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The Bearded Dragon 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.
This care guide will start with the basics and will go through each step of bearded
dragon care that people need to know to be able to raise healthy and happy bearded
dragons.
How to Get the Best Bearded Dragon for A Pet
Picking out a bearded dragon can seem overwhelming, and if you don't know what
you're doing you can potentially pick out the wrong bearded dragon for your need. This
page lists some simple tips to follow to make sure you pick out the right bearded
dragon.
Where to Get A Bearded Dragon You can either get a bearded dragon from a local pet store or from a breeder. It's not uncommon for smaller breeders (that breed dragons as a hobby) to have the healthiest dragons because their bearded dragons have been raised in the same environment around the same dragons. This means there is a less of a chance of their dragons being stressed, sick, or injured from rival dragons.
However, you can still get very healthy bearded dragons from local pet stores as well.
Just follow the steps below to make sure the bearded dragon is healthy before you buy
it.
Choosing A Healthy Bearded Dragon There are a couple of easy ways you can tell how healthy a dragon is before you buy it. The first way is to see how alert and active it is. A healthy dragon will not be lethargic and will keep it's head lifted and most dragons will be alert enough to notice you approaching them.
You should also look at their body for the following things:
x Make sure they don't have any visible injuries (scars, burns, etc.) x If you do see an injury, make sure it appears to be
healing and is not infected x Make sure their eyes are not runny and there is no signs of puss on their face
It is important that you make sure the bearded dragon is not missing any body parts.
Bearded dragons do not regrow their tails, toes, or limbs. So if your bearded dragon is
missing something, it will not grow back. With this being said it is not unusual for a
beardie to be missing a few toes or the very end of it's tail (many times bearded dragons
will fight over females and minor injuries like this occur).
Young VS Old Bearded Dragons So, should you get a younger or a more mature bearded dragon? Well, if this is your first bearded dragon, then you will probably want to get a fully grown (or close to fully grown bearded dragon) to start.
This is because younger dragons are very
fragile and can easily get sick, injured, or
worse if you are not experienced with
handling them. A good way to tell the
maturity level of a bearded dragon is how
long they are. If they are over 10 inches in
length, they are mature, if they are smaller
than 10 inches in length then they are
juveniles.
Creating A Bearded Dragon Habitat
Whether you call it a tank, cage, or terrarium, your bearded dragon's habitat you create will be his or her home for the next several years. In order to have a healthy and happy bearded dragon you will need to make sure that their habitat suits their needs. This page will go over everything you need to know to make sure your tank is perfect for your bearded dragon.
Types of Tank for Your Bearded Dragon There are different types of tanks that you can get for your bearded dragon. Below is a list of the different types of tanks you can get for your dragon:
x Glass Aquariums x Melamine cages x PVC cages x Vision Cages
dragon breeders will use these cages since you can stack them on top of each other to
save space.
Bearded Dragon Tank Size You need to make sure you have the right size tank for your bearded dragon. A tank too small can be very stressful for your beardie and can limit their overall growth. Use the guidelines below to help determine the best tank side for your dragon:
Bearded Dragon Tank Size
x Baby Dragons - Baby dragons need a 20 gallon tank. This gives them space and makes it easier for them to catch their food. x 10-16 Inch Dragons - Early adult dragons need at least a 40 gallon tank. However, the larger the tank the happier your dragon will be and the larger they will grow. x 16-20 Inch Dragons - Larger dragons will need larger tanks and it's recommended to have at least a 50-75 gallon tank for dragons of this size. x 20+ Inch Dragons - If you have a bearded dragon that is 20 inches or longer you will need a minimum of a 75 gallon tank, but a 120 gallon tank would be ideal.
Bearded Dragon Lighting and Humidity The brighter your tank, the happier your bearded dragon will be. Remember, bearded dragons come from the deserts of Australia so they require full spectrum lighting for 12-14 hours each day. Full spectrum lights are different from what we have in our houses and emit light in all the UV ranges (which is what bearded dragons need to remain healthy) and the light needs to be evenly spread throughout the tank. There also needs to be a way that your dragon can come within 6-8 inches of the light source. This means that you need to have either a branch, rock, or platform that your beardie can lie on which is close to the light.
You will need to have two different types of lights:
x UVA/UVB long florescent tube light x A basking bulb/light
Bearded Dragon Lighting
This is the light that will illuminate your bearded dragon's tank and
it needs to mimic natural sunlight so it needs to be full spectrum
(UVA & UVB). Ideally this bulb will span the distance above your
tank from one side to the other to help illuminate your entire tank.
