Bearded Dragon Care Page

Reptiles aren’t like dogs and cats that can simply roam around your house. They are very sensitive to their environment, and need their own enclosure set up according to their specific needs. This guide covers everything you will need to care for your pet bearded dragon properly.

Bearded dragons should be housed in an enclosure that is no smaller than 6’L x 2’W x 2’H with at least 12ft² of floor space. This is the recommended minimum, calculated according to the reptile’s average length, activity patterns, and appropriate temperature gradient. According to our observations, this cannot be accomplished in anything smaller than 3x the lizard’s total length and 24″ tall.

However, if you can provide an enclosure with more floor space and height, do it! Housing your dragon in a larger enclosure will encourage it to be more active and demonstrate more natural behaviors. Enclosures with 3’ to 4’ in height can add valuable vertical space to build multi-level basking and climbing ledges.

Kages 6’x2’x2’

Kages 6’x3’x3’

Kages 5’x3’x4’

Substrate is the material that you use to cover the floor of the enclosure. This aspect of the enclosure is important for bearded dragons because it contributes to overall humidity levels, promotes natural burrowing behavior, helps keep nails filed down, and may even affect your pet’s joint health! For best results, bearded dragons should have at least 4-6” of substrate.

A great substrate for bearded dragons is a DIY mix of roughly 50% play sand + 30% untreated topsoil + 20% excavator clay. Topsoil must not contain any fertilizers, manure, or perlite/vermiculite - read the ingredients! Mix well, soak until muddy, then pack it firmly at the bottom of the enclosure. Make sure it is 100% dry before introducing your beardie to the setup.

You can also use a pre-packaged substrate, though this can be more costly. Depending on the brand, you may still need to add some topsoil (if too dusty) or sand (if too muddy) to reach desired consistency. Here are some recommended commercial substrates appropriate for beardies:

Josh's Frogs Desert BioBedding

The BioDude Terra Sahara

Jurassic Natural Australian Desert Habitat

Bioactive substrate
Another option is a bioactive setup. Bioactive enclosure setups are designed to mimic a reptile’s natural environment and stimulate natural behaviors. All above substrates can easily support bioactivity with the addition of leaf litter and a “cleanup crew” of isopods and springtails that clean up uneaten food and fecal remains, making bioactive substrates incredibly low maintenance.


Impaction and sand:
You might have heard elsewhere on the internet that sand is bad for bearded dragons. But that is a myth!

Although sick bearded dragons have been known to suffer from substrate impactions, studies have shown that impaction is usually a symptom of a larger health condition, not a standalone issue. Furthermore, bearded dragons actually live on sandy soil in the wild. If your bearded dragon is healthy, pre-washed, silica-free play sand or fine-grain dune sand is perfectly safe, although we strongly recommend mixing it with topsoil and clay for a substrate that most closely replicates their natural environment. Sand alone can't hold burrows and the loose, slippery texture can be hard on your beardie's joints.

If you are still worried about impaction, however, using a “solid” substrate such as paper towels or slate tile is fine, although it is less enriching, less comfortable, and less natural than an appropriate loose substrate.

Reptiles are much more intelligent than we humans tend to give them credit for, and that means they need things to entertain them. Otherwise they exist in a state of perpetual boredom, which makes them dull, inactive, and overall less interesting as pets. When reptiles have objects to interact with in their enclosure, they become less stressed and more engaged with their environment. This practice is called environmental enrichment.

It’s important to choose enrichment items (a.k.a. enclosure décor) that are appropriate to your pet’s natural behaviors. Bearded dragons are skilled climbers and burrowers, so providing a deep layer of substrate and sturdy climbing objects is essential for this species. Here are some other objects that serve a vital function in a bearded dragon terrarium:

UVB is important for enabling vitamin D3 synthesis, strengthening the immune system, and encouraging proper organ function. It also stimulates the production of serotonin, a feel-good hormone. When beardies don’t get UVB, they can become D3 deficient, which leads to Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD). UVB can’t just be replaced with a vitamin D3 supplement for bearded dragons!

UVA is important for allowing full-color vision, because bearded dragons can see UVA wavelengths (humans can’t!). It is sensed by their pineal gland to regulate a circadian rhythm and is suspected to play a role in mental health and appetite.

The 6500K daylight lamp provides extra illumination at a color temperature that is similar to sunlight. As diurnal reptiles, bearded dragons are highly stimulated by having a well-lit environment during the day. Bright daytime lighting is likely to encourage more activity, better appetite, and better mental health.

