Do bearded dragons need baths? (2024)

FAQs

How often do bearded dragons need to be bathed? ›

As a general rule, bath time three times a week should be sufficient to keep your dragon clean and hydrated. If your dragon absolutely hates baths, then once a week may be a reasonable goal. If your dragon can't get enough bath time, you may want to do it more frequently, maybe even once a day.

When bathing the bearded dragon never use any soaps or detergents. The bearded dragon will most likely take a few drinks of the water and you don't want it drinking any suds. Just using fresh tap water that has been dechlorinated will suffice. At this point, you can gently splash water on your bearded dragon.

Use lukewarm water that's between 85 and 100 F (29.4 and 37.7 C). Water that's too hot could burn your dragon, but because he is cold blooded and relies on his surroundings for warmth, a bath that's too cold could also cause your dragon's body to shut down. Fill the tub with one to three inches of water.

Drying. Let your beardie soak for about 15 – 20 minutes. Once bath time is over, gently pat your pet dry with a soft sowel. This is very important!

Tail up — Your beardie is feeling alert! This is typically displayed while hunting down bugs or adventuring. And it's terribly cute. Head bobbing — This is a territorial display, as well as a sign of dominance.

The most common bowel movement type in bearded dragons will be brown and white. the brown part will be log-shaped with the white part on the end. The white color is the urate or their pee – waste product from your beardie's kidneys. Bearded dragons don't pee, so urates come out with their BM.

Baby bearded dragons that are 3 months old or younger usually poop one to three times a day because their diet is rich in proteins. A young bearded dragon (4 to 18 months old) will have a bowel movement every day or so, while you can expect those older than 18 months to poop 1-7 times a week.

A bearded dragon may turn black to let you know he is upset. Many factors can contribute to a bearded dragon's stress—shedding; a new terrarium; frightening decor; or noise such as loud traffic, music, or a blaring TV.

Their lifespan is usually 10 to 15 years or more, so they're quite a commitment. It's important to replicate their natural habitat as best you can. Learn more about how to care for your bearded dragon and how to keep them healthy and happy.

In the wild they mainly derive water from the insects and plant materials they eat. When kept in captivity, bearded dragons need a clean, fresh water source. It is necessary to provide them fresh, clean water every day so they remain hydrated.

Can bearded dragons eat bananas? ›

You may be surprised to hear that dragons actually enjoy eating the banana peel as well as the fruit, and it adds a little extra nutrition to the treat. So you can slice the banana up with the peel and place the pieces in your dragon's food bowl alone or with some other fruits and veggies in a colorful, healthy salad.

Can bearded dragons eat apples? Good news: bearded dragons can eat apples weekly! In fact, apples are one of the safer fruits for dragons to eat on a regular basis. It's important to note, though, that beardies don't need fruit every day.

If your home drops below 15°C (59°F), as mentioned above, then some supplementary overnight heating is required to keep your Bearded dragon warm, although if your home remains above this, then you do not need to provide heating overnight.

Appropriate animal-based protein sources include grasshoppers, gut-loaded (i.e., fed nutritious food that is then passed on to the lizard) or calcium-dusted crickets and mealworms, spiders, wax worms (occasionally, as they are high fat), silk worms (occasionally), tofu, moths, slugs, and earthworms.

Beardies recognize and respond to their owners' voices and touch and are usually even-tempered. They can be great pets for someone who wants a reptile who likes to be held and taken out of his cage.

You can get sick from touching your bearded dragon or anything in its environment, and then touching your mouth or food and swallowing Salmonella germs. Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water right after touching or feeding your bearded dragon and after touching or cleaning the area where it lives and roams.

Commonly, bearded dragons like being petted in a few places. One such spot is directly between the eyes and on top of the head. Another is scratching their beards, or rubbing the spikes behind their eyes.

If their terrarium is too cold, bearded dragons may attempt to regulate their body temperature by flattening out in order to absorb as much heat as possible. If you notice your dragon pancaking a lot in his tank, this is likely the cause.

This behavior, 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.

Glass surfing is thought to be a result of stress and a bearded dragon may be stressed for several reasons: An enclosure or tank that's too small for it can stress a bearded dragon out. Another bearded dragon, even if they're not housed together, may be interpreted as competition for a bearded dragon and cause stress.

Can bearded dragons eat grapes? ›

Although bearded dragons can eat grapes whole, many owners prefer to cut them up into smaller pieces to make it easier for their dragons to eat and to eliminate any possibility of choking. Cutting up the grapes also ensures that there are no seeds, since even the occasional seedless grape actually does have a seed.

Expert Tip: Typically, a bearded dragon is considered to be fully grown once they've reached 11 to 12 months in age. However, some are not considered an adult until up to 18 months. As you can probably tell, there isn't a perfect rule to predict exactly how big your bearded dragon can get.

Mature dragons with plenty of fat stores and weight to lose, can go up to 2 months without food, although this is NOT encouraged. On the other hand, juveniles who are rapidly growing and stop eating, should be a cause for some concern as they need protein to grow up healthy and strong.

Regular handling helps bearded dragons get used to people, so you should handle your beardie daily. Doing so also minimizes stress during regular care, such as bathing or tank cleaning. They are generally gentle and easy to hold.

They need all of that extra energy while they grow. A bearded dragon that's less than 18 months old might eat 2-5 times a day, whereas an adult bearded dragon only eats 1 time a day.

Adult. Two or three superworms once or twice a week should be sufficient for your adult bearded dragon. Juvenile. A juvenile dragon who can handle the aggressiveness of the worms might be able to eat more superworms in one feeding than an adult.

