Reptiles
Bearded Dragon
Pogona vitticeps
Diurnal lizard with high heat and UVB needsIntermediate
- Lifespan
- 10-15 years
- Size
- 40-60 cm
- Social needs
- Solitary; house singly
- Time
- Medium; daily feed, UVB, cleaning
- Cost
- High
- Diet
- Omnivore (insects + greens)
Overview
What is this animal?
- The bearded dragon, from the arid woodlands of central Australia, is a diurnal lizard that often recognises its keeper and basks openly.
- Its boldness and expressive behaviour make it a popular pet, but its high heat and UVB demands mean it is neither cheap nor low-effort to keep well.
- A full-grown beardie is a substantial animal needing a large, powerful setup.
- Many are sold to unprepared owners in enclosures that are too small with inadequate lighting, which leads to chronic illness.
- With correct husbandry they are interactive and relatively forgiving.
Temperament
- Bearded dragons are typically calm, confident and among the more handleable reptiles, often tolerating regular interaction.
- They communicate with arm-waving and head-bobbing and adapt well to routine, which makes them engaging pets.
- They must be housed alone.
- They are territorial and not social; cohabiting causes stress, dominance behaviour, food competition, injury and even cannibalism among juveniles.
- Do not keep two together regardless of sex or size, even if they appear to tolerate each other at first.
A good fit for
- Keepers wanting an interactive, handleable lizard
- Families with reptile experience
- Those who can fund a large, high-powered setup
- Owners committed to a daily routine
Common mistakes to avoid
- Undersized enclosures and weak UVB
- Housing two or more together
- Calcium/UVB neglect causing bone disease
- Over-feeding fatty insects to adults
Enclosure
Minimum 7,200 cm² of floor (1,116 sq in) · 120 × 60 × 60 cm
Must be housed alone. Solitary; house singly
- An adult needs a vivarium of at least 120x60x60cm, larger if possible, offering a strong thermal gradient.
- Provide a basking surface of 38-42C under a halogen heat lamp at one end and a cool end around 24-26C, all on thermostats and timers.
- Temperatures can fall to room temperature at night.
- A high-output UVB source (such as a T5 12% tube) covering roughly two-thirds of the enclosure is essential for vitamin D3 synthesis and preventing metabolic bone disease; replace tubes on schedule as output fades.
- Use a firm naturalistic substrate or tile, provide hides and basking branches, and spot-clean daily.
Supplies
Setup
- Enclosure, 120 x 60 x 60 cm or larger
- Basking fixture, bulbs and dimming thermostat
- Linear UVB fixture and T5 HO bulb
- Digital thermometers with probes, and an infrared thermometer
- Substrate, hides, basking rock, decor
Ongoing
- Live dubia roaches, locusts or crickets
- Dark leafy greens (collard, mustard, dandelion) for the daily salad
- Plain calcium powder without D3
- Calcium with D3 and a reptile multivitamin
- Feeder insect gut-load and a ventilated tub
- Shallow salad dish and a shallow water dish
- Blunt-tipped feeding tongs
- Kitchen scale for tracking growth and weight
Safe substrate: Topsoil and play sand mix · Coco fibre and coir · Cypress mulch
Care routine
Daily
- Check the basking surface temperature
- Check the droppings
- Fresh greens daily, insects to plan
- Fresh water bowl
- Look the animal over
- Spot-clean waste and uneaten food
Weekly
- Short handling sessionevery 3 days
Monthly
- Weigh-inevery 2 weeks
- Deep-clean the enclosure
- Test thermostats, lamps and guards
Less often
- Refresh the substrateevery 3 months
- Replace the UVB tubeevery 6 months
Vet: Annual exam and faecal check — every 12 months (every 6 months from 8 years old)
Top resources for more info
Independent creators and organisations we would send a friend to. We have no affiliation with any of them, and nothing here is sponsored. Links checked 2026-09-19.
YouTubers
Reptiles and ResearchEvidence-led husbandry: enclosure size, UVB, thermal gradients, enrichmentClint's ReptilesWhich reptile suits you, with honest care and handling verdictsGoHerpingBeginner reptile care, setup mistakes and welfare basics
Sites
Go deeper
Diet
- Bearded dragons are omnivores whose dietary balance shifts with age.
- Juveniles eat mostly gut-loaded, calcium-dusted live insects such as locusts, dubia roaches and crickets, fed daily, plus finely chopped greens.
