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BEARDED DRAGON CARE SHEET

Caring for a bearded dragon

Bearded dragons are fun, inquisitive and often exhibit dog like behavior.  These are just a few reasons why bearded dragons have become one of the most popular pets in the pet trade today.  If you are considering purchasing one of these enjoyable creatures, you should do your research.  While being very friendly and tame, they can be a handful when it comes to maintenance.  We would suggest visiting many of the forums listed in this care sheet and purchasing one of the books listed at the bottom of this page.  If you do decide to purchase a bearded dragon, you will enjoy many years of happiness with your new found friend.

Housing

Having the right size enclosure for your bearded dragon is very important.  The tank or enclosure should be big enough so that your dragon can grow and not be stressed.  A hatchling dragon can be housed in a 20 gallon tank for a short period of time depending on its growth rate.  The minimum size enclosure for one subadult or adult bearded dragon is 48L X 24D X 18H, and for two dragons it is a minimum of 48L X 30D X 18H.  Furniture should be kept to a minimum until about 6 months of age.  For hatchlings, the cage should be setup simply.  A basking platform that holds heat like a dark river rock or brick should be provided.  There should be a basking platform that crickets cannot get under for optimal growth.  Crickets can hide and wait until nighttime to make a meal of your hatchling bearded dragon.

Heating and Lighting

Never guess at your dragon's temperatures.  To provide enough heat for your bearded dragon, the basking spot should be between 105-115 F and the cool side of the tank should remain between 80-85 F.  A gradient is absolutely critical in maintaining the health of your dragon.  The wattage required to provide these temperatures depends on the enclosure size and proximity of furniture to the bulb.  Bearded dragons need to be within 8-10 inches of the source of Ultra Violet light (UV).  UV-A and UV-B helps to synthesize vitamin D-3 which is necessary for the proper absorption of Calcium.  Bulbs that provide UV-A and UV-B include mercury vapor bulbs (Megaray bulbs, Powersun) and strip lights like (Reptisun 5.0, 10.0).  Halogen or Flood bulbs can be used with good results over your dragons basking spot.  Please do not purchase expensive reptile marketed basking bulbs; they are worthless and overpriced.  A Halogen or Flood bulb used in conjunction with an overhead Reptisun 10.0 is what we currently use in most of our enclosures.  We cannot stress how important it is to provide a proven source of UVB.  There are several ways to monitor temperature.  You can buy a tempgun at www.tempgun.com or www.proexotics.com.  We personally feel like this is the easiest way to monitor your temperatures if you have several enclosures.  For a little less money, you can buy an indoor/outdoor digital thermometer from Home Depot or any Hardware store.  Do not use the sticker or stick on Zoo Med thermometer; they are just not accurate enough.  Hatchlings can safely drop down into the mid sixties at night.  Hatchling dragons need to be kept on a schedule of 14 hours of light and 10 hours of dark.  All lights should be placed on a timer that you can purchase for 5-7 dollars at Home Depot or your local hardware store.  Keeping your dragon on a regular schedule allows for it to maintain its Circadian rhythm and thus live a much healthier, happy life.  Never use a hot rock or any other marketed heat rocks in your bearded dragon’s enclosure.  Hot rocks are dangerous and can burn your hatchling or adult dragon.