This bulb's purpose is not to generate heat, but is instead to
provide your dragon with UVA and UVB rays to help keep them
healthy. You will need daily UVA/UVB light to prevent metabolic
bone disease in bearded dragons and to keep your dragon
healthy. Remember, that over time the UVA/UVB bulbs lose their
strength, so you will need to change them every 6 months (even if they seem to still be
working).
Bearded Dragon Basking Light
The basking light is very important as it is the light that provides
heat to your bearded dragon. If you stick to name brand reptile
lights, you should not need to worry about anything else, but if you
decide to get lights at a local hardware store you need to make
sure it is a bright white light because bearded dragons do not do
well in other types of light.
Bearded Dragon Temperature Bearded dragons are from a desert-like environment, so their tanks need to be heated. Generally a tank should have a hot side where the temperature is anywhere from 95 F° to 110 F° and a cool side where the temperature is around 85 F°. Because of this it is recommended that you have two thermometers (one for the hot side and one for the cool side).
Your beardie will need a basking spot where he/she can bask in the heat. The basking
spot should be 95 F° for adults and 110 F° for juveniles. Do not use a heated rock for
your dragon because they can easily burn the underside of them. Instead you should
use one of the following to keep your dragon warm:
x A ceramic heater x A reptile basking light (red, white, or blue) x A household light bulb that emits heat
During nighttime hours the temperature of the tank can fall as low as 65 F°, however, it's
recommended to keep the temperature around 70 F° to 75 F°. If you cannot keep your
tank this warm during the night, you will probably need to invest in an under tank heater
(UTH).
Bearded Dragon Tank Bedding You will also need to get flooring for your dragon's tank. The type of flooring you use really depends on the age of your dragon. Since younger dragons will need to eat more insects than older dragons, you will need to be more careful about the flooring you use because the chances are a young beardie will eat a bit of it when he/she is catching their prey.
Flooring for Younger Dragons
x Newspaper x Paper towels x Butcher paper x Reptile carpet - recommended x Don't use anything that's lose such as wood chips, sand, etc.
insects you will need to make sure that the insect isn't too big for your dragon to eat. If it is longer than the space between it's eyes, then it is too large.
Baby Bearded Dragon Diet When a bearded dragon is young it will need to eat more insects than vegetables because it's still growing. You should always leave fresh vegetables in the cage, but three times per day you should feed your beardie insects. You should give them as many insects as they can eat within a 10-15 minute time period. After the feeding time is done, you should take the remaining insects out of their tank. A typical juvenile bearded dragon can eat anywhere from 20 to 60 crickets (or other insects) each day.
Adult Bearded Dragon Diet Adult dragons do not need to eat as many insects as younger dragons, and overfeeding your dragon can cause him/her to become overweight. Adults only need to eat insects once per day, so when you feed them, give them as many insects as they can eat within a 10-15 minute time frame and then remove the remaining insects from their tank.
Safe Insects for Bearded Dragons There are a variety of insects that you can feed your bearded dragon. You never want to feed your dragon insects that you have caught yourself because insects in and around our homes can contain pesticides and parasites that can harm your dragon.
Safe Insects for Young Bearded Dragons
x Black soldier fly larvae x Butterworms x Cockroaches x Crickets x Earthworms - Not worms intended for bait x Locusts x Redworms - Not worms intended for bait x Superworms / Zophabas
Safe Insects for Adult Bearded Dragons
x Black soldier fly larvae x Butterworms - Only as treats x Cockroaches x Crickets x Earthworms - Only as treats and not intended for bait x Locusts x Redworms - Not worms intended for bait x Superworms / Zophabas - Only as treats
Safe Vegetables for Bearded Dragons and Other Reptiles It may seem boring, but plants are a staple of every bearded dragon's and most other reptile's diet. Keep in mind that many vegetables are full of vitamins and if you are already giving your
beardie vitamins you don't want to accidentally poison them with a vitamin overdose. Below is a list of the vegetables that you can feed your dragon:
Vitmain-A Information
Many vegetables contain high levels of Vitmain A and while bearded dragons can get
vitmain A poisoning, it is generally not caused by overdosing on vegetables. Vegetables
contain beta carotene which a bearded dragon's body converts to vitmain A when
he/she needs it. If he/she does not need vitmain A then they will simply excrete the beta
carotene. So the general rule of thumb is that it is unlikely for a bearded dragon to get
vitmain A poisoning from vegetables, simply becuase the bearded dragon's body can
excrete uneeded vitmain A from vegetables.
