How to Keep Bearded Dragons Warm During a Power Outage (2024)

How to Keep Bearded Dragons Warm During a Power Outage (1)

If you’re going to get a bearded dragon, you know their entire terrarium setup requires electricity. You have to plug in their UVB lamp to replicate the desert sun of their wild habitat. Bearded dragons can’t regulate their body temperature on their own, so it can be a real concern if there’s a power outage, especially an extended one. How do you keep your bearded dragon warm during a power outage?

What You Need for Your Bearded Dragon During a Power Outage

Power outages happen, sometimes when you least expect. Although some outages are due to planned maintenance, most are caused by storms involving severe winds, extreme heat, flooding, freezing rain, and other conditions that can damage power lines.

Staying prepared is really the first and most important step in making sure you are able to care for your dragon if you lose power.

Things Your Bearded Dragon May Need During a Power Outage

Here’s a list of items that are helpful to have on hand for your bearded dragon during a power outage. You may have some of these items already.

  • A box of hand warmers or similar air-activated heat packs
  • A self-heating pet mat
  • Blankets or towels
  • Pet carrier in case of an emergency evacuation
  • Backup lighting and heat lamp in case the power outage damages your current setup
  • Jars of vegetable baby food in the event that the produce in your fridge goes bad
  • Freeze dried insects (while these are not ideal for your pet, they are adequate to use if your feeders die during the outage)
  • Pellet food (also not ideal, but okay in an emergency)
  • Bottles or jugs of water to keep your dragon (and you) hydrated
  • Small generator (while optional, this may be a good investment if you live in an area where the power is known to go out more frequently than average due to inclement weather or animal interference)

How to Keep Bearded Dragons Warm During a Power Outage (2)

How to Keep Your Bearded Dragon Warm During a Power Outage

Winter storms are especially concerning due to the extreme cold temperatures, but severe windstorms and rainstorms can also bring cold weather that makes it difficult to keep your bearded dragon warm.

Pro Tip: In the summer if there’s a power outage during the day and the weather allows, your dragon can bask in the sun outdoors or near a window.

So what do you do if your power goes out and it’s less than 75 degrees Fahrenheit in your house?

Here are some ways you can keep your bearded dragon warm:

  • When the outage first occurs, you can keep your dragon in her terrarium for about an hour, since it should remain hot for that long.
  • Place hand warmers or heat packs in a sock and place the sock near your dragon (make sure they don't touch your dragon though, or they could burn her).
  • Keep your dragon wrapped in blankets and use your body heat to keep him warm.
  • If you are able, take your dragon into your car with the heat on high until she warms up. This works best for short-term power outages.
  • Don’t feed your dragon a lot of food since they have trouble digesting without a basking lamp.
  • If you have dry bearded dragon food on hand, such as pellet food, be sure to offer water along with it to prevent dehydration.
  • If possible, keep your reptile at a friend’s if the power outage will be extended.

Power outages are never fun, but staying prepared and knowing a few ways to keep your dragon warm goes a long way in getting through one with your bearded dragon.

Have you ever gone through a power outage with your bearded dragon? Share your story with us!Ifyou have questions or would like to give feedback, email us atteam@dragonsdiet.com

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How to Keep Bearded Dragons Warm During a Power Outage (2024)

FAQs

How to Keep Bearded Dragons Warm During a Power Outage? ›

Place hand warmers or heat packs in a sock and place the sock near your dragon (make sure they don't touch your dragon though, or they could burn her). Keep your dragon wrapped in blankets and use your body heat to keep him warm. If you are able, take your dragon into your car with the heat on high until she warms up.

How to warm a bearded dragon when power is out? ›

Thus, if you have an exotic pet, and your home is cold because you have lost power, do the best you can to keep your pet warm by wrapping his cage with a blanket or towel, moving the cage near a sunlit window (as long as there are no drafts blowing through it), and placing bottles or rubber gloves filled with warm ...

How do you keep reptiles warm during a power outage? ›

Warm up with water bottles

It's also possible to warm your reptile by filling a plastic milk container and placing it in their habitat. You can heat water by placing it in a pot or other vessel on a BBQ grill.

How do you keep pets warm during a power outage? ›

Never underestimate the power of a blanket. Quilts, comforters, woolen throws, afghans and even towels can help keep a pet warm when they need it most.

