Bearded Dragon
Care Sheet

Getting started

Thanks for choosing Andrew’s Reptiles LLC for your new bearded dragon baby! I am very passionate about my reptiles and I would like you to succeed and enjoy this new addition to your reptile family. There are two things I would like to mention that are very important to successfully raising a new dragon: the temperature of the basking spot, and allowing your new dragon time to settle in. New baby dragons need a basking surface temperature of 105–110°F.

Please do not handle your dragon for 1–2 weeks to allow it to de-stress from shipping and acclimate to its new enclosure. Once it is eating well, please hold it often to allow it to become tame. These two things will help prevent your dragon from getting too stressed out and not eating.

Enclosure

Adult dragons need an enclosure at least 4 feet long × 2 feet deep × 2 feet tall. More space gives them more opportunities to move, climb, explore, and choose comfortable temperatures. I do not recommend starting babies in a 20-gallon aquarium: it can be difficult to create the temperature gradient they need.

Provide a stable elevated basking platform, secure branches, and hides—including a cool shaded retreat. A baby can use a properly arranged larger enclosure when food, water, and hiding places are easy to reach. House one dragon per enclosure.

Build the warm end with our Basking Spots & Temperatures guide.

Temperature

This is important! Most of the problems I see new dragon owners encounter are due to the basking spot being too hot or too cold. For your baby dragon, the basking surface should be 105–110°F (41–43°C). Reptiles depend on their environment for heat; appropriate warmth supports normal digestion, appetite, and activity.

The cool side of the cage should be 75–80°F (24–27°C), measured as air temperature at dragon height. Put the basking lamp at one end so your dragon can move between warmth and shade. Do not heat the whole enclosure to the basking temperature.

An infrared gun measures the surface of the platform; digital probe thermometers measure warm- and cool-side air. Check several places on the basking surface after the enclosure has warmed up. Follow the gun’s distance-to-spot instructions and do not measure through glass.

KIZEN infrared temperature gun

The same surface-temperature tool featured in our basking guide. It reads surfaces, not air temperature or your dragon’s internal body temperature.

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A gradient is essential

A broad, stable stone or tile platform warmed from above lets your dragon bask comfortably. Keep a cooler escape accessible at all times, and recheck readings whenever lamp height, room temperature, or furnishings change.

Read temperatures by age and our measurement instructions →

The 105–110°F target above is our baby-dragon starting range. Our detailed basking guide also covers juvenile and adult targets, individual differences, and signs of overheating.

Humidity

Avoid constantly humid, damp enclosures, especially when ventilation is poor. Also avoid very low humidity for long periods. Bearded dragons experience changing humidity and sheltered microclimates in nature; a brief nighttime rise is different from a cage that stays wet.

Use a digital hygrometer, maintain airflow, and watch readings across the day rather than reacting to one number. Keep the general enclosure clean and well ventilated while managing any localized moisture needed for an arid bioactive setup.

See our Humidity education sheet for the full guidance.

UVB lighting & heat lamps

Linear UVB

Your dragon needs effective UVB lighting as well as a heat lamp. I prefer linear T5 high-output UVB: Arcadia is my favorite, and Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 is another good option. Select the lamp and length for your enclosure, mounting distance, reflector, and mesh. The percentages are product labels—not a reading of the UVB reaching your dragon.

Overlap UVB with the basking area and provide shade where your dragon can leave both. Do not place glass or plastic between the UVB lamp and the animal. Follow the manufacturer’s placement and replacement instructions; a bulb can still shine after its useful UVB output declines. A UV Index meter is the best way to verify exposure. ³

Zoo Med ReptiSun T5 HO 10.0

The linked 36-inch hood includes a matching 34-inch 10.0 T5 HO bulb. Choose a suitable size and placement for your setup.

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Arcadia ProT5 UVB kit

At Reptile Basics, select the 12% T5 HO bulb option and the appropriate fixture length. Check exposure and lamp-to-dragon distance before use.