However, synthetic vitmain A (found in some reptilian multi-vitmains) cannot be
excreted by bearded dragons. This means synthetic vitmain A will cause vitmain A
poisoning if the bearded dragon has already had his/her requirements of vitmain A.
Moderate to severe vitmain A poisoning occurs when 10,000 IU/kg of synthetic vitmain
A is given to a bearded dragon.
- You need to cut the food into smaller pieces.
- You need to cook this food before serving it.
Ca:P - Calcium to Phosphorous ratio
A:D:E - Vitamin A / Vitamin D / Vitamin E ratio - Ideal is 100:10:
H20 - The percentage of 100 grams of the vegetable's weight which is water
1234 IU - The amount of Vitamin A in the vegetable. The higher the value, the more vitamin A.
*Note - All the nutritional information below is based off of a 100 gram serving size.
Vegetable 100g Frequency Prepare Ca:P Vit. A Vit. K Iron H20 A:D:E
Acorn squash Daily 1:0.9 (^367) IU 0% 4% 87.8% 367:0:
Artichoke Heart Occasionally 1:0.5 13 IU
mcg
mg 84.9%^ 13:0:
Asparagus (Raw) Occasionally 1:0.5 (^756) IU 41.6mcg 2.1mg 93.2% 378:0:
Beet Greens (Raw) Rarely 1:2.9 (^6326 400) 2.6 91.0% 2108:0:
Endive Daily 1:1.
IU
mcg
mg 93.8%^ 2167:0:
Green beans 1:
IU 18%^ 6%^ 90.3%^ 690:0:
Lentils (Cooked) Occasionally 1:0.1 8 IU
mcg
mg 69.6%^ 32:0:
Kale Occasionally 1:2.
IU 1021%^ 9%^ 84.5%^ 15376:0:
Kohlrabi Occasionally 1:0.5 36 IU 0.1mcg 0.4mg 91.0% 36:0:
Mushrooms, Portabella (Raw) Very Rarely^ 1:0.1^ 0 IU^ 0 mcg^
mg 91.2%^ 0:0:
Mustard greens Daily 1:2.4^10502 IU 622% 8% 90.8% 2625:0:
Okra (Raw) Occasionally 1:1.3 (^375) IU^53 mcg 0.8mg 90.2% 375:0:
Parsley Rarely 1:2.4 (^8425) IU 2050% 34% 87.7% 8425:0:
Parsnips Occasionally 1:0.5 0 IU 28% 3% 79.5% 0:0:
Pattypan squash
Peas (Green) Rarely 1:0.2 765 IU
Pumpkins Occasionally 1:0.5 7385 IU
Radicchio Occasionally 1:0.5 27 IU
mcg
mg 93.2%^ 5:0:
Rutabagas (Raw) Rarely 1:0.8 2 IU
mcg
mg 89.7%^ 2:0:
Snow peas 1:0.
IU 31%^ 12%^ 88.9%^ 1087:0:
Spaghetti squash Daily 1:1.9 50 IU 0% 2% 91.6% 50:0:
Spring greens
Sweet Potato (Raw) Rarely 1:0.6^14185 IU^ 1.8mcg 0.6mg 77.3% 14185:0:
Swiss Chard (Raw) Rarely 1:1.1 6116 IU
mcg
mg
Turnip greens Daily 1:4.5^11586 IU 314% 6% 89.7% 1931:0:
Yams (Raw) Occasionally 1:0.3 138 IU
mcg
mg
Yellow squash Daily 1:0.4 (^200) IU 5% 2% 94.6% 200:0:
Zucchini (Raw) Occasionally 1:0.
IU 0 mcg^
mg 92.7%^ 490:0:
Safe Plants for Bearded Dragons and Other Reptiles You can also feed your bearded dragon a few plants as well. Since they are from the wild the chances are that they didn't always have the option of vegetables. If you want to mix it up for your bearded dragon, the following plants are safe for them to eat:
- Feed the flowers and flower buds
- Feed the leaves.
- Feed the petals.
- Feed the plant itself (remove flowers and buds).
Ca:P - Calcium to Phosphorous ratio
A:D:E - Vitamin A / Vitamin D / Vitamin E ratio - Ideal is 100:10:
H20 - The percentage of 100 grams of the vegetable's weight which is water
Ficus Unknown - - - - - -
Hibiscus Unknown - - - - - -
Hollyhock Unknown - - - - - -
Impatiens Unknown - - - - - -
Johnny Jump Up Vila Unknown - - - - - -
Lavender Unknown - - - - - -
Lemon Grass Unknown 1:0.6 6 IU 0 mcg 8. mg
Maple Leaves Unknown - - - - - -
Mesquite Leaves Unknown - - - - - -
Mint Leaves Unknown 1:3.
