Best baby bearded dragon food
8 Tips For Feeding and Caring For Baby Bearded Dragons
Baby Bearded Dragons are a great way for first time reptile keepers to have a pet dragon.
Do not let the name ‘dragon’ scare you!
What Do Bearded Dragons Eat? Best F...
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What Do Bearded Dragons Eat? Best Food List and Feeding Guide
These lizards are tame, docile and easy to care for.
Babies are born a tiny three inches long and only grow 16 to 24 inches in length.
A Baby Bearded Dragon can be purchased for just $100. But before bringing a baby Beardie home, you will need to know how to care for him.
Here are eight tips you need to know before getting a Baby Bearded Dragon…
Table of Contents
- 1. What To Know Before Buying A Baby Bearded Dragon
- Baby Bearded Dragon Price
- 2. Best Baby Bearded Dragon Habitat
- 3. Baby Bearded Dragon Setup Tips
- 4. Baby Bearded Dragon Diet
- What Does A Baby Bearded Dragons Eat?
- How Many Crickets To Feed A Baby Bearded Dragon?
- 5.
Track Their Growth Rate
- 6. Baby Bearded Dragon Care Sheet
- 7. How To Tame A Baby Bearded Dragon
- 8. Know What To Expect
- Summary
1. What To Know Before Buying A Baby Bearded Dragon
It is both good and bad that Bearded Dragons are a popular pet lizard.
To find a Baby Bearded Dragon for sale is very easy. This also means it is easy to find a species that is illegal or unhealthy.
Importing wild Baby Beardies from their native range is illegal. Do not purchase a bearded dragon labeled as wild-caught.
Purchase a captive-bred lizard from a reputable private breeder.
You will want to purchase a lizard that looks happy and healthy:
Signs They Are Healthy
- Their eyes and skin are bright.
- Standing up with all four legs.
- Good posture and active in their enclosure.
- Reactive to your touch.
Sickness Symptoms
- Swollen hind legs or rubbery jaw.
- They should be active and not lethargic.
- Runny or watery stool.
Make sure you do the research to find a reputable breeder.
Baby Bearded Dragon Price
Baby Bearded dragons can be purchased for $45 to $100.
Species that are not tan brown (e.g. color morphs) are more expensive and cost $100 to $750.
The initial setup cost of their enclosure will be $200 to $1,100. This includes purchasing a 20-gallon juvenile terrarium, lights, substrate, hides and food.
There are starter kits available for Bearded Dragons that cost around $200. But, they do not always include the proper supplies.
2. Best Baby Bearded Dragon Habitat
A baby bearded dragon first needs a 20-gallon tank. As they grow their tank size should too.
Fully-grown adults require a 120-gallon tank.
Because they grow so quickly some owners purchase an adult cage to start with. That way they do not have to buy multiple enclosures:
| Age | Minimum Tank Size |
|---|---|
| 1 month | 20-gallon |
| 2 month | 30-gallon |
| 3 – 6 months | 50-gallon |
| 7 – 9 months | 75-gallon |
| 12+ months | 120-gallon |
Baby Bearded Dragon Lighting
Bearded dragons should get 12 hours of light daily – babies too.
To achieve this Beardies need both UVA and UVB lights in their habitat:
- A UVB light tube (not coil) should on for 12 hours a day from 7AM to 7PM. The easiest way to do this is to buy a light timer.
- A 50-75 watt UVA bulb should be used inside of a dome light fixture. This light can sit on top of the screen lid or can also hang inside the terrarium.
It is important to get a UVB light that is tube shaped and not coiled. Your UVA bulbs should be dome shaped so that your dragon can properly bask.
Baby Bearded Dragon Heat and Basking Temperature
Their cage will need a temperature gradient. This allows your dragon to move in and out of the basking spot.
Your baby bearded dragon’s basking area should be between 95 to 105℉ degrees. The designated basking area will be the hottest area in the tank. It should be on the left or right side of the tank.
If your UVA bulb is setup properly the cold side of the cage should be around 75℉ degrees.
It is important to buy two high quality thermometers for either side of the tank. You need to make sure your baby lizard has the correct heat levels.
