Bearded Dragon Care Guide

The Enclosure

The enclosure is an essential part of husbandry for any species. Getting the enclosure set up correctly is imperative for a healthy, happy bearded dragon!

Size and Material

Bearded dragons are a fairly large, active lizard that need a large enclosure to fulfill all aspects of their care. One of the most important pieces of their husbandry is the lighting requirements. Because bearded dragons require a high basking temperature, in order to achieve a proper temperature gradient they need at least a 4x2x2ft enclosure for an adult. This will be covered more extensively in the Temperature and Lighting sections of this guide, but know that anything smaller than recommended will impair their overall health. A 36x18x16 - you may see this referred to as a 40 gallon breeder - can work in a pinch, but it is not advisable for an adult due to the enclosure’s size being insufficient. Larger enclosures are always good for bearded dragons if they are set up correctly, they will definitely use all of the space. Always prioritize floor space over height as bearded dragons are terrestrial animals.

Substrate

There are two distinct schools of thought regarding substrate (ground covering) for bearded dragons- loose (such as dirt and sand) and non-loose (such as tile) substrate. Both can be done correctly and have their advantages and disadvantages, so we will cover both in this guide. In our experience, loose substrates are superior - though we understand that non-loose substrates may seem more manageable for new keepers.

Loose Substrate

Loose substrate is any substrate you can run your hand through - such as dirt and sand. They allow for more naturalistic enclosure setups.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Loose substrates offer bearded dragons the opportunity to exhibit natural behaviors and create a very aesthetically pleasing environment for the keeper. Being able to dig provides a lot of enrichment for your bearded dragon, especially if you have a female. Loose substrates are also healthier for your bearded dragon’s joints.

Loose substrate opens the option to have a bioactive enclosure. Bioactive enclosure setup is a more advanced technique that needs a guide all for itself, so we will not cover bioactive enclosures explicitly in this guide.

The disadvantages of loose substrate are that it is more difficult to maintain and spot clean, and that it may be more expensive upfront to set up. Another downside that often pushes people towards non-loose substrate is that the risk of impaction is higher with loose substrate if the enclosure is not set up properly. Impaction is a life-threatening medical condition which is caused by ingestion of non-digestible matter that is not able to pass through the animal’s system and causes blockages in their stomach and/or gut. However, if the temperature and humidity of the enclosure is ideal for a bearded dragon, and their diet is proper, the risk of impaction on loose substrate is extremely low. Good husbandry is key for a thriving and healthy bearded dragon on loose substrate, and we will cover all the necessities to achieve that in this guide.

Ideal Loose Substrates

A staple loose substrate for bearded dragons is a 70:30 mixture of organic topsoil and children’s play sand. Make sure that when purchasing these substrates that they are free of chemicals or added fertilizers. Children’s play sand is the safest option for the sand component as it meets this criteria. This mixture’s consistency allows for the bearded dragon to display natural behaviors while remaining inexpensive and easy to maintain.

Bad Loose Substrates

There are a few loose substrates that should be avoided at all costs.

1. Calcium Sand - the bane of the reptile keepers’ existence. It is often pushed by pet stores, but can induce a devastating medical condition called impaction. Most reptiles can sense when they need more calcium in their bodies, so they will consume the calcium sand which is not digestible and often not passable. The substrate may also be accidentally ingested when eating their food. This causes clumps in their stomachs and digestive systems and will often lead to death. Even if the animal does have enough calcium, the risk of them consuming any calcium sand is high enough to emphasize the importance of never using this substrate.

2. Only Sand - Bearded dragons do live in arid environments, but they do not live in strictly sandy environments. Their natural environments are rocky and a blend of dirt and sand. Their bodies are not evolved to handle loose sand at all times, and it is difficult to maintain tank parameters with 100% sand substrate. The risk of impaction is also higher with exclusively sand substrates.

3. Walnut Shells - this substrate has a lot of jagged pieces and can cause serious internal injuries if ingested.

4. Wood Shavings or Chips - these are not appropriate for bearded dragons for similar reasons as the walnut shell substrate above, and does not mimic their natural environment or allow good husbandry.

Non-Loose Substrate

Non-loose substrates are often preferred by beginners. Non-loose substrates consist of materials such as paper towels and tile. If you decide to use non-loose substrate, we encourage the use of a dig box - a box full of dirt that your bearded dragon can fit into. This is especially helpful for females, who may lay eggs seasonally regardless of if they are fertile or not.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The main advantage of non-loose substrates is that the setup and maintenance is easier than a naturalistic setup. Laying down a layer of paper towels or tile is a more approachable process than mixing dirt and sand to a lot of keepers. It may also be less expensive to set up upfront, and the risk of impaction via substrate is lower (they can still consume paper towels, mentioned below.)

The disadvantage of non-loose substrate is that it eliminates the bearded dragon’s  ability to dig which in turn provides them less enrichment opportunities. The environment will also look less natural, which may be an aesthetic disadvantage for some keepers.