IU 0 mcg^
mg 78.6%^ 4247:0:
Mulberry Leaves Unknown - - - - - -
Nasturtium Unknown - - - - - -
Oregano Unknown - (^5000) IU - 36 mg - -
Pansies Unknown - - - - - -
Petunia Unknown - - - - - -
Phlox Unknown - - - - - -
Rose Petals Unknown - - - - - -
Rosemary (Fresh) Unknown 1:4.8 4924 IU
0 mcg 6. mg
Sage Unknown - - - - - -
Thyme (Fresh) Unknown 1:3.
IU 0 mcg^
mg 65.1%^ 4751:0:
Watercress Unknown 1:2.
IU
mcg
mg 95.1%^ 1595:0:
Yucca Unknown - - - - - -
Safe Fruit for Bearded Dragons and Other Reptiles Bearded dragons will also eat fruit. However, not all fruit is easily digested by them (such as citrus fruit), but the following fruit is safe to feed them. Just be sure to cut it up so it's easier for them to eat.
- You need to cut the food into smaller pieces.
- You need to cook this food before serving it.
Ca:P - Calcium to Phosphorous ratio
A:D:E - Vitamin A / Vitamin D / Vitamin E ratio - Ideal is 100:10:
H20 - The percentage of 100 grams of the vegetable's weight which is water
1234 IU - The amount of Vitamin A in the vegetable. The higher the value, the more vitamin A.
Fruit 100g Frequency Prepare Ca:P Vit. A Vit. K Iron H20 A:D:E
Apples Occasionally 1:0.5 54 IU 2.2 mcg .1 mg 85.6% 54:0:
Apricot Occasionally 1:0.6 1926 IU
3.3 mcg 0. mg
Banana Rarely 1:0.2 64 IU 0.5 mcg
mg 74.9%^ 64:0:
Blackberries Occasionally 1:1.3 214 IU
mcg
mg 88.1%^ 107:0:
Blueberries Occasionally 1:0.5 54 IU (^) 19.3 0.3 84.2% 54:0:
Plum Occasionally 1:0.4 345 IU 6.4 mcg
mg 87.2%^ 345:0:
Pomegranate Rarely 1:0.3 0 IU
mcg
mg 77.9%^ 54:0:
Prickly Pears Daily 1:2.3 43 IU 0 mcg
mg 87.6%^ 43:0:
Prunes Ocfcasionally 1:0.6 781 IU
mcg
mg 30.9%^ 781:0:
Raisins Occasionally 1:0.1 0 IU 3.5 mcg 1.9mg 15.4% 0:0:
Raspberries Rarely 1:0.9 33 IU 7.8 mcg 0.7mg 85.7% 16:0:
Starfruit Rarely 1:0.3 61 IU 0 mcg 0.1mg 91.4% 61:0:
Strawberries Occasionally 1:0.7 12 IU 2.2 mcg 0.4mg 90.9% 12:0:
Tomatoes Rarely 1:0.4 833 IU 7.9 mcg 0.3mg 94.5% 833:0:
Watermelon Occasionally 1:0.6 569 IU 0.1 mcg 0. mg
Foods to Avoid To keep your bearded dragon healthy you will need to make sure they stay on their diet. There are also some foods which are unhealthy for them or lethal for them to eat. Make sure they do not eat any of the below items:
Lettuce
Since lettuce is mostly water it is not nutritious for bearded dragons. Because of this it is
best to avoid feeding your bearded dragon lettuce or any greens with the word "lettuce"
in the name.
Spinach
Spinach is also another food to avoid. While spinach is healthy, calcium binds easily to
it which can make it hard for your bearded dragon to digest.
Insects Captured in the Wild
Never feed your bearded dragon any insects you catch yourself. The insects you catch
probably have parasites on them and contain trace amounts of pesticides, both of which
can make your bearded dragon sick.
Fireflies or Insects that Glow
If a bug or insect glows in the dark, then do not feed it to your bearded dragon. Even
one of these bugs can be lethal to an adult bearded dragon.
Avocados
Do not feed your bearded dragons avocados. They are toxic, but their toxicity levels are
unknown; however, they are deadly for birds.