If temperatures are too low during the night (below 65℉) you can add a ceramic heat emitter.
Baby Bearded Dragon Humidity
Your dragon’s enclosure should be between 30% to 40% humidity. If the enclosure is too humid your lizard can become sick. If it is too dry they will dehydrate.
Make sure to invest in a high-quality hygrometer to measure water vapor levels.
The best way to achieve proper humidity is to include a water dish in their tank and allow the water to evaporate.
A water dish must be shallow enough for baby bearded dragons to enter and exit by themselves. The water should not be filled more than their chin-level. For babies this might be just one cm.
Baby Bearded Dragon Substrate
Substrate can be a confusing topic for new owners.
One mistake many bearded dragon owners make is using reptile sand in their enclosure.
Despite Bearded Dragons living in sand in the wild your dragon should not be kept on sand.
Commercial reptile sand is different from sand in their natural habitat.
If your lizard is kept on sand – it will get in their eyes, their water and food. If a baby consumes too much sand its intestines will be blocked causing impaction.
The best substrate for a bearded dragon is reptile carpet.
If you cannot find reptile carpet there are a few options you can choose from:
- Newspaper.
- Paper towels.
- Non-adhesive shelf liner.
3. Baby Bearded Dragon Setup Tips
- Secure 20-gallon terrarium with screen lid.
- UVB light tube (not coil) turned on for 12 hours a day.
- 50-75 watt UVA bulb inside of a dome light fixture.
- Basking area should be between 95 to 105℉ degrees
- 30 to 40% humidity.
- Reptile carpet – not sand or wood shavings.
4. Baby Bearded Dragon Diet
Baby and juvenile Bearded Dragons eat mostly insects in the wild.
As they age their diet changes to mostly vegetarian.
This means your baby bearded dragon will have a different diet compared to an adult:
- Babies should be fed a ratio of protein to greens of 75/25.
- Adults should be fed a ratio of protein to greens of 25/75.
What Does A Baby Bearded Dragons Eat?
They should eat small Dubia roaches or 2-3 times a day. They are better than mealworms, as it is hard for babies to digest mealworms.
Babies should be fed a balance of crickets and plants to maintain their health. A ratio of 75% protein to 25% greens is nutritionally best.
Some vegetables you can feed include:
- Collard Greens
- Dandelions
- Mustard GreensBeet Tops
- Other Leafy Greens
- Beet Tops
- Leafy Greens
- Carrots
- Squash
- Peas
- Zucchini
Low nutrient foods such as lettuce, spinach or celery should be avoided.
If you want to give them a treat you can offer small fruits such as blueberries or peach slices.
How Many Crickets To Feed A Baby Bearded Dragon?
Babies should eat 20 to 40 small crickets each day.
Special care must be taken to ensure hatchlings get the right food for their size. The crickets you feed should not be larger than the distance between your dragon’s eyes.
It is best to let your lizard eat as many crickets as they can in a 10 minute window. Normally they will eat a cricket every minute or so.
After 10 minutes remove any excess food from the cage. Do not leave any insects in your dragon’s enclosure as they can hurt your pet.
Here is an example feeding schedule for a baby or juvenile:
| Time | Insects | Greens* (all chopped**) |
|---|---|---|
| 9 AM | 10+ small crickets | 2x collard greens, 1x bell pepper slice and 1x strawberry |
| 12 PM | 10 + dubia roaches | 2x kale, 1 slice of squash and 1x blueberry |
| 3 PM | 10 + small crickets | 2x dandelion greens, 1 slice of pumpkin and 1 slice of banana |
| 6 PM | 10+ dubia roaches | 2x collard greens, 1 bell pepper slice and 1x grape |
* To promote healthy growth you should dust their food with calcium a few times each week.
** Make sure that all food is cut into small pieces to prevent choking and indigestion.
5. Track Their Growth Rate
Baby Bearded Dragons are born three to four inches in length.
Healthy hatchlings grow 1 to 3″ per month for their first two months.
It will take 18 to 24 months for your dragon to reach its full grown size.
Females are smaller than males and range from 12 to 20 inches in length. Males are 16 to 24 inches.
Beardies grow quickly when cared for properly.
