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Bearded Dragon

Bearded Dragon Care Guide [2020]

June 14, 2019

How to Take Care of a Bearded Dragon

Being native to Australia, the bearded dragon was first introduced to modern day United States in the mid-1990s. Since then, their popularity has increased exponentially over the last several years. In fact, bearded dragons have actually been considered one of the most docile animals in the history of lizard type creatures, but with a passion equivalent to that of a dog. Yes, bearded dragons, or beardies as they are commonly referred too, are very affectionate pets that will reciprocate the love that you show them.

Being that bearded dragons are natural desert dwellers, they are going to require a very specific type of environment, as well as special care that will help them thrive in other climates. In fact, here is exactly what you need to know in order to keep a beardie healthy and happy.

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Setting Up for Your Bearded Dragon

The first thing that you are going to want to do in preparation for bringing home a bearded dragon, is to decide on what kind of habitat they are going to live in. Most bearded dragon keepers use glass tanks, while others prefer to get them set up in a cage that has been made out of either melamine, ABS plastic, or even PVC. If you are more of a DIY type of person, you can definitely make a habitat, or you may decide that it is much easier to simply purchase a starter kit, which would include everything you are going to need. One other option would be to get a vision tank, which is going to be a professionally made tank that is molded out of a single piece of plastic. However, this is one of the pricier options, which often times leads people to find an alternative habitat.

Once you have decided on what type of habitat you are going to use for your bearded dragon, the next step is to select the right size cage or tank. When your beardie is a baby, it will require a minimum of about 20 gallons in regard to their tank or cage size. As they continue to grow larger, you will need to increase the amount of space that they have depending upon their size. Here are the required tank sizes for your bearded dragon’s size:

Between 10 and 16 inches: Minimum of 40 gallons
Between 16 and 20 inches: Between 50 and 75 gallons
20 inches or larger: Between 75 and 120 gallons (the larger the tank or cage, the better)

It is highly recommended that you get a tank that is going to be large enough to accommodate your bearded dragon when they are full grown, as this will provide them all of the space that they need to grow, as well as preventing you from having to spend even more money later down the line when they require a larger tank.

Now that you have the perfect tank, you are going to want to equip it with some type of full-spectrum lighting. Bearded dragons are native to areas that have desert regions, such as Australia, which means that they are going to require some type of full-spectrum lighting for up to 14 hours per day. And in case you were wondering, simply using a standard house light bulb is not going to suffice in providing the full-spectrum light that is required. With that being said, you are going to have several different options available to you. Just go down to your local pet store or online and you will be able to find the full-spectrum light that you require.

Besides the full-spectrum light that your beardie is going to require, they are also going to need a basking light bulb, as well as a perch. The basking bulb is going to give them the heat that they need to bask in, while the perch is going to give them a way to get even closer to the heat. As with the full-spectrum light, you will have several different options available when it comes to this particular ting, but a quick visit to your local pet shop should get you exactly what you need.

Now that you have the right type of lighting for your tank, you will need to make sure and get the proper housing for the lights. If you can, a terrarium hood that has been sized for your bearded dragon’s habitat and bulbs is going to be best for the full-spectrum bulbs, while your basking bulbs are typically better fit for a dome type of fixture.

Now that the lighting situation has been addressed, you are going to need to get a thermometer that is able to measure not just the temperature, but the humidity within the tank as well. But don’t worry, as you can get a special thermometer that does both, as they have been specially designed for use in reptile tanks. This is important as one side of your bearded dragon’s tank is going to need to be slightly warmer at about 92 degrees, while the other side of the tank is going to need to be a little bit cooler, between about 80 and 90 degrees. On top of that, depending upon the age of your beardie, it may need a temperature that is slightly different. During the night hours, you are going to want to shut off all the lights, allowing the temperature of their tank to drop a little, getting to around 73 degrees. Since the tank is going to need to be different temperatures on each side, it is best to get two separate thermometers to help monitor and regulate the tank’s temperature.

