Bearded Dragon Care Sheet
There are many reasons people own exotic pets but
before buying one there are some things you need to
consider. Not all exotic pets require the same investment
of time & money that is needed to properly care for the
animal you are considering. Try to avoid buying an exotic
animal without taking the time to understand what is
involved in providing the care that it needs and deserves.
You can do this by researching the animal online, reading
books, talking to people you may know who have similar pets, and by talking to people in pet
stores & at expos. Keep in mind that not all pet store employees or vendors at expos have the
same level of knowledge, or motivation for providing accurate information. Also remember
that there are usually many ways to do the same thing, and rarely is only one of them the
correct way. What works for one individual may not work for you. For this reason we
encourage you to educate yourself BEFORE buying one of our bearded dragons. A bearded
dragon can live from 7-12 ears so it is a long term commitment. It is also preferred that you
have a habitat set up before you purchase any exotic animal. This will reduce the stress on
both the animal and you since you won’t be scrambling around to set up a home for your new
friend.
What you need
1. A secure enclosure; this should be large enough to allow for a heat gradient and secure
enough to keep the dragon in & everything else out. It can be made or purchased and
sometimes can be found used. If you purchase anything used be sure to clean it thoroughly or
bake it @ 250®-300® for 1 hour. Bearded Dragon infants can be kept in an enclosure as
small as a 20 gallon aquarium, but the adults usually reach 18-22 inches and require a
minimum of a 55 gallon aquarium (enclosure). A smaller enclosure may not provide enough of
a temperature gradient or room for the dragon to move around. When they are small dragons
may be kept together, but when they are older you CAN NOT house 2 males together. You
can keep an adult male and 1-2 females together, but if there is a size difference the male
may hurt the females or not allow them to feed. You should also start to prepare for incubating
& hatching eggs since they will mate. If you use an aquarium you will need a screen top
(made of metal) that can be secured.
2. Substrate: There are many substrate options and even more opinions on what and what not
to use. Some of the substrates that are “recommended” by various people. Some of the
options are alfalfa pellets, play sand, various calcium, aquarium gravel, vitamin, & silica
sands, mulch, potting soil, newspaper, paper towels, shelf liner, or reptile carpet. Never use
any kind of sand gravel or particulate substrate for dragons that are smaller than 8-9 inches
because the risk of impaction is very high. They all have their advantages & disadvantages,
and you may try a few different ones before you decide what works for you. When deciding on
a type of substrate there are certain things that you need to be aware of. Anything small
including pellets, sand, pieces of paper, or threads from the carpet or shelf liner can and will
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Bearded Dragon Care Sheet
be ingested. This can cause impaction which can be lethal. Additionally your dragon should
be misted at least once a day, excessive over-misting could prevent your dragon from
warming up enough to digest his food causing health issues. It also means that the substrate
will get wet and some of the options can retain the moisture and promote the growth of mold
& other things which are not good for your friend. Cleanliness of the enclosure is vital.
Bearded dragons tend to eat a lot, so they also tend to expel the waste a lot. Daily spot
cleanings are usual, and the substrate should be changed regularly and disinfected by baking
or with a 10% bleach solution, or replaced. If you use bleach make sure it is completely rinsed
off before returning it to the enclosure. We have never had an impacted dragon, but after
trying virtually all of the options we have narrowed it down to 2 types. For babies & small
juveniles we only use paper towels and tape the edges down to avoid insects crawling under
it and also tears in edges of the paper. For the adults we use shelf liner, which is inexpensive
and easy to clean. Some of the enclosures have trays of (washed & sifted) sand that is a
mixture of play sand & calcium sand, because a lot of dragons love to dig.