Shop at Reptile Basics

For mounting, exposure, and bulb selection, read our Lighting & UVB education sheet.

Heat lamp: choose by measured temperature

I often get asked, “What wattage of heat lamp do I need?” It is impossible to determine that from enclosure size alone. Room temperature, ventilation, bulb brand and beam, and the distance between your dragon and the lamp all change the basking temperature. The correct wattage is the one that produces the measured target in your enclosure.

The basking temperature will change throughout the year as your house temperature changes. I recommend a compatible dimmable bulb with a little output to spare, then using a dimming switch to bring the baby basking surface to 105–110°F. Test and adjust before your dragon uses the spot, and measure again after every change. Dim only the compatible heat lamp—never the UVB lamp.

DEWENWILS HORD03A three-prong dimmer

Grounded three-prong plug and outlet, with remote dimming. Rated for up to 300W of tungsten/incandescent lighting at 125V, 60Hz. Use only a compatible dimmable basking bulb; follow the bulb, fixture, and dimmer instructions. This is a lighting dimmer, not a temperature-sensing thermostat.

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Heat-lamp safety

Heat lamps can cause house fires. Secure fixtures so they cannot fall. Use a heat-rated ceramic or porcelain socket and stay within all bulb, fixture, and dimmer ratings. Keep hot equipment clear of flammable material.

Keep the dimmer outside the enclosure, away from heat and water. Plug it into a properly grounded outlet; never remove a ground pin. The manufacturer states that it loses its brightness setting when power is cut. Recheck and reset output after unplugging, an outage, or an external timer turning it off. Keep UVB lighting on a separate supply. Follow the full compatibility and safety instructions.

Calcium & vitamins

Calcium, a varied diet, suitable heat, and effective UVB work together. Lightly dust appropriate food with a reptile calcium supplement and use a matched multivitamin programme. Our Vitamins & Calcium education sheet explains the six-day calcium / one-day vitamin outline for separate products, D3 choices, and how all-in-one products differ.

Choose one compatible programme. Do not stack several vitamin or D3 products. Follow the actual label and the complete plan in our education sheet; an all-in-one powder does not automatically need another weekly multivitamin.

Repashy Calcium Plus

An all-in-one calcium and vitamin supplement for dusting insects. Follow its own directions instead of automatically adding a separate vitamin.

Repashy product & directions

Repashy SuperVite

A multivitamin option for a suitable separate calcium-and-vitamin plan. Do not layer it over another complete vitamin programme.

Repashy product & directions

Rep-Cal calcium & Herptivite

Rep-Cal offers several calcium formulas and Herptivite. Read its specific combining directions and choose the D3 formula for your complete diet and UVB setup.

Rep-Cal products & directions

Arcadia EarthPro ReVitaliseD3

Use within Arcadia’s EarthPro feeding programme with its intended companion products. Follow the manufacturer’s cycle rather than mixing unrelated schedules.

Arcadia product & directions

Our recommended brands are Repashy, Rep-Cal, and Arcadia. Read the complete supplement guide →

Insects & diet by age

Gut-loading means feeding your feeder insects a nutritious diet before they become your dragon’s meal. Use an appropriate commercial feeder diet according to its instructions. Dusting means adding a light coating of calcium or the scheduled supplement; gently shake feeders with a small amount of powder and offer them promptly. ²

My feeder list includes dubia roaches, banded crickets, black soldier fly larvae, mealworms, small superworms, and waxworms. Use variety and appropriately sized captive-bred feeders. Mealworms can be part of that rotation. Keep waxworms and superworms occasional rather than the bulk of an adult’s diet. Never feed fireflies or insects collected from areas exposed to pesticides. ¹

More greens as your dragon grows

Babies need more insects while growing. As growth slows, gradually increase the plant portion and reduce insect portions. Offer fresh greens from the beginning—even when a baby prefers bugs.