You should be very observant of your baby lizard’s growth for the first 12 months:
| Age (months) | Size (inches) | Weight (grams) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 month | 3 to 4 inches | 4 to 6 grams |
| 2 months | 5 to 9 inches | 8 to 40 grams |
| 3 months | 8 to 11 inches | 22 to 110 grams |
| 4 months | 9 to 12 inches | 41 to 115 grams |
| 5 months | 11 to 16 inches | 102 to 115 grams |
| 6 months | 11 to 18 inches | 183 to 188 grams |
| 7 months | 13 to 18 inches | 230 to 280 grams |
| 8 months | 14 to 20 inches | 252 to 327 grams |
| 9 to 10 months | 16 to 22 inches | 280 to 360 grams |
| 11 to 12 months | 16 to 24 inches | 350 to 465 grams |
If your lizard is not growing or eating then there could be a health problem.
Metabolic Bone Disease is a common issue with pet lizards. This disease causes problems with bone health and growth and in some cases causes death. It is a bone disease caused by improper nutrition (often a calcium deficiency) or improper UVB lighting.
6. Baby Bearded Dragon Care Sheet
The normal lifespan of a bearded dragon is 7 to 12 years.
Metabolic bone disease, respiratory infections and abnormal shedding (i.e. dysecdysis) are all common, but potentially fatal, health issues for beardies of any age.
Proper care is vital to ensure your lizard lives a long and happy life.
Use the care sheet below as a quick guide to make sure their cage is setup correctly and their diet is proper:
| Baby Bearded Dragon Care Sheet |
|---|
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7. How To Tame A Baby Bearded Dragon
Before handling your baby dragon you should wait at least a week.
Babies are more skittish than adults.
Baby Bearded Dragons are also small and should be held with extreme care.
Once your lizard is eating regularly you can begin to tame him:
- To start with offer your hand and coax him gently.
- Without making any sudden movements hold him underneath his belly and support his weight.
- Do not grab him from above or by the tail.
If you care for your lizard and handle them properly you can expect them to be very relaxed and happy being held. Their docile nature is a large part of why they are a popular pet lizard. But, they need proper and gentle handling to get them used to your touch.
8. Know What To Expect
There are several things you should expect when adopting this species.
To start with you should be prepared to have him for around 7 – 12 years.
Doing your research before buying a baby bearded dragon is very important. So is purchasing from a private breeder.
It is always better to purchase an enclosure and get it setup first. Doing this will make the transfer of your Beardie much easier. You will also have temperature and humidity under control.
Unless you have your lights plugged into a timer (which is highly recommended) you will need to turn the lights on in the morning and off in the evening every day.
You will need to feed him three or four times each day at 9 AM, 12 PM, 3 PM and 6 PM.
Do not expect babies to be completely comfortable around you at first. They will need time to adjust to their new surroundings.
They may also not want to eat immediately after coming home. If their husbandry is correct they will be ready to eat after a day.
Summary
Caring for a Baby Bearded Dragon is simple for beginners.
To start with they will need a secure 20-gallon terrarium with a screen lid.
Two of the most important things to remember are their habitat and diet:
- Feed 20 to 40 crickets a day over three or four 10 minute periods.
- Keep their basking area 95 to 105℉ degrees and make sure humidity is 30 to 40% humidity.
If you do your research, and take care of your beardie, you should expect them to be very tame and live for 7 – 12 years.
Let us know how you cared for your Baby Bearded Dragon below.
What Do Bearded Dragons Eat? Best Food List and Feeding Guide
At first glance a Bearded Dragon’s diet can seem complicated.
In the wild these lizards are omnivores and eat a mixture of insects, vegetables and fruits.
A pet Beardie should be fed a variety of foods to make sure they are heathy.
In addition to feeding a variety of foods juveniles and babies should be fed different diets – it is important to change a Bearded Dragon’s diet as they grow.
Their diet can seem complicated, but even first time reptile owners can easily master their nutrition.
This article will explain everything you need to know about feeding bearded dragons. We even have a ready to go feeding chart for you to follow, so keep reading…
Table of Contents
- What Do Bearded Dragons Eat?