So you may be wondering if you can share this veggie-like fruit with your reptile friend. Can bearded dragons eat tomatoes? As is the case for many fruits, the answer is qualified. Yes, bearded dragons can safely eat tomatoes...but only a small amount served once a month.

Use a flash-light (phone flash-lights work great) and shine through the base of the tail, above the vent on the tail's topside, and look at the underside. If it's a male, the two mentioned hemipenal bulges should be easily visible. If female, you will not see the two bulges, just the single centre bulge.

Adult bearded dragons are usually around 16-22 inches long(24 inches at most), with a weight that ranges from 10-18 ounces. Bearded dragons typically reach adulthood once they attain sexual maturity. This usually happens between 8-18 months after birth.

Since bearded dragons are naturally solitary creatures, they do not get lonely if placed alone in a cage or left for some time away from their keeper. They much prefer having their food and heat to themselves rather than sharing it with another bearded dragon.

How long do bearded dragons live indoors? ›

Bearded dragons in captivity have a life expectancy of around 10 years, although the oldest bearded dragon on record lived to 18 years. The single most important factor to keep your bearded dragon healthy and living a long life is husbandry.

Juvenile and adult Bearded Dragon diets

You only need to give your dragon insects two or three times a week, with vegetation everyday. Remember, adult Beardies don't need too many insects and animal matter otherwise they'll become obese.

Turtles, tortoises, bearded dragons, iguanas, and chameleons are some common examples of reptiles that need UVB light. This helps prevent animals from developing hypocalcemia (or lack of calcium). UVB lights should be kept on during the day and turned off at night and should be used along with calcium supplements.

Can bearded dragons eat strawberries? Bearded dragons can eat strawberries, but only in moderation (as is the case with all fruits in their diet). On the bright side, strawberries—like apples—are considered one of the safer fruits for dragons, meaning you don't necessarily have to limit them to once a month.

Brown crickets are the staple of many insectivorous and omnivorous reptile diets. Not only are they very nutritious and easy to digest they are also quite cheap and easy to find. This is the bread and butter live food and should be present in all reptile or exotic pet shops you might visit.

Don't feed your bearded dragon mangos; they have too much Phosphorus for your pet to get any nutritional value from the Calcium. They also have a moderate amount of oxalates, which can lead to kidney trouble, so it's better to avoid feeding them any mangos at all!

Unfortunately, lettuce is a vegetable you should avoid feeding a bearded dragon unless it's an absolute emergency and it is all you have available. Lettuce does not contain any nutritional value for a bearded dragon, and cause cause some digestive conditions such as diarrhea.

It is important to provide variety in the diet to ensure your bearded dragon gets the nutrients needed. Bearded dragons like apples, strawberries, grapes, melons, peaches, and even raisins.

The answer is a resounding NO. Bearded dragons cannot have cheese or any dairy, for that matter. Sure, it's a great source of calcium for people who don't have an allergy or lactose intolerance.

During the summer months you should provide your bearded dragon with a minimum of 14 – 16 hours of daytime light and UV exposure and 8 – 10 hours of nighttime exposure. During the winter months the light cycle should be decreased to 10 – 12 hours of daytime light and UV exposure and 12 – 14 hours of nighttime exposure.

When should I feed my bearded dragon? ›

Bearded Dragons should be fed three times per day and given as many insects as they will consume in 10 to 15 mins. After the feeding time is done it is best to remove as many remaining insects as possible. A typical juvenile can eat 20 to 50 insects each day.

As soon as you get your bearded dragon, no matter their age, their first feeding of the day must always be 2 hours after their lights first are turned on. Similarly, their last feeding needs to come at least two hours before the lights are turned off for the day.

It's is generally safe to use for reptiles, although if you want to use it for amphibians, it's best practice to use a high-quality water conditioner to eliminate the chlorine and chloramines if you're using it for misting, fogging, or drinking.

Providing Water In a Water Bowl

It is recommended to use a shallow water bowl to prevent your bearded dragon from falling in and possibly drowning. The water bowl should be thoroughly washed and the water replaced with fresh water.

What is this? Reptiles do not need demineralized or distilled water (Divers and Mader, 2015). Bearded dragons can drink and bath in tap water.

Yes, they can. However, if you're using tap water for your bearded dragon, make sure to use some of the available water conditioners.

How Often Should They Eat? Young bearded dragons will eat more often than adults. They need all of that extra energy while they grow. A bearded dragon that's less than 18 months old might eat 2-5 times a day, whereas an adult bearded dragon only eats 1 time a day.

Turtles, tortoises, bearded dragons, iguanas, and chameleons are some common examples of reptiles that need UVB light. This helps prevent animals from developing hypocalcemia (or lack of calcium). UVB lights should be kept on during the day and turned off at night and should be used along with calcium supplements.

No. Milk and other dairy products sit high on the list of foods that beardies should not consume. You should not give milk to your bearded dragon under any circ*mstances as its digestive system is not able to process milk. Consuming milk and other dairy products may lead to serious health issues in your pet.

Can bearded dragons drink milk? ›

Long story short: reptiles are lactose intolerant! Unlike mammals, reptiles are not born with the enzymes necessary to digest dairy products. Bearded dragons do not lactate and their young do not drink milk. Because they simply cannot digest dairy, it can only result in harm, ranging from mild to severe.

So can bearded dragons eat chicken? The short answer is no. Chicken is not exactly a safe food for your beardie. A very small piece or two might be fine every few months, but if your bearded dragon eats a lot of chicken, he may become ill or die.