Infrared radiation (i.e. heat) is important for reptiles' thermoregulation. As ectotherms, they rely on the heat of the sun to warm their bodies and stimulate their metabolism, digest their food, and stay alert and active. The shorter the wavelength, the deeper it can penetrate their muscle tissue. In captivity, we can provide this with specific heat bulbs that emit the most beneficial infrared wavelengths (IR-A and IR-B).

All light and heat should be kept on a regular schedule using outlet timers or done manually. This allows for a predictable day/night cycle which the lizard can follow, allowing for natural hormonal rhythms and good mental health. We recommend the following schedule for bearded dragons, based on their natural environment:

Bearded dragons need plenty of strong UVB in order to stay healthy and must be provided with a 10-14% UVB output T5 lamp. We recommend Arcadia or Zoo Med brand linear fluorescent tubes, as these brands produce the best and most reliable UV lamps on the market.

The lamp should be roughly half the length of the enclosure in order to create an appropriate UV gradient, and placed on the same side as the heat lamps. So if you have a 6 foot long enclosure, you will need a 34” T5 HO UVB bulb.

Best UV bulbs for bearded dragons:

Zoo Med ReptiSun T5 HO 10.0

Arcadia Desert 12%

Arcadia Dragon 14%

Distance and Mesh
The strength of the UVB lamp’s output varies according to distance from the bulb - stronger when closer, and weaker when further away. If you are using a Solarmeter 6.5 to measure your UVB lamp’s output, the UVI (UV Index) reading should be between 4.0-6.0 on the basking platform, and down to 0 on the cool side.

If you don't have a Solarmeter, here is an estimate of how far away your basking platform should be, based on which bulb you are using and whether the lamp is mounted above or below mesh:

These measurements are based on Vivarium Electronics T5 HO / Arcadia ProT5 fixtures. If using a Zoo Med hood fixture, please reference this chart.


Fixture
To optimize your UVB bulb’s performance, you will need a high-quality reflective T5 HO fixture. Josh's Frogs, Zoo Med, and Vivarium Electronics make various fixtures for T5 bulbs. (NOTE: Vivarium Electronics fixtures come with a daylight bulb that should be removed and replaced with a proper UVB bulb).

Josh's Frogs 36” T5 Fixture

(for 34” bulbs)

Zoo Med T5 HO Terrarium Hood

Vivarium Electronics T5 HO Fixture

T5 bulbs last 12 months before requiring replacement, as their UVB output decays over time. Off-brand UVB bulbs are likely to have shorter lifespans and unreliable output. Avoid “compact” and coil UVB bulbs, as these cannot properly distribute a UV gradient across the enclosure.

It takes a lot to light a large enclosure, UVB and heat bulbs aren't going to be enough to provide the bright light that a diurnal reptile needs for simulating natural sunlight. Your beardie should have a full spectrum daylight lamp with ~6500K and spanning 75-100% of the enclosure length. The brightest lamp currently on the market is the Arcadia Jungle Dawn LED Bar. They’re expensive, but the sheer output of bright, beautifully white light makes them worth the investment. We highly recommend installing one in your dragon's enclosure, or one of our other recommended daylight lamps:

Arcadia Jungle Dawn LED Bar (x2)

Josh's Frogs Green Gro LED Light Fixture

Sunblaster 24" 6400K T5 Kit

As poikilotherms, bearded dragons need access to a variety of temperatures within a certain range in order to properly regulate their metabolism:

1. Basking surface: 105-115°F
2. Cool side ambient: 72-85°F
3. Nighttime: 65-75°F. Night temps can drop as low as 55°F, but shouldn’t be higher than 80°F.

All heat lamps should be turned off at night and kept on a regular day/night cycle that matches the same schedule as the UVB and daylight lamps, allowing for a natural temperature drop and a healthy circadian rhythm.

To track the temperatures in your bearded dragon's enclosure, you will need a good thermometer. Temp gun-style infrared thermometers are useful for measuring surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure. However, digital probe thermometers are useful for being able to track local air temperatures at a glance. It's best to have at least 2 thermometers to measure temps on each end of the heat gradient. Here are some devices we recommend for measuring temperatures:

Zoo Med Digital Thermo & Humidity Gauge

Etekcity Lasergrip 774

Although bearded dragons are perceived as desert reptiles, they still need moisture in their environment to stay well hydrated — dehydration is one of the most common problems seen in pet bearded dragons!