Now that you have gotten the heating of your beardies tank all setup, it is time to add some kind of substrate to the bottom of the tank. Ideally, you are going to use a substrate that is composed of loose-particles. While sand may be the first option you think of, it is actually not a very good choice as it can lead your bearded dragon to have blockages, as well as other health concerns too. Instead, you can try using shredded up newspaper as your tank’s substrate, or even invest in a specially designed reptile carpet.

Once you have your tank’s substrate laid down, you are going to want to add some special décor to the tank. Here are some of the ‘must haves’, that will help your beardie feel right at home.

A tank background: If you are able to place a desert type of background to your tank, it will help to simulate what their natural environment looks like.
Rock dens, also known as ‘hides’: These types of enclosures will give your bearded dragon a place to hide in the shade when they need to get out of direct light, as well as a place to hide when they require some alone time. And if you place the hide strategically, it can also double as a perch that they can bask on.
Shallow water and food bowls: If you get a water bowl that is too deep or large, it can actually help to increase the amount of humidity that is in the habitat. By using a smaller, shallow bowl, you will help prevent that from occurring. The same size dish can also be used to keep your bearded dragon’s food in.

Feeding Your Bearded Dragon

The first thing that you are going to want to make sure you do once your bearded dragon is home in his new tank, is to make sure that they always have access to water. If you are already living in a climate that is naturally dry, you can simply have a shallow bowl of clean, fresh water in their tank with them. If you live in an area where the climate is moister, you can leave a water dish in their tank for a few hours every day, or even every other day.

If you notice that your beardie is not regularly drinking water from their water dish, you can use a spray bottle to gently mist them with water. Most bearded dragons are going to lick water drops from the tips of their noses, similar to how their cousins out in the wild do it when it is raining. Be sure that you continue misting your bearded dragon until they are all finished drinking.

When it comes to feeding your beardie, keep in mind that they have a very varied diet. In fact, they are going to require a nice mix of worms and other insects, some of which include:

Phoenix worms
Butter worms
Crickets
Horn worms
Super worms

On top of needing worms and other insects, they are also going to require vegetables and other greens as well. Some of the main ones that you should be feeding them include:

Turnip greens
Butternut squash
Yellow squash
Mango
Collard greens
Mustard greens
Okra
Sweet potato
Papaya

Other vegetables and greens can be fed to your beardie on occasion, but there are some foods that you will need to avoid feeding them altogether. These foods include:

Spinach
Wild-caught insects
Rhubarb
Lettuce
Avocado
Citrus fruits

You can easily find a complete list of the vegetables and other foods that are considered safe for your bearded dragon to eat, as well as a complete list of the foods that are unsafe for them to eat and that will need to be avoided at all times.

When it does come time to feed your bearded dragon, just be sure that you remember that an adult beardie should have a diet that is made up of roughly 25 to 30 percent insects or other types of prey, while the other 70 to 75 percent is going to need to be plant based. Be sure that you are chopping all of the vegetables and fruits that you feed them very finely, as this allows them to eat better. As for the insects that you feed them, they should never be any larger than the amount of space that is between your bearded dragon’s eyes. When you go to the pet store, they should have several different sizes of feeder insects available for you to choose from.

Another thing that you are going to have to feed your beardie, is going to be supplements. A good multivitamin will make sure that your beardie is getting all of the nutrition that they need to maintain their health. On top of that, they are going to also need an additional supplement for both calcium, as well as Vitamin D3. Both of these supplements are available in a powder form, making it easy to add to their food.

Matter of fact, you can actually dust the feeder insects you are planning on feeding your beardie in the calcium powder, or even sprinkle some of it onto their vegetables and fruit. All you will need to do is put some of the calcium powder into a container, put the crickets into the same container, and then lightly shake it up. This will help get the powder supplement onto the crickets before they are eaten by your bearded dragon. This same calcium powder can also be used to sprinkle onto the fruits and vegetables as well.

Another thing you are going to want to do prior to feeding your beardie any insects, is to make sure that they have been gut-loaded. This means that you are going to want to make sure that the crickets you feed your beardie have full tummies. This is easily accomplished, as all you will need to do is to layer some cricket feed or fish food onto the bottom of the box you are keeping your crickets in. You can even toss in some smaller chunks of different raw vegetables, including orange slices, carrots, or sweet potatoes. You can allow your insects to feast for a day or two prior to feeding them to your beardie.

