfortably turn around. The minimum size requirement for adult Bearded Dragons is 4ft long x 2ft wide x 2ft tall. Baby and Juvenile dragons can be housed in enclosures that are 36” long x 18” wide x 18” tall. These enclosures are easily available made from glass and PVC. The tank should have a screen lid to hold heat and UVB bulbs, and provide ventilation for the enclosure. We recommend having doors that open on the front of the enclosure, instead of the top. This makes it easier to access your dragon without moving their heat and lighting, and many dragons prefer being lifted by approaching from the side instead of from directly above (this can feel like being lifted by a predator).

The temperature of your dragon’s enclosure is extremely important for their health. Bearded Dragons are ectotherms: this means that they cannot regulate their body temperature internally like we can. Instead, they will move from warmer areas to cooler areas based on what they feel they need. Your enclosure will need to have a temperature gradient that provides a warm and cool side. During the day, the ambient enclosure temperature should be around 80-85F, with the basking area around 95-110F. At night, the ambient temperature should lower to 75F. Temperatures below 65F can be dangerous for your pet. Having two digital thermometers inside the enclosure to monitor the temperature gradient is recommended. Options for heat sources include: basking lamps, halogens lamps, and ceramic heat emitters (these are great for night time heat, as they do not produce any visible light).

UVA and UVB lighting is essential for healthy dragons. UVA light stimulates appetite, helps to regulate their sleep cycle, and improves their mood. UVB light is necessary for calcium absorption and the synthesis of Vitamin D3. Without UVB, dragons will develop a condition called Metabolic Bone Disease, which will be covered in the Health Concerns section of this care sheet. Dragons require UV lighting for 12-14 hours a day. We recommended to use fluorescent/linear tube lights. Mercury vapour bulbs can also be used, but for experienced keepers only- these bulbs can be very dangerous if used incorrectly. Compact or coil lights should be avoided, as their UV output is not consistent. Always follow manufacturer directions on changing UV bulbs. The UV output will decrease over time, so even though there may be visible light, your dragon will not get appropriate UV levels after 6-8 months of use with most UV lights.

Humidity levels within the enclosure should be around 40%. Some variation throughout the day is acceptable, but shouldn’t exceed 60%. Many digital thermometers for pet use also have hygrometers, which will help you monitor this. A large water dish will help humidity levels, but you may need to mist the enclosure with water to help keep the levels optimal. If there is not enough humidity, your dragon may have difficulty shedding their skin. If it is too humid, your dragon becomes more susceptible to respiratory and skin infections.

Enrichment and decorations inside of the enclosure help our dragons live their best lives. Dragons with no decor inside of their tanks can become stressed from the inability to perform their natural behaviours like basking, climbing, hiding, and digging. Dragons enjoy large flat rocks for basking, a hide large enough to fit their entire body on both the warm and cool sides, branches or logs (with no bark), and live or plastic plants. Many dragons also love to hang out on dragon hammocks inside of their enclosures. The choice of proper substrate for dragons is highly contested.There are two categories of substrate choice: loose substrate and flat substrate. Both types have their pros and cons. Loose substrate will allow the dragon to perform their natural digging behaviours, but there is a risk that they will ingest some of the substrate, which can lead to intestinal blockages. The risk of impaction is low if all of the appropriate husbandry parameters are met, but if your dragon gets sick for any reason they are much more likely to get a secondary impaction due to their illness. A loose substrate that is safer to use is organic topsoil (ensure there is no added fertilizer, supplements, or perlite). It can also be mixed 50/50 with a reptile safe sand. Ensure the sand comes from a trusted source, as many commercial sands may have chemicals or minerals that are harmful for your dragon. The loose substrates that carry the highest risk of impaction (primary and secondary) and should NEVER be used for your dragon are: calcium sand, vitamin sand, ground nut shells, coconut coir/husk, or wood shavings/chips. Flat substrates have no risk of impaction and are easy to clean, but offer no enrichment. Some examples of acceptable flat substrate is paper towel, butcher paper, stone tile, and large flat shale or other flat rock. The flat substrate that should never be used are retile carpet, linoleum and shelf liners. Reptile carpet is difficult to clean and harbours bacteria that can promote infections in your dragon. Their nails can also easily get caught in the carpet fiber, which can lead to broken nails and toes. Linoleum and shelf liners can produce toxic gases when exposed to the high temperatures inside of the enclosure.