The average humidity in your beardie’s enclosure should stay between 30-60%. This number is probably similar to the humidity levels in your own home, but it’s still important to keep track of the specific humidity in your dragon’s enclosure. You can measure humidity with a hygrometer like the Zoo Med Digital Combo Gauge linked in the Measuring Temperature section.

Hygrometers should be placed within 12” above the substrate towards the middle of the enclosure to give you an accurate idea of average humidity levels (or one on either side if using a thermo/hygro combo meter).

Bearded dragons are known to brumate instinctively during winter. Although this is a survival mechanism that enables them to live through times of cold weather and scarce food in their natural habitat, this instinct still manifests in captivity as part of their natural cycle, and is perfectly healthy.

For information on how to brumate your bearded dragon safely and effectively, go here.

Here is a basic feeding schedule for pet bearded dragons:

In other words, bearded dragons require roughly 60-80% protein for hatchlings, 60% for juveniles, and 15-30% for adults, with the rest of the diet coming from vegetation. One serving of insects should be as many as your dragon can eat in about 5 minutes.

The key to a healthy, balanced diet is variety, so make sure to provide as many different kinds of foods in your beardie’s diet as possible!

Treats:
Because of its high sugar content, fruit is best used only as a rare treat (1x/month). Superworms, butterworms, and waxworms are high in fat and should be used as occasional treats rather than regular feeders. Moderating your beardie's treats can help prevent obesity, dental disease, and related health problems.

Feeders:
Always offer live insects. Dead or canned insects don’t trigger your beardie's “hunting mode,” so they most likely won’t get eaten. Make sure to gutload your insects with fresh veggies at least 12 hours before feeding.

All feeders should be captive bred. Don’t feed your gecko bugs from your backyard — these can make your pet sick! Here are some sites we recommend to buy safe, captive bred feeders:

1. DubiaRoaches.com (variety of feeders)
2. PremiumCrickets (variety of feeders)
3. Luna Roaches (discoid roaches only)
4. Beastmode Silks (silkworms only)

To make sure that your bearded dragon is getting all of the vitamins and minerals that their bodies need, it’s important to use calcium and vitamin supplements as part of their diet.

There’s a common myth that bearded dragons shouldn’t have water bowls in their enclosures because they don’t need to drink water and the bowl will unnecessarily raise enclosure humidity levels. Both of these are false!

Your bearded dragon should have access to a small- to medium-sized, shallow bowl of water at all times. Make sure that the water is always kept fresh and clean, and disinfect the bowl with an animal-safe disinfectant like F10SC, Rescue, or chlorhexidine once a week to inhibit pathogens.

Do not use distilled or softened water! Tap, spring, and even filtered water (assuming that it’s safe for humans to drink) contains minerals vital to your beardie's health. You can dechlorinate tap water with a conditioner like ReptiSafe.

Another way you can bond with your bearded dragon is by designing enrichment activities for it to enjoy! This is fun for your bearded dragon and fun for you to watch. There are a variety of ways you can design enrichment activities for your dragon, such as supervised free-roaming, hanging a bouquet of greens from the top of the enclosure, and using puzzle feeders.

Bearded dragons have a variety of body language cues. When you learn to understand these cues, you can understand your pet’s mood and needs better, and react accordingly.

Arm waving — Submissive gesture. The dragon is saying, “I’m not a threat to you!”

Dark beard — Something’s not right. They may be uncomfortable/in pain or feeling irritable. However, if you have a male, he might just be showing off!

Flexed beard — Territorial display. It means, “Back off!” when paired with gaping. However, your dragon may also just be stretching.

Gaping — Territorial display. This is a warning that your dragon is about to bite. However, if your dragon isn’t opening its mouth very wide, and it happens to be basking, then they’re just “panting” because they’re hot, and it’s part of normal thermoregulation.

Head bobbing — Dominance display. This means, “I’m the boss!” Male dragons do it the most often, but female dragons do it, too.

“Pancaking” — This is when the dragon spreads its ribcage and flattens its body against the ground. If this is sudden, they’re feeling frightened. However, if they’re just laying around, they’re probably feeling relaxed.

“Sexy leg” — This is when the dragon extends one or two legs to their full extent. This is just a good stretch!

Tail curved upward — Your beardie is feeling alert, which is always a good thing.

The most common illnesses and health problems in bearded dragons are metabolic bone disease, intestinal parasites, impaction, respiratory infections, and tail rot. If your bearded dragon is displaying potential symptoms of illness, it’s important to take them to an experienced reptile veterinarian right away for diagnosis and treatment. Do not try to treat them at home, as you could make the problem worse!