- Bearded Dragon Diet
- Baby Bearded Dragon Feeding Schedule
- Adult Bearded Dragon Feeding Schedule
- Bearded Dragon Food
- What Fruit Can Bearded Dragons Eat?
- What Vegetables Can Bearded Dragons Eat?
- Common Feeding Mistakes
- What Can’t Bearded Dragons Eat?
- Summary
What Do Bearded Dragons Eat?
Pet Beardies have a very diverse diet and eat insects, small vertebrates, greens, vegetables, and fruits.
There are many different types of insects, fruits, and vegetables that are safe to feed, but the foods below are nutritionally better:
- Ants and beetles.
- Dubia roaches, earthworms, crickets and superworms.
- Collard greens, dandelion greens and kale.
- Grapes, bananas, apples, strawberries, watermelon and blueberries.
They are not very picky eaters.
Bearded dragons are agile and in the wild hunt live prey. They crush crickets and mealworms with their powerful jaws and eat every day.
When kept in captivity adults should be fed once a day but they require different foods at different life stages.
Juveniles require more protein because they are rapidly growing. Juveniles should be fed three times a day. They should also eat a diet of mostly insects compared to adults that eat fewer insects and more fruits and vegetables.
Hatchlings should be offered crickets constantly.
It is important adults, juveniles and hatchlings receive the correct food and nutrients to stay healthy.
Bearded dragons will also need a calcium powder sprinkled on their food twice a week. Calcium is necessary for bone development, neurological processes, and a variety of other bodily functions.
Formulating their diet can be overwhelming.
The easiest way to vary their food intake is to use a weekly feeding chart.
Bearded Dragon Diet
The correct diet for a bearded dragon should contain protein, greens, vegetables and fruits. Feeding a balanced diet is vital for their health. Feed a split of 25% insects and vertebrates and 75% greens, vegetables, and fruits:
- Dubia roaches, earthworms, crickets and superworms.
- Collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, grapes, bananas, watermelon and blueberries.
Bearded dragons have only been popular pets for two decades and still retain many of their wild behaviors and eating habits.
When we introduce a wild reptile to captivity it is important their food mimics the foods they eat naturally.
This will not only help keep them happy but also healthy too.
Baby Bearded Dragon Feeding Schedule
Young Bearded Dragons grow very quickly and need lots of protein. Because of this, hatchlings and juveniles have a different feeding plan from fully grown adults.
Their ratio of protein to greens, vegetables and fruits should be 75/25.
They should be fed 75% insects and 25% plant material.
For the first two months bearded dragons will need to be fed crickets throughout the day.
Start with two crickets every 10 to 15 minutes at the hatchling stage. As they grow, gradually feed them less often until they are being fed three times a day at two months of age.
| Protein | Greens and Vegetables | Fruit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 (am) | 10x crickets. | 2x small kale leaves, 1x small pumpkin piece. | 1x blueberry. |
| Day 1 (noon) | 10x dubia roaches. | 2x small collard green pieces, 1 small squash piece. | 1x peach slices. |
| Day 1 (pm) | 10x crickets. | 2x small dandelion green pieces, 1x pepper slice bell. | 1x blackberry. |
| Day 2 (am) | 10x dubia roaches. | 2x small kale leaves, 1 small pumpkin piece. | 1x blueberry. |
| Day 2 (noon) | 10x crickets. | 2x small collard green pieces, 1 small squash piece. | 1x peach slices. |
| Day 2 (pm) | 10x dubia roaches. | 2x small dandelion green pieces, 1x pepper slice bell. | 1x strawberry. |
It is important to make sure you cut up any greens, vegetables, and fruits into bite sized pieces before feeding. Pieces should be no bigger than the distance between your bearded dragon’s eyes.
Feeding food in large pieces can result in gastrointestinal issues.
As your Bearded Dragon grows their diet will change.
Beardies reach adult size at 18 months. After this they become less active and do not need the high protein food fed to juveniles and hatchlings.
At around this age they can gradually be transitioned to an adult’s diet.
Adult Bearded Dragon Feeding Schedule
Adults should be fed once a day. Try to feed a split of 75% greens, vegetables, and fruits and 25% insects and vertebrates.