Ideal Non-Loose Substrates

There are a few non-loose substrates that are appropriate for bearded dragons. They include:

1. Paper towels - great for setups when your bearded dragon is sick or injured or in quarantine. It allows very easy swapping of substrate to promote a sanitary environment - just replace the paper towels! It also allows you to monitor your bearded dragon’s waste, which is often the first indicator there is a health problem. This is not an ideal for-life substrate, but it is a great place to start.

2. Thin Slate Tile - having slate tile cut to size is another good option for non-loose substrate. It offers similar advantages to paper towels, while looking nicer and lasting much longer. This substrate also holds heat very well.

3. Non-adhesive Shelf Liner - a blend of being inexpensive and replaceable, while offering better heat retention and aesthetics. Note - shelf liner with adhesive (sticky) bottoms are not appropriate because they release toxic fumes when heated to the temperature your bearded dragon needs. They can also get stuck to your bearded dragon and cause scale damage if applied improperly.

Bad Non-Loose Substrates

1. Reptile Carpet - a flooring commonly sold in pet stores that is very difficult to clean. It will harbor bacteria unless cleaned with something harmful to your bearded dragon (don’t do this!) Reptile carpet can also snag the lizard’s nails, which can injure or even rip off their toes.

2. Vinyl or Linoleum Tile - these tile surfaces emit toxic fumes when heated, and provide a very slippery surface that your bearded dragon will have a difficult time moving around on.

3. Adhesive Shelf Liner - when heated to the temperatures bearded dragons require to thrive, the adhesive will emit toxic fumes. 

Temperature and Heat Sources

Bearded Dragons require a thermal gradient in their enclosure. A thermal gradient allows them to thermoregulate to keep them healthy. Because bearded dragons are cold-blooded, they do not produce or maintain their own body heat. They need to be able to move from a hot location to a cooler location to keep their body temperature where it needs to be. Getting the thermal gradient correct is vital for a healthy and happy bearded dragon. Bearded dragons need a cooldown period every night, and their heat sources and lighting need to be on a 12 hours on, 12 hours off schedule.

Thermal Gradient

The most simple way to set up a thermal gradient is to have one side of the enclosure be the hot side, and the other be the cold side. This is achieved by placing the heat sources on only one side of the enclosure. The hot side ambient temperature during the day should sit around 90°F, with 5°F variation being acceptable. The basking spot will be in the hot side of the enclosure and will be covered in more detail in the next section of this guide. The cool side of the enclosure during the day should stay around 75°F, again with 5°F variation being acceptable. Note, these are ambient air temperatures, not surface temperatures. The recommended nighttime temperature is around 70°F, but can fall as low as 60°F without you having to worry about their wellbeing. Having a lower temperature at night is necessary for bearded dragons’ general health and especially their immune system.

Basking

Bearded dragons bask in their natural environment, meaning they will remain on a hot surface and soak in the sun’s natural light. This allows the lizard to obtain necessary body heat and Vitamin D. To achieve the best basking spot possible you will want a raised, flat surface that holds heat closer than the ground to the heat lamp. The basking surface should be at least as large as your bearded dragon, and hold heat evenly - meaning the temperature of the basking surface is the same across the entire thing. An ideal basking spot is around 110°F and we highly recommend using a temperature gun and reading all parts of the basking surface and making sure they are where they should be. Note: check your basking surface temperature after the lights have been on for at least three hours. The surface takes a while to heat up. Stone is a great way to check off all these requirements. 

The Heat Sources

An easy way to provide a healthy source of both heat and light for your bearded dragon is to get a PAR38 Halogen flood bulb. The wattage varies, and a good place to start for a 4x2x2ft enclosure is a 90w. Connecting this bulb to a dimming thermostat is essential for the safety of your bearded dragon and your home. A dimming thermostat has a probe inside the enclosure, and will control your light to lower or raise the temperature as needed based on the reading on the probe. We recommend the probe being placed on the cool side of the enclosure and adjusting the basking spot height as needed to achieve proper temperatures. A bearded dragon being too cold for a short amount of time is much safer than them being too hot.

If your enclosure’s ambient temperature regularly falls below 60°F at night you will want to look into a nighttime heat source. A nighttime heat source means a heat source that does not produce light, such as a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) or deep heat projector (DHP.) CHEs are less expensive but DHPs are more efficient and require less electricity. DHPs also produce types of IR heat that are more natural for reptiles, but this is less important for a strict nighttime heat source. A halogen PAR38 flood bulb will produce all of the types of heat that reptiles need. Wattage for either heat source varies based on enclosure size.

The Essential UVB Lighting

UVB lighting is an absolute essential requirement for bearded dragon care. The lack of UVB is the most common cause of health problems and premature death in bearded dragons. Some reptiles can survive without UVB lighting, but bearded dragons are not one of them. The correct type and strength UVB bulb is also extremely important to get right to avoid metabolic bone disease (MBD) - which is likely the most common bearded dragon ailment.

