Furniture Beardies do not need a lot of furniture, but a branch, log, or tree of some sort, and hide area provides increased comfort and reduced stress.

Heating Beardies are cold blooded and move about in their environment to maintain their correct body temperature. In the daytime, they need a basking area in the range 95 - 102 degrees. A heat lamp should be placed at one end of the tank while the other end is allowed to remain cooler in the 80 - 85 degree range. Heat rocks and pads are NOT recommended because Beardies sensed heat from above, not below, and can be injured from heat they cannot sense. Night time temperatures should be cooler, in the 70 - 75 degree range.

Lighting Beardies require a day-night light cycle similar to what they would find in nature. Use a timer to provide 12 - 14 hours of daylight during the summer and 10 - 12 hours in the winter. Beardies MUST also have ultraviolet lighting for proper calcium metabolism.

Humidity High humidity can be harmful to Beardies. Inside an enclosure, 30& - 40% is an absolute maximum.

Ventilation Habitat ventilation is necessary, but should not be so great that it causes temperature control problems. Vents located low on a habitat's walls should not use wire mesh that can cause abrasions.

Hygiene Some pathogens are transferred from Beardie to Beardie via their feces. For this reason, feces and uneaten food should be removed daily. Habitats should be kept clean and disinfected regularly, especially while cleaning up feces. It is normal for a Beardie to "relieve itself" in its bathwater. It is important not to share contaminated bathwater between dragons.

Feeding Juvenile bearded dragons (up to 10 to 12 months old) eat mostly insects while mature Beardies eat mostly chopped vegetables and fruit. Juveniles should be fed 2 to 3 times per day. They can be given veggies during the first feeding and crickets during the others. The distance between a Beardies eyes generally indicates the maximum size of cricket they can eat. Juvenile Beardies should be offered finely chopped, fresh vegetables (much smaller than the distance between their eyes) during their first feeding and the remains can be left in the tank for them to nibble on for the rest of the day. If necessary, they can be slightly misted to help keep them from drying out. Cut up dark leafy greens including collard, mustard, turnip, and dandelion greens, or escarole, endive or water cress. The greens can be fed alongside chopped yellow squash, fresh green beans, green or red peppers, carrots, or peas. Avoid anything with lettuce in its name as it has more water and less nutritional value. Also avoid large quantities of cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, bok choi, or radish because they contain goiterogenic substances (i.e., iodine binding agents). Avoid large qu antities of spinach, beets, and celery stalks because they contain oxalic acid that can interfere with normal calcium uptake and metabolism. It's best to alter the diet from time-to-time to vary the nutritional content. Adult Beardies can be offered vegetables every day or every other day, depending on how hungry they are, and crickets 2 to 3 times weekly. Worms like wax worms, Phoenix worms, and mealworms can also be offered, but only as treats because of their high fat content. Crickets should be lightly dusted with vitamins (like Zoo Med’s Reptivite) and calcium with vitamin D3 (like Rep-Cal’s Calcium with Vit D3). We put crickets into a 1 gal. Ziploc bag, add the vitamins and calcium, and shake until all the crickets are covered. You should never offer bugs caught in your house or yard. They frequently carry parasites or poisons that can harm your Beardie. Fireflies, Monarch and Queen Butterflies , and lygaeal bugs are toxic to Beardies and should be avoided.

Brumation Bearded dragons naturally reduce their activity in the winter as outside temperatures cool. While your Beardie may slow down and eat less, brumation is not the same as hibernation, and your Beardie will still need daily care. Additionally, young Beardies (less than one year) will likely not want to brumate and should not be forced to do so. If you plan on breeding your Beardie, brumation may be necessary to "kickstart" the reproductive cycle in the spring. To simulate natural brumation, you can decrease your Beardie's basking light temperature to as low as 75°F to 80°F and the nighttime temperature to as low as 60°F for 4 to 6 weeks, starting as early as October. At lower temperatures, your Beardie's appetite a nd activity level will also decrease, so you should reduce the frequency and volume of feedings. During this time, it’s okay if your Beardie is hungry. However, he still must have water. A weekly 20 min. bath in lukewarm water, (or more frequently, depending on the relative humidity in your area), will help prevent dehydration. Your Beardie will also become more reclusive, "hiding out" more. A place to hide (hollow log, etc.) should be provided. We find some dragons like to hide under a hand towel that we replace with a clean one as required.

Shedding Beardies regularly shed their outer skin layer throughout their lifetimes, though more frequently while young and still growing. Beardies do not shed their entire body at once, but shed piecemeal over several days. You may see your Beardie rubbing (scratching) on logs, bricks, rocks, or branches as they try to remove old skin. Giving your Beardie more frequent 20 min. lukewarm baths can greatly help them shed naturally. It is usually best to let nature take care of shedding and not try to help out by “picking at” your Dragon while he’s shedding.