It is very important to vary the types of foods you are feeding. This acts as a form of enrichment and keeps them interested in their food.
An example feeding schedule can be seen below:
| Protein | Greens and Vegetables | Fruit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | 5x crickets, 5x dubia roaches. | Kale, collard greens, 2x sweet potato pieces, 2x bell pepper slices. | 3x blueberries, 1x strawberry. |
| Day 2 | 5x superworms, 3x earthworms. | Dandelion greens, Bok choy, 2x baby carrots, 2x pumpkin pieces. | 2x peach slices. |
| Day 3 | 5x crickets, 5x dubia roaches. | Kale, collard greens, 2x sweet potato pieces, 2x bell pepper slices. | 3x blueberries, 1x strawberry. |
| Day 4 | 5x superworms, 3x earthworms. | Dandelion greens, Bok choy, 2x baby carrots, 2x pumpkin pieces. | 2x peach slices. |
Before serving any vegetables or fruits chop them into small bite-sized pieces – this will make them easier to eat.
Some owners choose to chop vegetables and fruits weekly and then freeze them. They then thaw this mix in the microwave before feeding. Greens should always be offered fresh.
If your bearded dragon does not eat their food you should remove it from their enclosure within an hour. This will prevent them from eating spoiled food and falling ill.
Adults are typically good eaters.
If they start to refuse food or eat less than normal speak with your vet as this could be the first sign of an illness or injury.
Bearded Dragon Food
The following list of insects, vegetables and fruits are good choices to include in your bearded dragon’s diet:
- Dubia roaches, earthworms, crickets and superworms.
- Apples, blueberries, peaches, strawberries and watermelon.
- Cabbage, carrots, collard greens, kale, pumpkin and sweet potato.
Dubia roaches are very high in protein and are easy to digest so they make an excellent addition to a bearded dragon diet. Crickets and superworms can also be fed for variety but are not as easily digestible.
You should feed lots of leafy greens such as collard greens, dandelion greens, and kale. These greens are high in calcium and are nutrient dense.
A small amount of fruits can be added to their intake but it is important not to overfeed them as they are high in sugars.
| Bearded Dragons Food List | ||
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What Fruit Can Bearded Dragons Eat?
Fruits are an important part of bearded dragon diets.
They provide many vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients not readily found in other foods. The following fruits are good options to feed your bearded dragon:
- Apples
- Bananas
- Blueberries
- Grapes
- Strawberries
- Watermelon
You should only feed your bearded dragon fruits occasionally and use them as treats.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat:
Grapes: Yes. Grapes should be chopped into quarters to prevent choking.
Bananas: Yes. You should only feed bananas occasionally as they have a high phosphorous to calcium ratio which can be unhealthy.
Apples: Yes apples are an excellent choice of fruit to feed your bearded dragon. You should peel the apples and cut them into bite sized pieces before serving.
Strawberries: Yes strawberries are excellent as a treat as they have high amounts of several key nutrients including vitamin C, manganese, folate, and potassium.
You shouldn’t feed strawberries too often as they are high in oxalates.
Watermelon: Yes. However unlike many fruits in this list it is not nutritionally dense and so is not the best food to feed.
Blueberries: Yes you can occasionally feed blueberries. They are high in vitamin C and vitamin K. Don’t feed too many as they are high in oxalates that can prevent your bearded dragon from receiving enough calcium.
Oranges: No. It is best to not feed oranges or other citrus fruit such as lemons and limes. These fruits are too acidic for bearded dragons. Acidity can irritate their stomach and lead to a variety of gastrointestinal issues.
Raspberries: Yes bearded dragons can eat raspberries occasionally. Raspberries contain many important nutrients like Vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants.
What Vegetables Can Bearded Dragons Eat?
Vegetables and leafy greens are a very important part of a bearded dragon’s diet.
They should make up 75% of their food intake. The following vegetables are good choices to feed:
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Collard Greens
- Kale
- Pumpkin
- Sweet Potato
- Tomatoes
Vegetables provide your bearded dragon with many nutrients and calories.
When feeding your bearded dragon vegetables you should always wash them and only serve them raw.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat:
Spinach: No. It is best not to feed your bearded dragon spinach as it binds to calcium and can lead to a calcium deficiency if fed too often.