Nutrition: Bearded Dragons are omnivorous insectivores. A well-balanced diet consists of greens, vegetables, and insects. Their dietary needs do change considerably in each of their life stages. Baby and juvenile dragons need much more protein to help them grow, and fully grown dragons need more greens and vegetables for maintenance. This helpful chart from Reptile Guide is a great reference for how often each life stage should eat, and how much of their diet should be from insects and greens.

Crickets are an easily accessible insect food source that you will find for your dragons. Many major pet stores carry live crickets to sell as feeders. Superworms are another  option to offer older dragons, but are not as easily digestible as crickets. Make sure the insects are the proper size for your dragon- they should be the same size as the space between your dragon’s eyes. All feeder insects should be gut-loaded 24 hours prior to feeding. Gut-loading is the term used for feeding the insects a specially formulated diet to make sure they have all the appropriate nutrients for your dragon to eat. These cricket diets are found commercially in pet stores. Dragons have enormous appetites while they are growing. Babies and juveniles can eat 40-60 crickets per day. Once they are fully grown, they need much less protein and should eat mainly greens and vegetables. An adult Dragon should eat around 10-15 insects once a day, or once every second day. If too many insects are fed to adult dragons, they can become obese. The insects fed to your dragon should always be captive bred, never wild caught. Insects from outside can carry parasites that are harmful for your dragon.

Dragons enjoy a variety of greens and vegetables. These should always be fed raw to your dragon, never cooked. To prevent dragons from becoming picky with their greens, make sure to rotate what you are feeding them so they are always exposed to something new. Having a variety of foods also ensures they are getting appropriate nutrition, as every food has a different nutritional breakdown. Fruits should be avoided, as the high sugar content can promote obesity and dental disease.

There are some foods that are never safe to feed your dragon. Insects from the wild can carry harmful parasites. Dairy products are not digestible. Avocado, onion, and citrus can all be toxic for dragons. Meat, poultry, and fish are all inappropriate protein sources for dragons. Spinach should not be offered- it is high in oxalates, which bind to calcium and prevent calcium from being absorbed by the dragon. Lettuces like loose leaf and iceberg have too high of a water content and minimal nutrients, and can cause diarrhea.

Supplements are very important for Bearded Dragons. Their insects and/or veggies should be dusted with a reptile specific Calcium + Vitamin D3 powder once a day, 5 days a week. This helps ensure they have the calcium they need to prevent metabolic bone disease. The other 2 days of the week, their food can be dusted with a reptile specific multivitamin powder. Dragons who are picky about their greens can also have a bit of bee pollen sprinkled on top, as they quite enjoy it.

Fresh water should always be available for your dragon. The water dish should be sized to your dragon- it should be big enough that they can lie in it to soak if they choose, but shallow enough that they will be able to climb out of it. You will need to upgrade the size of the dish as your dragon grows.

Cleaning the Enclosure and the Dragon: A clean home is important for your dragon’s health. Daily maintenance of the enclosure involves removing feces and any leftover food, as well as changing the water dish. Once a week everything should be removed from the enclosure and a full wash should be performed. The decor should be washed in an unscented antibacterial soap, rinsed thoroughly so no soap residue remains, and dried before replacing in the enclosure. Any loose or flat substrate should be removed and discarded, or washed if your flat substrate is reusable. The walls and floor of the enclosure should be washed with unscented antibacterial soap, rinsed thoroughly so no soap residue remains, and dried. Fresh substrate and decor can be placed back inside.

Dragons love to make a mess, and you may find that they themselves can get dirty. They may benefit from a bath if they have gotten themselves too dirty. To bathe your dragon, find a container that is long enough to fit the whole dragon in. Using lukewarm water, fill the container enough that the dragon is partially submerged, but still able to hold their head up above the water level. Let them soak for ~10 minutes. Ensure that you are supervising them the entire time they are bathing. Many dragons will defecate while bathing- if this happens, discard the old bath water, clean the container, and refill with fresh lukewarm water if you want to bathe them for longer. If they are dirty, using a microfiber cloth to gently wipe them down following the direction of their scales (head to tail) after a bath can help dislodge the dirt. Do not vigorously rub, rub opposite the scale growth (tail to head), or use hard bristle brushes to clean your dragon. Do not use soap of any kind to clean your dragon.