Poisonous Foods & Plants for Bearded Dragons and Other Reptiles Below is a list of plants and food items that could be poisonous for bearded dragons. Please note, this list is a compiled list of plants/foods that veterinarians do not recommend feeding pets because of potential toxicity. Therefore, it is not targeted specifically towards bearded dragons, however it would most likely be best to avoid these foods.
Item Toxic Parts
Acokanthera All but fruit
Amaryllis All
Angel's Trumpet Flowers, leaves, seeds
Azalea All
Balsam Pear All
Baneberry All
Belladonna All
Bird of Paradise Flowers, seed pods
Bittersweet All
Black Locust All
Boxwood All
Braken Fern All
Buckthorn All
Item Toxic Parts
Larkspur All
Laurel All
Lily-of-the-Valley All
Lobelia All
Locoweed All
Lupine All
Marijuana All
Milkweed All
Mistletoe All
Mock Orange All
Moonseed All
Monkshood All
Morning Glory Seeds
Horse Chestnut All
Horse Nettle All
Hyacinth All
Hydrangea All
Iris All
Ivy All
Jack-in-the-Pulpit All
Jerusalem Cherry All
Jonquil All
Juniper All
Lantana All
Spurges All
Star of Bethlehem All
Sweet Pea All
Tobacco All
Tulip All
Virginia Creeper All
Vetches All
Water Hemlock All
Waxberry All
Wisteria All
Yew All
Vitamins & Minerals Your Bearded Dragon Needs Similar to people, bearded dragons need vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. Below is a list of the supplements that bearded dragons need:
Iron
Iron is more important for baby bearded dragons. If you do have a baby bearded dragon
and you are giving him/her Iron supplements, be sure to give it to them sporadically
because too much Iron can cause bearded dragon health problems. Generally, you can
give your bearded dragon enough Iron through vegetables and plants.
Vitamin A
Bearded dragons also need vitamin A, but they will usually get enough of this from the
plants and vegetables in their diet. You want to be careful not to give your dragon too
much vitamin a because that can cause vitamin A toxicity.
Vitamin D3 & Calcium
Vitamin D3 and Calcium are two of the most important vitamins and minerals you need
to make sure your bearded dragon gets. It helps with the development of their bones
and is important for female dragons that are gravid (carrying eggs). You will have to
give your bearded dragon Vitamin B3 and Calcium at the same time, since bearded
dragons cannot absorb calcium without vitamin D3.
In the wild, bearded dragons will get most of the vitamin D3 they need from natural
sunlight, so the amount of vitamin D3 you give your bearded dragon depends on how
much exposure he/she has to natural sunlight (or full spectrum lighting). If your dragon
is frequently outside in the sunlight or if your bearded dragon's cage has full spectrum
lighting, then you can reduce the dosage by half.
x Baby Dragons - Need a daily dose of Vitamin D3 and Calcium to stay healthy (since they are still developing and need the bone support). x Juvenile Dragons - Need a Vitamin D3 and Calcium supplement with a meal 3-4 times per week. x Adult Dragons - Need a Vitamin D3 and Calcium supplement with a meal once per week.
When choosing a Vitamin D3 and Calcium supplement, make sure the one you
purchase has a calcium to phosphorus ratio of 2:1 or 3:1 - the higher the better because
you don't want your dragon to have too much phosphorus.
Bearded Dragon Health, Illness, & Disease
Learn how to determine how healthy your bearded dragon is and discover the signs of common bearded dragon illnesses and diseases.
Normal Bearded Dragon Behavior Healthy bearded dragons will go through a few cycles each year where he or she may seem ill, but in reality they are perfectly healthy. Please consider the following stages if you suspect your beardie is ill.
Bearded Dragon Brumation
Brumation is a naturally occurring hibernation cycle that bearded dragons go through.
Bearded dragons will go through a brumation stage in the winter or fall in response to
the change in lighting or temperatures. Some bearded dragon owners will try to force or
prevent brumation by manually adjusting the temperatures and lighting of their dragons
cage, however it is recommended to let your bearded dragon do what comes naturally.
Each bearded dragon is different during the brumation period. Some dragons will take
very long naps off and on for the entire cycle, while other dragons will sleep without
waking for the entire cycle. The brumation period also varies based on the dragon.
Some bearded dragons don't go through brumation at all, others will only have a
brumation period for a week, and some will be in brumation for several months.
During the brumation cycle your bearded dragon will become less active and will sleep
for much longer periods of time. Your bearded dragon may also have a decreased
appetite or stop eating all together. This is natural and your bearded dragon should not
lose any weight even without eating for the duration of the brumation period if he/she is
healthy. Normally bearded dragons will only lose weight during brumation if they have