Kale: Yes Kale is an excellent food choice and is high in calcium, vitamin C, vitamin, K, vitamin A, and folate. Kale can be fed regularly and should be a staple food.
Carrots: Sometimes. Carrots should only be fed occasionally as too many can cause toxicity from too much vitamin A. Include the carrot’s green top as they are also heathy.
Zucchini: Yes it is safe to feed but it does not have many nutrients.
Broccoli: Yes broccoli is high in vitamin A, thiamine, vitamin C, and vitamin K.
Celery: No like iceberg lettuce, it is mostly water and contains very few nutrients.
Tomatoes: Yes tomatoes are low in oxalates and high in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin, K, and folate.
Cabbage: Yes. Cabbage should be fed occasionally to bearded dragons as it can provide them with lots of vitamin C.
Common Feeding Mistakes
There are three common feeding mistakes that can be made when feeding a bearded dragon. These mistakes can lead to a variety of health issues and obesity.
Mistake One: Overfeeding
Obesity in adult bearded dragons is very common.
Like most reptiles they have a very healthily appetite and are prone to obesity if fed to many insects.
An adult should receive no more than twenty insects a day!
It is easy to accidentally overfeed as they will eat as many insects as you feed.
Obesity is a major health issue as it can predispose your bearded dragon to heart disease and joint issues.
Mistake Two: Feeding Juveniles Mealworms
Feeding juveniles mealworms can stunt their growth and prevent them from receiving the nutrients they need.
Mealworms have an outer shell made up of chitin that juveniles cannot properly digest. You should avoid feeding bearded dragons mealworms, and opt for superworms when they reach 18 months of age.
Mistake Three: Not Gut Loading
When feeding your bearded dragon live insects it is important to gut load them at least a day before feeding.
Gut loading involves feeding the insects fruits and vegetables that are dense in nutrients before feeding the insects to your bearded dragon. This process greatly improves the amount of nutrients that your bearded dragon receives.
What Can’t Bearded Dragons Eat?
There are a handful of foods that should always be avoided when feeding a bearded dragon.
The foods in the list below can cause a variety of health abnormalities and toxicities:
- Avocado
- Beef
- Bread
- Chicken
- Eggplant
- Fireflies
- Fish
- Garlic/Onion
- Iceberg lettuce/Celery
- Spiders/ticks
Bearded Dragons do not eat meat in the wild, so it should not be fed in captivity. Meats and fish are too high in fat and phosphorous.
Avocado, garlic, onion, and eggplant should all be avoided as they can be toxic even in small amounts.
Non-nutrient dense foods with a high water content should also not be fed. These include iceberg lettuce and celery.
Finally, fireflies, spiders, and ticks can be toxic to bearded dragons. Even half a firefly can kill an adult bearded dragon because of the cardiotoxins.
Summary
Bearded dragons are one of the most common pet reptiles.
A juvenile needs a diet of mainly insects and some plant material. They should be fed three times a day.
Once a bearded dragon reaches 18 months of age they should transition to an adult diet.
An adult requires food consisting mainly of leafy greens and vegetables and some insects and should be fed once a day.
Varying the foods you feed, giving occasional fruits and gut loading insects before feeding will help to make sure your bearded dragon gets the nutrients it needs.
Ensuring you feed a healthy diet is fundamental to a good husbandry routine that will keep your pet happy and healthy.
What do you like to feed your pet? Let us know below.
Bearded dragon - description, care, feeding, maintenance and breeding at home
Bearded dragon is an obedient and easy-to-care pet. These lizards have been kept at home for over 30 years. The natural color is dominated by yellowish, gray or brown tones. The color may change depending on the temperature and condition of the animal. Now you can buy a variety of bred morphs, which makes this species attractive for both beginners and advanced amateurs.
The size of an adult individual can reach 40-60 cm. The body has a flattened ellipsoidal shape. On the body, mainly on the sides, there are scales in the form of prickly spikes. The head has a triangular shape and is framed by spines.