Brumation: Brumation is a period of time, sometimes once a year, where dragons will go into a low energy state. This happens naturally in the wild as a response to cooling temperatures and less food available. Not every captive dragon will enter brumation, but it is important to know how brumation works.

Dragons entering brumation will eat much less, or may not eat at all. They may sleep or hide more than usual, and may spend more time on the cool side of their enclosure. They may get more annoyed at handling attempts. Brumation usually lasts around 2 months, and for us in Canada will typically start around December. They may go the entire length of brumation without moving or eating, or they may have little breaks in their brumation where they come out of it and go back into it.

Since illness in bearded dragons can sometimes mimic signs of brumation, it is important to monitor your dragon closely through brumation. Weigh them with a gram scale once a week- they should not lose a significant amount of weight while brumating. Signs to make an appointment to see your exotic veterinarian are: losing 10% or more of their pre-brumation body weight, brumation lasting longer than 4 months, and no return of appetite when they start moving around consistently.

Health Concerns: Although there are no yearly vaccines for bearded dragons like there are for dogs and cats, it is still beneficial to have a yearly physical exam performed with an experienced exotic veterinarian. These yearly visits let you have a relationship with your vet clinic, and can help catch any early sign of disease before it progresses. Some more common health concerns we see with dragons are Metabolic Bone Disease, dysecdysis, dental disease, respiratory disease, dystocia, and yellow fungus.

Metabolic Bone Disease (known scientifically as Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyroidism) is a condition that affects the bones of reptiles, and is seen most commonly in Bearded Dragons and Leopard Geckos. This disease is caused by calcium deficiency in the diet and a lack of appropriate UBV light. With proper husbandry, a dragon receiving calcium supplements with appropriate UVB lighting will use the UVB light to synthesize Vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is used by the dragon’s metabolism to allow the calcium in their diet to be absorbed and used. If there is no calcium supplementation or insufficient UVB, the dragon will not be able to metabolize calcium for normal bodily functions. This causes the body to take calcium from their bones. Over time the bones become brittle and weak, and will cause fractures and malformations. Their joints and muscles can become swollen and painful, and they are not able to move around properly. Prevention is the most important factor in this disease. Always ensure your dragon is receiving powder calcium supplementation, and their UV light is not expired.

Dysecdysis is the scientific term for difficulty shedding. Bearded dragons are dry-weather patchy shedders. This means that they can shed in lower humidity environments, and they shed their skin in small patches (as opposed to snakes, who shed their entire body at once). If a dragon is not able to efficiently shed their old skin, it can become stuck to their body and cause damage. If the shed builds up around their mouth, it can cause a buildup of bacteria that will lead to mouth rot- a painful condition that requires careful cleaning by a veterinarian and antibiotics. If the shed is stuck around fingers, toes, or the tail, it can cause pressure necrosis (death of the tissue being constricted), leading to parts of the body needing amputation. If you think your dragon may be having trouble shedding, it’s important to come in for a checkup with your veterinarian. Stuck shed can sometimes be very difficult to remove, and you can end up damaging the scales by attempting to remove it.

Dental disease is unfortunately very common in Bearded Dragons. It usually develops due to improper diet, but there may also be a genetic component that is not well studied. Plaque and tartar will build up inside of their mouths, which can only be removed by dental scaling under anesthesia. If the tartar is left for too long in the mouth, it can dissolve the underlying jaw bones.

If the conditions inside of a dragon’s tank are too humid or too cold, they can develop a respiratory infection. Symptoms of respiratory infections can include nasal discharge, swollen eyes, and difficulty breathing (this often manifests as open mouth breathing with great abdominal effort). Respiratory infections need to be treated with antibiotics, and the underlying husbandry issue that caused it in the first place must be addressed.  

Rachel Hiebert, RVT