- Adults eat predominantly leafy greens and vegetables, with insects a few times a week.
- Offer a wide variety of dark leafy greens and avoid relying on lettuce, spinach or fruit.
- Dust insects with calcium and a multivitamin appropriately.
- Provide fresh water.
- Obesity from over-feeding fatty insects and impaction are common, as is metabolic bone disease when UVB or calcium is neglected.
Health
- Signs of health include bright eyes, an upright stance, strong grip and a good appetite.
- Metabolic bone disease, caused by inadequate UVB or calcium, is common and shows as tremors, soft jaw, swollen limbs or a rubbery posture.
- Impaction, parasites (notably coccidia) and respiratory infections also occur.
- Brumation, a winter slow-down, is natural in adults but should be distinguished from illness, ideally with veterinary input.
- Any lethargy, weight loss or unusual lumps warrants an exotics vet.
- Regular faecal checks and correct lighting prevent most serious problems.
Is your enclosure big enough?
Minimum floor area7,200 cm² (1,116 sq in) of continuous, unbroken floor
As dimensions120 x 60 x 60 cm
CompanyMust be housed alone. Solitary; house singly
The recognised standards do not agree on this one
120x60x60 cm (4x2x2 ft) — Widely-held community standard. The figure this site uses. Checked 2026-08-30.
180x60x60 cm (6x2x2 ft) — ReptiFiles. A larger minimum, argued from activity range rather than body length. Checked 2026-08-30.
Is this urgent?
Most bearded dragon illness is a lighting or temperature problem wearing a symptom.
Go now
Tremors, twitching, a rubbery jaw, or difficulty lifting the body off the floorGo now. Note your UVB bulb type and its install date. Metabolic bone disease. A bulb still emitting visible light may have stopped emitting useful UVB months earlier.
NowToday
Straining, or no droppings for over a week in a regularly-fed adultCall today. Check the warm-end surface temperature. Impaction, often from loose substrate plus a basking area too cool to digest properly.
TodayBlack beard held for days alongside hiding and refusing foodCheck temperatures and review the enclosure, then call. A brief black beard is normal communication. A persistent one with other signs is not.
TodaySunken eyes, skin that stays tented when gently pinchedCall today. Dehydration in an animal that mostly drinks from its food.
TodayReplace UVB on a calendar, not on appearance: a T8 or compact tube roughly every 6 months, a T5 HO roughly every 12. Visible brightness tells you nothing about UVB output.
This is general guidance for a healthy adult, not a diagnosis. An exotics vet who knows your animal always overrides it — and the time to find one is before you need one.
Can a bearded dragon eat that?
An adult bearded dragon is mostly a herbivore. Getting the greens right matters more than the insects, and the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio is the thing to keep in your head.
The full list
Never (13)
AlcoholNo safe amount at any body weight on this site.
neverAvocadoPersin.
neverCaffeineCoffee, tea and energy drinks. Cardiac and neurological toxicity at tiny doses for an animal this size.
neverChocolateTheobromine and caffeine. Small mammals and reptiles cannot clear either.
neverCitrusAcidic, and it interferes with calcium absorption.
neverFirefliesLucibufagins. A single firefly can kill an adult bearded dragon. This is the most dangerous item on this page.
neverGarlicSame allium toxicity as onion, and more concentrated by weight.
neverIceberg lettuceNo nutritional value, and it causes loose stools. It displaces food that would have been useful.
neverLeekAllium family. Same mechanism as onion and garlic.
neverOnionOrganosulphur compounds damage red blood cells. The whole allium family is out.
neverRhubarbOxalate load high enough to cause acute kidney injury.
neverSalty or seasoned human foodSalt, oil and seasoning. Crisps, chips, seasoned leftovers and processed meat are all out.
neverWild-caught insectsPesticides and parasites.
neverRare treats (9)
BananaPoor calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, roughly the inverse of what a dragon needs, plus a lot of sugar. A thin slice, rarely.
rare treatBlueberrySugar, but easy to portion. One or two, once a week.
rare treatCucumberWater with very little in it. A slice for hydration.
rare treatGrapesSugar. One, halved, rarely.
rare treatSpinachOxalates bind the dietary calcium a dragon needs to avoid metabolic bone disease. This is the classic well-meaning mistake. A single small leaf, rarely if at all.
rare treatStrawberrySugar. Half a berry, once a week.