One more trick when it comes to feeding your bearded dragon, is to use a commercial type of bearded dragon food as a special treat or even to supplement their diet. You are going to want to try and not use this food as their main source of nutrition, but it will allow you to add in a little variety to your beardie’s diet.

Picking Up Your Bearded Dragon

When it comes to picking up and handling your bearded dragon, there are some certain guidelines that you are going to want to follow. For starters, you are always going to want to wash your hands right before you touch them. This is because your bearded dragon is able to pick up the illnesses and germs that are on your hands if they are not clean.

Once you have washed your hands, you are going to want to approach your beardie very slowly. Nobody wants to get ambushed and beardies are not different. So be sure that you go in to pick them up confident and calm. And always remember that you should never interrupt your beardie if they are in the middle of eating or taking a nap.

When you do go in to pick your bearded dragon up, always be sure that you never reach for them from above or wiggle your finger at them. If you do, they may think that it is a worm, and that is just an unpleasant situation that nobody would want to be in. If you are trying to pick them up and they back themselves into a corner of their tank, there is a good chance that they are feeling threatened, which will more than likely result in a very similar fashion as wiggling your finger in their tank.

After you have successfully picked up your bearded dragon, you should pet them gently. When you do this, it will help to get them used to being held and the feeling of being pet. Just be sure that you are paying attention to any cues that your beardie may be giving you. If your beardie closes their eyes or starts blinking, it means that they feel comfortable around you and it is ok for you to pick them up. If you notice that they have a black beard, it means that your beardie is feeling mad or stressed out, meaning that it may be time to set them back into their tank and leave them alone for a while.

If you have gotten the ‘ok’ from your beardie, you can now pick them up by scooping them with the palm of your hand. For this, you are going to slide your hand underneath their belly area and then being careful, lift them up while you are supporting their body with your other hand. As with most other animals, try to always support their legs whenever you do pick them up. Once you have gotten them successfully out of their habitat, you can let them rest on your chest, leg, arm, or basically anyplace that you are comfortable having them. Also, you are always going to want to pet them along the direction of their scales, not against it.

When you are holding your beardie and feel that their belly starts to become cool, that means that it is time for you to get them back into their habitat. When the weather is cooler out, you may need to reduce the amount of time that you handle your bearded dragon. Just be sure that you are doing your best to have fun with your bearded dragon. Some people will even go out and get a reptile harness that they can put their beardie in, allowing them to go on walks outdoors if the weather is nice and warm. You can even get a reptile carrier allowing you to take them on car rides or other trips as well. Finally, if you have a plastic container, you can even fill it up with water and let them go for a nice swim. If you do decide to do this, just be sure that you treat the water with water conditioner before you let your beardie into it.

Once you are finished holding and playing with your beardie, it is time to return them back to their habitat. To do this, you are going to want to support their body the same way that you did while taking them out of the habitat. After they are safely returned, it is time to finish how you should have started and wash your hands again. Be sure that you use some type of anti-bacterial soap, which will help to eliminate any potential spreading of salmonella or other types of nasty bacteria and germs.

How to Tell if Your Bearded Dragon is Healthy and Happy

When it comes to your beardie, they are going to go through periods of brumation. This is a type of hibernation that will more than often happen during the winter and fall months. Keep in mind that this brumation is not going to be the same in all bearded dragons. It can, however, last from a week, all the way to a few months, and your beardie can potentially sleep more often, or even the entire time of the brumation cycle. When brumation is happening, you will notice that your beardie is not eating as much, or even at all. Just be sure to offer them food and pay attention to whether or not they are eating, but you should never wake them up on purpose to feed them or give them a bath.

As your bearded dragon grows, they are going to shed off their old skin in order to grow. When they are preparing to start shedding, their eyes may appear to be much puffier, while their skin will look a little duller than normal. Giving them a warm bath can also help them with their shedding.

When you have a pet bearded dragon that is cared for properly, it can be a very rewarding activity and supply you with many years of companionship. Normally living between 8 and 12 years, with the right care they can potentially live to be 14 years old.

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Bearded Dragon Care Guide [2020]