Bearded Dragon Caresheet

Bearded Dragon - (Pogona vitticeps)
Origin - Australian
Lifespan - 10 years+
Size - 16-22 Inches
Level - Beginner

The bearded dragon is an easy to care for starter lizard, popular with all ages and widely bred in captivity around the world. The bearded dragon attains a length of around 22 inches, half of which is tail length. Native to Australia, the bearded dragon is a diurnal reptile that lives for around 10-15 years in captivity.

An adult bearded dragon will need a minimum of a 50 gallon tank, or something 36 inches long. Bearded dragons love to climb and to bask, so suitable branches should be placed. They do not hide very often but do appreciate somewhere to go that is cool, and if multiple bearded dragons are housed together, a hiding spot is required so that one may escape during the breeding season. Ample lighting should be provided as this species will sit beneath the basking light all day long. Multiple bearded dragons can be housed together, as long as they are of a similar size.

Do not house smaller bearded dragons with adults. Bearded dragons will kill smaller members of their species, and this goes for most smaller lizards in general. A variety of substrates can be used, such as play sand or bark chips. A large water bowl should be provided, and especially when shedding, dragons can be misted with cold water daily. Note that in addition to basking lights, UVB lighting is absolutely essential for this species, and they should be exposed to it directly for at least 5-6 hours a day. Failure to provide UVB will result in sickness (a disease known as MBD - Metabloc Bone Disorder), brittle bones, dull colour and overall an unhealthy animal. As with most lizards a thermal gradient is required. At the hot end, basking temperatures of 88F - 95F (31C - 37C). The cool end of the enclosure should be room temperature. Night time temperatures can drop to 60F (16C).

Bearded dragons are primarily insect eaters, but also benefit from a varied diet including dark, leafy greens (e.g., collard greens, kale, red-tipped leaf lettuce, mustard greens, hibiscus flowers) and finely chopped or grated vegetables. Crickets, mealworms, wax worms should be fed in small quantities daily, whilst fresh salad should be provided every other day.

Adult bearded dragons are extremely calm and handleable, and are very rarely aggressive. Even if aggressive, a bearded dragon is unlikely to ever attempt to bite a human. Due to this, and their ease of care they are perfect starter lizards, but also have enough personality and uniqueness to appeal to the experienced reptile keeper.