rare treatTomatoAcidic and poorly balanced. Never the leaves or stems. A small piece of ripe flesh, rarely.
rare treatWatermelonSugar and water with almost nothing else in it. A small cube, rarely.
rare treatWaxwormsVery fatty and habit-forming. One or two, rarely.
rare treatOccasional (7)
Bell pepperSafe and low oxalate. A few pieces a few times a week.
occasionalBok choyGood in rotation. Twice a week.
occasionalBroccoliGoitrogenic in quantity. A small floret, once a week.
occasionalCarrotUseful for vitamin A but high in sugar, and the ratio is poor. Grate it. A little grated, twice a week.
occasionalKaleGood calcium, mildly goitrogenic. Rotate rather than relying on it. Twice a week.
occasionalMealwormsHard shell, poor ratio, and dragons will hold out for them over better food. A few, alongside other feeders.
occasionalSuperwormsFatty. Fine as part of a varied feed. One or two.
occasionalEveryday foods (8)
Black soldier fly larvaeHigh calcium; the one feeder that does not strictly need dusting. Several per feed.
everyday foodButternut squashWell tolerated and useful for vitamin A. Several times a week.
everyday foodCollard greensExcellent calcium-to-phosphorus ratio. One of the few greens that can be fed daily without a caveat. Daily, as the base of the salad.
everyday foodCricketsStandard feeder. Gut-load for 24 hours first. Sized to the eye gap.
everyday foodDandelion greensFree, excellent ratio, and dragons eat them enthusiastically. Pick well away from sprayed ground. Daily.
everyday foodDubia roachesThe best routine feeder: good ratio, plenty of meat, cannot climb glass. Sized no wider than the gap between the eyes.
everyday foodMustard greensGood ratio, well taken. Daily in rotation.
everyday foodTurnip greensGood ratio. Daily in rotation.
everyday foodThat food is not on our list. Bearded dragon diets get ruined by well-meaning additions — check the species guide or ask an exotics vet before offering it.
Dust insects with calcium to the schedule in the species guide, and remember that a dragon can eat well and still develop metabolic bone disease if the UVB has expired.
What it really costs
Setup, monthly, first year and across a whole life, itemised and with the electricity worked out from the actual wattage. Published figures for the same animal disagree by a factor of four, so the calculator shows ranges rather than picking one.
Bedding and substrate
Substrate choice follows the animal's natural humidity, not the look of the vivarium. Get that pairing right and most substrate arguments disappear.
Safe
Topsoil and play sand mixThe standard bioactive-ready base for arid and semi-arid species. Plain topsoil with no fertiliser, no perlite, no wetting agents.
safeCoco fibre and coirHolds humidity well for tropical species. Rinse and check it is not bone dry, which makes it dusty.
safeCypress mulchGood humidity retention for tropical snakes. Cypress specifically, not general 'wood mulch'.
safeOrchid barkLong-lasting, holds humidity, resists compaction. Common in tropical vivaria.
safePaper towel or newspaperNot attractive, but correct for quarantine, for a new arrival, and for any animal being monitored for output.
safeLeaf litter over a soil baseCover, humidity and invertebrate habitat in one. Sterilised, from a known source.
safeWith a caveat
Reptile carpetSnags claws and traps bacteria in the fibres. If used, it needs replacing rather than washing, often.
with a caveatSand alone for desert speciesReal desert is packed substrate, not loose play sand. Mix it with soil so it holds a burrow.
with a caveatBioactive setupsExcellent when established, but the clean-up crew needs weeks to establish before the animal goes in.
with a caveatNever
Calcium sand and 'digestible' sandsMarketed as safe to eat, which encourages eating it. Implicated in impaction.
neverCrushed walnut shellSharp fragments, frequently implicated in impaction, with no advantage over soil.
neverPine and cedarSame aromatic phenols as in rodent bedding, and the same airway damage.
neverUncovered heat mats and unguarded ceramic emittersNot a substrate, but the most common cause of contact burns. Every heat source needs a thermostat, and every emitter needs a guard.
neverThis is our general list for reptiles. We have not built one specific to Bearded Dragons yet.
Impaction is far more often a temperature problem than a substrate problem: an animal that cannot reach its digestive temperature will not pass what it swallows, whatever it is standing on.
Compare with other animals
The same axes for every animal, side by side — the way the guides are written makes that a fair comparison rather than two articles.
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