How to keep a lizard warm without a heat lamp? ›

Raising the ambient temperature in the room is the only option, I do this in power outages in the winter, using portable propane heaters. I have had to use handwarmers used by sportsman in some cases. If your stove is propane, you can also heat water and put it in bottles wrapped in towels to help warm the reptile..

How long can a beardie go without heat? ›

He should be fine, for the night, with no lights, or even a day or two. The important thing is to keep his room/cage warm enough. He won't do well if he gets cold. I would keep his cage around 75°F, and definitely don't let the temp drop below 70°F.

How do bearded dragons survive cold nights? ›

because you keep your house cold, bearded dragons can actually withstand temps as low as. 55 Fahrenheit. or 12 Celsius. It's actually healthy for them as well, because when you turn the heat lamps on in the morning, it encourages them to bask. So they will go sit under the heat bulb.

How do you keep a reptile tank warm in a cold room? ›

If the power goes out you must insulate your terrarium. Good insulating materials that you may have around your home, include: styrofoam, cork panels, polyethylene and bubble wrap.

Do blankets work for reptiles? ›

Wrapping them up in a blanket is not going to help them – if anything it will insulate them from outside heat, like a cold drink in a thermos flask – and prevent them from warming up. And that's why you don't put a blanket on a sleeping lizard.

What temperature is too cold for reptiles? ›

The closer the reptile's body temperature is to freezing (32 degrees F) the more of a medical emergency it will be. Reptile bodies can freeze completely, leading to death. Chronic hypothermia negatively impacts the reptile's immune system which can lead to secondary infections.

How do you heat when there is no power? ›

8 Alternative Heat Sources that Do Not Require Electricity
  1. Backup Generator. A backup generator produces electricity by burning gasoline or propane. ...
  2. Indoor Kerosene Heater. ...
  3. Indoor Propane Heater. ...
  4. Wood Pellet Stove. ...
  5. Use Soapstone to Preserve Heat. ...
  6. Biofuel Burner Can. ...
  7. Catalytic Heaters. ...
  8. Passive Solar Heating System.
Oct 5, 2023

What to do with pets when you lose power? ›

Tips for Pets During Outages
  1. Make sure all pets are wearing collars and ID tags. ...
  2. Keep pets warm and dry in winter, and cool in the summer. ...
  3. Make sure dry food is being kept in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. ...
  4. Make sure your animals are only outside under supervision and check the ground for downed power lines.

How do you keep pets warm in extreme cold? ›

Take care of their coat and skin.

Remove any snow from between foot pads. If possible, keep your dog's coat longer in winter for warmth. If your dog is short-haired, consider getting a coat or sweater for your pet. Keep pet bathing to a minimum when it's cold to avoid dry skin.

How to keep a bearded dragon warm without electricity? ›

Keep your dragon wrapped in blankets and use your body heat to keep him warm. If you are able, take your dragon into your car with the heat on high until she warms up. This works best for short-term power outages. Don't feed your dragon a lot of food since they have trouble digesting without a basking lamp.

What is the alternative to a heat bulb for a bearded dragon? ›

Zoo Med Nano Ceramic Heat Emitter Bulb

Ceramic Heat emitters are great for nocturnal animals as this bulb emits zero light. Ceramic Heat Emitters are the perfect 24 hour heat source for all reptiles.

What is an alternative to a heat lamp for reptiles? ›

Ceramic bulbs are great for nocturnal reptiles who need higher temperatures during the night but don't want any additional light sources disturbing their sleep cycle or disrupting their natural behaviors. Basking spots are another way to provide warmth without using a traditional heat lamp.

Can a blanket warm a bearded dragon? ›

Meanwhile, our cold blooded friends don't generate any heat from within. Wrapping them up in a blanket is not going to help them – if anything it will insulate them from outside heat, like a cold drink in a thermos flask – and prevent them from warming up. And that's why you don't put a blanket on a sleeping lizard.

How do I keep my bearded dragon warm overnight? ›

The best nighttime heat source for a Bearded dragon is a ceramic heat emitter, as this emits no light and can be thermostatically controlled to maintain a set temperature that should still be lower than during the day.

How long do bearded dragons need heat light? ›

Bearded Dragon Light Schedule:

Being a diurnal species, bearded dragons need a day and night cycle. According to data on sunrise and sunset times in bearded dragons' natural habitat in Australia, a cycle of 14 hours/day during summer and 10 hours/day during winter (with gradual adjustments in-between) is appropriate.

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