A good rule of thumb for UVB is to get a strip-style UVB bulb which should cover about 1/2 to 2/3rds of the enclosure length. For instance, if you have a 4x2x2ft enclosure, the UVB fixture should be about 24-30 inches long. The UVB bulb needs to overlap with the visual light/heat lamp. UVB bulbs that we recommend for bearded dragons come in two strengths - T5 and T8. A T5 bulb is preferred, and is the most common because it is a strong bulb that produces enough UVB to penetrate far into the enclosure. T5 UVB bulbs produce UVB that can pass through most metal mesh lids. T8 has a lower UVB output and must be mounted in the enclosure as the UVB is not as strong, and it cannot penetrate lids. 

Note: The distance between the UVB bulb and your bearded dragon’s basking spot varies greatly between bulb manufacturer and strength. Research your specific UVB bulb to determine the appropriate distance from the bulb to the basking spot.

UVB bulbs must be replaced on a regular schedule. In general, T8 UVB bulbs should be replaced every six months and T5 UVB bulbs should be replaced every year. This time may vary by manufacturer and we encourage you to make sure these timelines are appropriate for your UVB bulb.

Please see our Heating and Lighting Guide for a more in-depth guide on this topic! 

Decor and Enrichment

Bearded dragons are often labeled as lazy, but this is not the case! They will happily use all of the space and enrichment you provide for them. Climbing surfaces such as branches and rocks not only give the bearded dragon something to do, but will help file their nails down naturally. It is important to provide a hide on both the hot and cool side of the enclosure so your bearded dragon can retreat to a safe place if they are stressed. Decor is very much a personal preference, and as long as your decor is safe, species-appropriate, and sanitary, it is good to use.

Clean-Up and Health Check-Ins

Daily Maintenance

Make sure your bearded dragon has access to water at all times. If you’re using naturalistic substrate and you notice the water frequently has substrate in it, place the water bowl on a rock or smooth surface.

Checking the enclosure for waste should be done every day. Bearded dragons do not urinate like mammals do, instead their urine is in a chalky white mass called a urate. It is usually attached to their feces. Their waste is often the first indicator of a health problem, so it is very important to check daily and clean up when needed for the sake of being sanitary and vigilant of your animal’s health.

Health Checks

It is important to regularly weigh your bearded dragon. Weighing in grams is the most frequent metric used by other keepers. A kitchen scale can provide accurate weight measurements. Weight loss is one of the first indicators of a health issue.

Like any pet, bearded dragons can develop health problems. Most health problems are caused by issues in husbandry or diet. Some common health issues include:

• Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) - caused by a lack of calcium, this is the most common issue we see in bearded dragons here at the rescue. If calcium and vitamin D3 are not provided they will undoubtedly develop this condition. MBD is not curable or reversible, but its progression can be slowed or stopped with fixes to their vitamin D3 intake. MBD causes permanent bone deformations, which can affect the bearded dragon’s mobility and quality of life. This condition can be painful, especially if severe. It varies in severity, ranging from deformed toes, to a curved spine, to fused elbow joints that lock the bearded dragon’s legs under their body. 

• Stuck shed - covered in the Shedding section of this guide

• Impaction - talked about in the Substrate section - impaction is caused by non-digestible matter in the bearded dragon’s stomach or gut. This is a life-threatening condition that requires medical attention. Impaction is easy to prevent but not easy to cure.

• Respiratory infections - usually caused by inappropriate humidity levels or low temperatures which result in the bearded dragon having fluid in its nose, mouth, throat, and/or lungs. Common symptoms are open-mouth breathing with visible bubbles and excessive moisture in the bearded dragon’s mouth and/or nose. This requires veterinary treatment, often with antibiotics. Like impaction, is easy to prevent via good husbandry.

• Parasites - there are dormant parasites in a bearded dragon’s body. When these numbers go past the safe threshold, you may notice your bearded dragon losing weight. Diarrhea is another common symptom of parasitic infection. Parasites may come from where you purchased your bearded dragon or feeder insects with parasites. Parasite levels from the dormant parasites in your bearded dragon’s body may climb to dangerous highs if your bearded dragon is stressed or ill from another ailment. A veterinarian can confirm a parasitic infection via a stool sample, and will treat accordingly.

Please always consult a professional if you have concerns about your pet’s health. We are not veterinarians and these are guidelines.

Handling and Body Language

Interacting and handling your bearded dragon is most people’s favorite aspects of ownership. Bearded dragons are usually very sociable and friendly animals, and handling them can be a joy. Bearded dragons express themselves through a variety of behaviors. Stress is shown by a gaping mouth, their beard turning darker or black, or closing their eyes. Bearded dragons have a ‘third eye’ on the top of their head. It looks like a slightly different scale and is used to detect shadows above them, which in the wild is to help them avoid predation. Anything over the third eye can cause immense stress, so avoid scooping them up from above, and absolutely do not place anything on top of their third eye. If they are showing distress, do not handle them. This species is not known for biting, but like all animals with a mouth, they can! Respect your bearded dragon’s space to build a healthy relationship with them.

Like most reptiles, bearded dragons can carry salmonella. To avoid illness, wash your hands thoroughly after handling or cleaning up after your bearded dragon.