3. Heating & lighting; both are important for the health of your dragon. Dragons need full
spectrum (UVB) light, and a heating/basking light. There are many ways to provide this. You
can use 2 separate lights, an incandescent light for heat/basking and a fluorescent light for
UVB. Or you may opt to use a Full spectrum heating & UVB incandescent light. There are
now compact (coil) uvb lights but I have never tried them. The basking spot should reach a
temp of 105®-110®, and the cool end of the enclosure should be around 75® so they can
regulate their temperature by moving around the enclosure. They should also be able to
escape the UVB light since they can get sunburn, although it’s hard to tell. Glass & plastic
covers will block the UVB. The heat & light should be on a timer which you can pick up
anywhere for about $5.00, for 12 hour on & off during the night. Some people recommend
decreasing the light/heat hours during the winter (brumination), but it should not be necessary
if you are not intending to breed them. Your dragon will also benefit from exposure to natural
sunlight when it is warm enough, and also enjoy the different scenery. DO NOT use hot rocks
or undertank heaters. Bearded dragons do not sense heat through their bellies and they can
be burned. It is also difficult to get a proper heat gradient with an undertank heater.
4. Cage furniture for Climbing & Hiding; The minimum requirements for furniture/decorations is
something for your dragon to climb on (preferably under/near the basking light & UVB light so
they can regulate their temperature and the amount of UVB they are getting), some sort of a
hide/cave, and a food dish. You should avoid putting the basking light over the cave, it may
turn it into an oven, but if you use a separate UVB light it can go over the cave since they do
not generate any significant amount of heat. You can use branches, rocks, bricks, slate, or
make/purchase the decorations. If you use anything from outside make sure you soak them in
10% bleach solution, rinse & dry them, or bake them to kill any mites or fungus. If you chose
to use rocks, make sure they are placed on the enclosure floor and not on the substrate and
are arranged so they do not fall on your dragon. You can also find different methods to make
decorations & caves on the internet. You will also need a food dish. The dish should be deep
enough to restrict insects from escaping, but not too tall that it discourages or prevents your
dragon from eating their vegetables.
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Bearded Dragon Care Sheet
5. Food, water, & supplements; bearded dragons are omnivores, so like us they need protein &
vegetables. They do well on a mixed diet of vegetables & insects. There are also some
“pellets” and freeze dried mixtures that can be used, but some dragons may refuse to eat
them, and there are no long term studies at this time.
The dietary requirements will change as your dragon ages, but they all should be fed a variety
of insects & greens. The “staple” insect for bearded dragons is crickets, probably due to the
fact that they are readily available and can be purchased at almost every pet store, but there
are a lot of other options available. They can also be fed Wax worms, Super worms,
Silkworms, Butter worms, Horn Worms, Phoenix/Calci- worms, some species of cockroaches,
and more. Do not feed your dragon Mealworms, they are not able to easily digest the chitin
and it can cause impaction. For hard bodied insects (crickets, roaches, etc.) the insect’s body
should not be longer than the space between the dragon’s eyes. Adults can eat larger insects
as long as they are soft bodied (Butter worms, Hornworms, etc.). Hatchlings should be fed 1/4
- 3/8 inch crickets 3-4 times per day, juvenile dragons 1/2 – 1 inch crickets 1-2 times per day,
and adults should be fed insects once per day or every other day. Your dragon should first be
fed insects starting an hour after the lights come on to allow them time to warm up. They
should be fed as many insects as they can eat in 10-15 minutes, and it may take some time to
determine the correct amount. If you chose to keep a small colony of insects, which you
probably will to avoid continuous trips to the pet store, remember that your dragon will be
eating whatever you feed your insects.
All insects should be dusted daily with a calcium supplement with or without vitamin D3. This
is critical to bone growth and to avoid leaching the needed calcium from other resources in
the body such as bones and spinal cord. This can cause major health issues. They can
manufacture vitamin D3, but it requires adequate exposure to UVB light, which may be
difficult to attain. This is another reason it is beneficial to bring your dragon outside for
exposure to natural sunlight. Some research suggests that bearded dragons may not be able
to utilize the Vitamin D3 in the calcium so it should not be considered a substitute for
exposure to UVB light.