The lizard lives in arid deserts and semi-deserts of Australia. Leads an active daily life on the ground, sometimes climbing onto stones and branches of low trees. He uses burrows of other animals, piles of stones, crevices at the roots of trees and bushes as shelters.
For adults, a 90x45x45 cm terrarium is suitable, for young dragons you can use a smaller 60x45x30 cm terrarium. when the animal reaches 1 year.
Temperature is the most important parameter for keeping a bearded dragon at home. Only with the right temperature regime the animal will be able to fully digest food, develop and grow normally. The lizard's metabolism depends entirely on the correct temperature gradient, which is created by special lamps.
During the day the temperature should be 25-30 °C in the "cool zone" and 38-50 °C in the warm zone "under the sun".
For heating, a powerful directional heat and light lamp is installed, which is recommended for use in a luminaire with a bracket. You can raise and lower the lamp depending on what temperature is required in the terrarium.
Night temperatures can drop to 22°C.
Supplementary heating - eg heat cable, terrarium thermomat, ceramic heater, infrared lamps - may be required if the temperature falls below the recommended range.
Use Desert Sand or Stone Desert as a substrate. It is necessary to install strong snags, stones on which it is convenient for animals to climb, shelters and a small drinking bowl with water in the terrarium.
Several daylight lamps (Natural Light and Reptile Vision) and lamps with strong UV radiation (UVB150-200) are installed in the terrarium for lighting.
Daylight hours for the bearded dragon is 12-14 hours.
Terrarium humidity is not supported. Caring for a bearded dragon consists of bathing. A lizard under the age of 3 months should be bathed once a week in a basin with water at 30 ° C, 2-3 cm deep.
From 3-6 months, you can bathe once every 2 weeks. From 6-12 months, 1 time per month is enough.
Only use the terrarium with a proven ventilation system that promotes good air exchange and prevents the windows from fogging up.
Bearded dragons have a diet of insects, greens, vegetables and fruits. The diet of an animal up to a year old should consist of 70% insects and 30% plant foods. As the lizards get older, the ratio should change to about 70% plant foods and 30% insects.
Approximate feeding schedule
1-6 months - ~10 crickets every day.
6-12 months - every other day ~10 crickets or 1-3 locusts.
12 months and older - 2-3 times a week for ~10 crickets or 5-8 locusts.
The numbers of insects given are approximate and may not correspond to the needs of a particular animal. Focus on your pet's appetite. You can also use frozen insects or Repashy special food as food.
Before feeding insects, pollinate with calcium and vitamins.
Plant foods can be offered every day. You can feed all kinds of salads, various vegetables and fruits.
Eliminate all types of cabbage, tomatoes, citrus fruits and other acidic vegetables, fruits and berries.
In summer you can give dandelions, clover, knotweed, other weeds. Feed the animal in the morning and afternoon hours, but not at night. Animals under one year old should not be limited in feeding.
The Bearded Dragon should always have access to fresh drinking water.
Bearded dragons become sexually mature, ready for breeding by the age of two. This is an oviparous species. After mating, after 45-65 days, females lay eggs. To do this, they need to dig a hole with a depth of at least 40 cm. The number of eggs in a clutch is from 9up to 25 pieces. After 55-90 days, babies hatch from the eggs.
With proper maintenance and care in your home, the bearded dragon will live up to 12-14 years.
Bearded dragons are very territorial, so males should never be placed together.
These lizards should be kept singly or in groups where there is a male and several females.
Like any other animal, the bearded dragon can get sick. Of course, if all the rules are followed, the risk of disease is minimized. If you suspect any disease, call our store and we will advise you.
Signs of illness:
- lethargy,
- lack of appetite for a long time,
- problematic molt.
Bearded dragons get used to human contact very quickly. When the animal understands that there is no danger, it ceases to be afraid and will come out on its own. For the purpose of taming, it is necessary to feed the agama from your hands, take it out of the terrarium for some time and hold it in your hands, stroke it on the back. If she does not experience stress outside the terrarium, you can let her walk around the room, after closing the windows and locking other pets in separate rooms. The lizard should be outside the terrarium only under supervision.
On our site there are many photos of bearded dragons, as well as a video, after watching which you will get acquainted with the habits of a reptile.
