Bearded Dragon — care sheet

Beginner. Beginner-friendly to keep happy — but not low-effort. The lighting, heat and space have to be done properly, and that surprises a lot of new keepers.

Omnivore whose ratio flips with age: babies eat mostly insects (as much as they’ll take, daily) plus greens; adults flip to mostly greens daily with head-sized insects only ~2×/week. Insects no larger than the space between the eyes. Fruit is a rare treat, not a staple.

Adult minimum 4×2×2 ft (a 120-gallon footprint); 6×2×2 ft / 24 cu ft is the modern best-practice standard, and bigger is always better. Front-opening and well-ventilated. The 10–40-gallon “starter kit” tanks are far too small.

Basking-surface temperature 108–113°F (42–45°C), from an overhead halogen/heat cluster of at least two flood bulbs on a thermostat/dimmer — measured with a temp gun at the basking rock, not a stick-on dial.

Cool-side surface 77–85°F (25–29°C); overall air gradient ~72–99°F (22–37°C).

Night 55–75°F (12–24°C) — a drop to ~50°F is fine and even healthy. Lights fully off at night; no coloured “night” bulbs.

Strong UVB is non-negotiable for a beardie. Use a linear T5 HO bulb (e.g. Arcadia 12% Desert or 14% Dragon) spanning roughly ½–⅔ of the enclosure, giving a UVI of 4.0–4.5 at the basking spot (and no more than 3.0 for pale/translucent or scaleless “silkback” morphs). Replace the bulb every 12 months.

Ambient humidity 30–60%, measured on the cool end. The “keep it bone-dry” rule is a myth — central Australia isn’t bone dry, and too-low humidity causes its own problems.

A naturalistic, burrowable soil/sand mix packed 4–6″ deep is ideal — and, done right, it does NOT cause impaction. Impaction usually traces to husbandry (too-cool temps → poor digestion), not to loose substrate itself. Avoid dusty artificial “calci-sand”, and skip loose substrate for unwell dragons.

Dust insects and salad with calcium; add a multivitamin ~1–2×/week (more for babies). Don’t over-supplement — a light dusting, “like salting your food”, not a blizzard.

16–24 in (40–60 cm) nose-to-tail

8–15+ years — a decade-plus commitment

See a reptile or exotics vet if you notice: Not basking or staying lethargic despite correct, verified temperatures.; Weak, shaky, or bent limbs, tremors, or a soft/rubbery jaw (signs pointing to metabolic bone disease).; A swollen, firm belly with no droppings, or straining (possible impaction).; Sunken eyes, wrinkled skin, or a persistent dark “beard” with refusing food.; Laboured or open-mouth breathing, mucus, or clicking (possible respiratory infection).; Any tissue protruding from the vent (prolapse) — keep it moist and go now..