Once a week the insects should also be dusted or sprayed with a reptile multivitamin. Adding
this more than once/week may lead to health issues due to the high levels of some of the
vitamins.
Chopped/torn greens and vegetables should be fed every day, with the majority being greens
that are high in calcium and low in phosphorous. Some of the staple greens we use are
collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, kale, dandelion greens. These are readily
available in supermarkets & “superstores”. Make sure you wash them thoroughly, even if you
buy “organic” greens meant for human consumption. Bearded dragons like variety so we try to
mix up the staple greens and also the vegetables we add. The vegetables add different colors
& flavors for your dragon. We frequently use mixed vegetable, acorn or butternut squash, bell
peppers (various colors), okra, alfalfa, bok choy, apples, carrots, chicory, parsley, & parsnip.
There are also some fruits vegetables, & flowers that may be given as an occasional treat.
We feed greens every day. We put them in the enclosures about 1 hour after the lights go on
and remove them from the enclosures about 1 hour before the lights out so we can clean &
disinfect them and have them ready for morning. Some people recommend spraying the
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Bearded Dragon Care Sheet
vegetables with water to provide additional water, but if the greens are fresh we are not sure
this is necessary.
Avoid all lettuce it is mostly water and has very little nutritional value & spinach due to the
oxalic acid, which binds more calcium that it offers, actually reducing the total calcium
available. Spinach can be fed occasionally as a treat, but there are better options available.
Do not feed them any meat or chicken because it is too high in protein and can kill them.
6. While bearded dragons get most of their water from the food they eat, they should be misted
at once/day. Mist your dragon, then wait a minute & mist them again. They should start to lick
the drops off the enclosure & furnishings. Avoid excessive misting (more than 2-3 time/day)
as it can prevent them from warming up and interfere with the digestion of their food. They will
also benefit from a weekly bath. You can use a plastic container, filled up to their shoulders
with slightly warm water. The enclosure can also include a water bowl or pool. If you chose to
use a pool that is not deeper than the height of the dragon at the shoulders and is easy to get
in and out of. Bearded dragons are from the desert so they don’t need a lot of water. Most of
what they do require, they get from their food. However some dragons will drink from a dish,
and most dragons enjoy a dip in the pool/bath. In fact it helps them to poop, so be prepared to
remove them from the pool/bath to disinfect the container. Do not allow them to remain in the
water with their poop.
7. Handling your bearded Dragon; when you purchase a bearded dragon, or any pet, it may take
some time for it to become acclimated with its new surroundings and feeding schedule. Allow
them a few days to become accustomed to their new environment before trying to handle
them. They may also stop eating while this is going on. Once they become acclimated, short
periods of handling and hand feeding is usually all that is required to form a bond with your
friend. Be careful, they may jump or try to escape and may fall and get hurt. Once they from a
bond they may sit on your lap or shoulder for hours. Always remember they are animals and if
given the chance will probably try to escape at some point. Always wash your hands before &
after handling any animal. Many of the everyday chemicals that we use may be harmful to
your dragon. Some reptiles may also carry pathogens, most commonly salmonella which they
can get from the food & insects they eat. This does not mean that they are infected, just that
the carry the pathogen, most commonly in their excrement. This is one of the reasons why
cleanliness & good housekeeping is so important. If you allow your friend to tromp through his
poop & food, or remain in the bath after they have done their business, then they may
become infected. This is the same pathogen that is in eggs and raw poultry, so it is no more
dangerous than cooking breakfast or dinner.
8. A vet who treats reptiles; No matter how well you take care of your dragon, they may get sick
or hurt and you will need a vet who treats reptiles, not all do. It is well worth the effort to find
and talk to a vet who treats reptiles before you need one. A good way is to get your new pet a
checkup. That provides you an opportunity to talk to the vet and observe how they handle
your pet, and also assures you the animal you bought is healthy. I would recommend waiting
until your new pet has become comfortable with their new surroundings.
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