Panteric only supplies healthy animals. Our consultants help with the choice of everything you need for terrarium equipment, answer all your questions, and give important tips on care and breeding. For the time of departure, you can leave your pet in our hotel, which will be monitored by experienced veterinarians.
See also
Helm-bearing Basilisk: maintenance and care at home
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All instructions
Keeping and Feeding Bearded Dragons
- Keeping Bearded Dragons
- Feeding Bearded Dragons
The Bearded Dragon is a stunningly beautiful reptile that is great for keeping in a city apartment, good contact with people and can become a real pet.
In the wild, these lizards live in the deserts of Australia.
Almost all agamas that can now be bought are bred in captivity. The average life span of bearded dragons in captivity is 10-15 years.
Keeping a bearded dragon
Before you bring your dragon home, prepare a place for it. Of course, like any reptile, dragons are cold-blooded animals, so they should be kept in a terrarium. For agamas, it is better to purchase a horizontal glass terrarium, the optimal size is 180 cm wide, 50 deep and 50 high. The terrarium must be closed with a lid so that the lizard does not escape.
Since bearded dragons are hermits, they need a humidity level of 30-40%. The temperature in the terrarium should be at the level of 26-29gr. C, temperature under the heating lamp 36-38gr. C. For this, you can use incandescent lamps or ceramic lamps, you need to hang them at a distance of 45 cm from the place of heating, so that the agama cannot get burned. To monitor the temperature, you need to attach a thermometer to the wall of the terrarium, and you can also use a thermostat.
An ultraviolet lamp must be lit along with the heating lamp throughout the day. Reptiles require UV A and B spectrum lamps. These lamps are available from terrarium and aquarium stores. Day mode: 14 hours - daylight hours, 10 hours - night time.
Sand and pebbles at least 10 mm in diameter are most often used as soil. Sand is poured in a layer of 10 cm, so that, if desired, the lizard can burrow into the ground. There are also ready-made terrarium mats that are sold in pet stores (not rubber mats).
The terrarium should be equipped with branches (without bark), rocks (from the pet store) and a shelter where the dragon can hide if desired. It is better not to put artificial and live plants in the terrarium, as the agama will eat them.
To improve life processes (prevention of diseases, help with molting), the agama can be bathed in a small bath, so that the head is always on top, with a water temperature of 29-32 gr. C. This procedure should be done 1-2 times a week.
General cleaning in the terrarium is enough to carry out once a month (wash the entire terrarium, equipment, change or clean the soil). Food and faeces should be removed as soon as they appear.
Bearded dragon feeding
In the terrarium, you can put a container with water to maintain an optimal level of humidity, a drinker, but not all lizards drink from it. You can spray the agama once a day, and she will lick the droplets from her body, or give moistened greens.
Bearded dragons are omnivorous lizards. In nature, they eat everything from leaves and stems to small mice and chicks. Therefore, at home, it is quite easy for them to choose the right diet.
For plant food, leafy vegetables (Chinese cabbage, lettuce, spinach), vegetables (carrots, green beans, peas, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant), fruits (pitted apples, bananas, grapes in small quantities) are suitable for them. , juicy green food (dandelion, clover, wheat leaves, germinated oats).
Animal feed suitable for mealworm, zoophobus, crickets, cockroaches and newborn mice. All these "products" can be bought at the pet store. For feeding worms, you need a bowl with high edges so that they cannot crawl out and burrow into the ground. It is better to feed crickets and cockroaches in a separate small terrarium or a plastic jig, a basin is not suitable for this, as crickets can jump out. You can also feed insects with tweezers. You just need to do it carefully so that the agama does not bite on the tweezers themselves, otherwise it can break its face.
Ready-made food for lizards and vitamin-mineral complexes for reptiles can be added to these feeds as top dressing. In Russia, such drugs as Reptilife (Agrovetzashchita), Reptolife (Tetra), Wordley (Calcium and Multivitamin) are common.
Young bearded dragons (up to 5 months old) should be fed 3 times a day so that animal food makes up more than half, and vegetable food less. "Teenagers" can be fed once a day, adult agamas (after 18 months) should be fed every other day so that they have less than half of animal food, and more vegetable food.