These are broad starting balances across the overall feeding routine, not exact calorie ratios, a fixed number of insects, or a change required on a particular birthday. Veterinary guides differ on percentages. Adjust portions to growth, activity, weight, and body condition with your reptile veterinarian; breeding or ill dragons may need a different plan. ^{1 2}

Do not feed unlimited insects throughout the entire first year. Record weight regularly, watch for excessive fat gain, and give your dragon access to normal daytime basking after meals. Read our Diseases & Health Problems guide if appetite, stools, or growth change.

Greens & vegetables

I offer all of my baby dragons a variety of mixed greens. Baby dragons are like kids—they do not always eat their veggies. Keep offering them regularly and make greens part of the normal routine.

Use spinach, Swiss chard, and beet greens sparingly because their oxalates can reduce mineral availability. Iceberg lettuce is a poor nutritional base. Wash produce, chop it into manageable pieces, and mix it well to discourage selective eating. ^{1 2}

Leafy greens should make up most of the plant portion. Fruit is optional and should be rare and small, rather than part of the daily salad; it is high in sugar. Avoid avocado and unidentified or pesticide-treated plants. Never withhold appropriate food from a growing baby to force it to eat greens.

Pair the salad with our supplement guide and water education sheet.

Substrate & digging

We recommend two practical approaches: a reptile mat for easy cleaning, or a well-managed arid bioactive substrate that offers more digging opportunities. Choose what you can maintain consistently, with correct heat, UVB, hydration, and sanitation in place.

Easy-clean reptile mat

This Duedusto non-adhesive reptile liner is the mat option linked here. Check its listed measurements against your enclosure’s internal floor before trimming. Remove waste promptly, lift and clean underneath, rinse, and dry fully before returning it.

View Duedusto mat on Amazon

The Bio Dude arid bioactive kit

Terra Sahara-based bearded dragon kits support a planted, diggable habitat. Select the kit for your enclosure, follow its arid-care instructions, and establish plants and suitable cleanup organisms. Bioactive does not mean maintenance-free.

Browse bearded dragon kits

The linked mat is sold as a reptile terrarium liner; it is not a digging substrate. Use a purpose-made non-adhesive reptile mat, and follow its cleaning and heat-use limits. For bioactive setups, spot-clean feces and uneaten food, monitor moisture and humidity, and keep heavy rocks and branches supported on a firm base so digging cannot undermine them. The Bio Dude kit does not supply your enclosure, heat, UVB, or cleanup crew. ⁵

A new or unwell dragon, or one repeatedly eating substrate, needs closer assessment before a loose-substrate setup. Repeated digging with straining, weakness, or a swollen abdomen may indicate reproductive or health problems and warrants a reptile veterinarian.

Water & hydration

Dragons obtain moisture from food and drinking. Rinse suitable greens and leave them lightly wet, and offer clean water in a stable shallow dish. Some dragons do not readily recognize standing water, so observe actual drinking rather than assuming a bowl or bath guarantees hydration.

Our preferred additional approach is a brief, supervised shallow warm soak with gentle misting from above, allowing an alert dragon to drink voluntarily. Keep the mouth and nostrils above water, stop if the dragon is stressed, and never force water into its mouth. Frequency should follow actual need, health, and stress—not an automatic every-other-day bath rule.

Read our How to Water Your Dragon education sheet for the full method, brumation advice, and warning signs.

Handling, temperament & health

Let a new dragon settle for the first 1–2 weeks, keeping necessary care calm and brief. Once it is eating reliably, begin short, gentle handling sessions. Support the whole body, approach where it can see you, and never grab the tail. Let your dragon’s response guide the pace.

Bearded dragons make wonderful pets. A baby may open its mouth, puff up, or try to bite when frightened; give it space rather than forcing interaction. Dragons vary in temperament, and defensive behavior alone is not proof of health. Bites can injure skin. Supervise time outside the enclosure and protect your dragon from falls, other pets, cold surfaces, and small objects it could swallow.

One dragon per enclosure. Cohabitation can cause stress, competition, and injuries even when dragons appear peaceful. Wash your hands after handling, feeding, or cleaning.