How long do Bearded Dragons live?

Given that Bearded Dragons have not been kept very long in captivity, no-one is entirely sure how long they live in captivity, however, they have been kept for as long as ten years by some keepers.

What should I feed my Bearded Dragon?

Crickets offer a good staple protein diet as do locust, roches, butterworms, silkworms and cutworms. Although a mixture is best. Mealworms cause impaction in Bearded Dragons so should be avoided. Do not forget the fresh vegetables at least twice a week. View a full list here.

What special lighting requirements do Bearded Dragons need?

A Basking spot and UVB. The basking spot helps digest food and increase body heat whereas the UVB light ensures adequate vitamin D3 production.

My Bearded Dragons eyes look like they are going to pop out, what is wrong?

There is nothing wrong, this process is thought to help loosen the skin around the Bearded Dragons eyes pre-shed. You may be able to assist by misting him/her or giving him/her a bath.

How can I tell the gender of my Bearded Dragon?

Please read this article. Breeding Bearded Dragons

Can I bathe my Bearded Dragon?

Certainly, most Bearded Dragons love to be bathed in luke-warm water. If they have never been bathed before it’s a good idea to start shallow. A well trained Bearded Dragon will even defecate in the water leaving you with no messy vivarium to clean.

My Bearded Dragon runs backwards and forwards like crazy, is he crazy?

Probably not, he probably needs the bathroom and doesn’t want to do it in his house. You could remove him and give him a bath, or even introduce a piece of paper towel so he knows where to defecate.

What substrate is best for a Bearded Dragon?

Just like many lizards a loose substrate is not a very good idea because it can cause impaction. Children’s play sand is moderately safe for adults but all young Bearded Dragons should be kept on a solid substrate such as slate, tile or paper towel.

What is white, hard and is in my Bearded Dragons feces?

Urates! Don’t worry, this is how they excrete the by products of fluids they absorb.

Why is my Bearded Dragon waving its arm and bobing its head?

This is a social technique. It can mean several different thing and is quite interesting to try and work out exactly why they are doing it. They use it as a mating ritual but also can mean they want you to back off or they are scared of you and don’t want you to eat them!

I have seen many different colours of Bearded Dragon available, why is this?

These are known as colour morphs, whose variations are largely dependant on locality, temperature, and in the case of the central and eastern Bearded Dragons, selective breeding. For more information please visit the Bearded Dragon Morphs page.

Why does my bearded dragon sit there with it’s mouth open?

This is normal behaviour for bearded dragons. Some owners frequently fail to provide the correct temperatures within their bearded dragon enclosure, so they don’t see this behaviour very often. The key to keeping bearded dragons happy is to have a basking spotlight that allows them to raise their body temperature to 35-43.3°C (95-110°F). When a bearded dragon reaches its thermal maximum, it will often sit with its mouth open. This behaviour, called gaping, shows that the lizard is at its optimal temperature for basking. This gaping will allow a bearded dragon to dissipate extra body heat. Since lizards don’t sweat, this is an effective way for them to regulate their body temperature. It is important that your bearded dragon habitat have a thermal gradient, so that they can move to a cooler location once they have reached their optimum body temperatures.