SPECIES CARE GUIDE

Bearded Dragon Care Guide

Bearded dragons are one of the most popular pet reptiles in the UK, known for their calm nature and interactive personality. They are not a low-maintenance pet, though – proper heat, UVB lighting, space and a varied diet all matter for a healthy, long life. This guide covers what is involved, from setup through to daily care.

Before you get one

A bearded dragon is a genuine long-term commitment, not an impulse purchase. Before bringing one home, it is worth being realistic about what is involved.

• Commitment & lifespan: with attentive care, dragons commonly live into their teens – that is a decade-plus of daily care, not just an initial setup.
• Enclosure space: adults need a genuinely large enclosure (see Enclosure, below) – this is not a pet that can stay in a small starter tank long-term.
• Ongoing costs: beyond the initial setup, expect ongoing costs for electricity (heating and lighting run for long hours daily), UVB tube replacement, live food and fresh veg.
• Live food & fresh food: you will need a reliable supply of appropriately sized live insects and fresh vegetables – regular shopping or ordering, plus some hands-on prep such as gut-loading insects and chopping veg.
• Veterinary access: not every vet treats reptiles. Before getting one, it is worth checking there is an exotics-experienced vet within reasonable reach.
• Handling expectations: many dragons become tolerant of gentle, regular handling, but this varies by individual and takes time to build.
• Suitability for children: dragons can be part of a family household, but day-to-day husbandry and handling should be an adult’s responsibility rather than a child’s alone.

Enclosure

Getting the enclosure right is the foundation of good husbandry – it shapes how easily you can maintain the heat, light and space a dragon needs.

• Enclosure type: a wooden vivarium or PVC enclosure is generally better suited than an all-glass tank, which can struggle to retain heat and often has limited ventilation.
• Floor space: floor space matters more than height – bearded dragons are largely ground-dwelling with some climbing, so a wide footprint is more useful than a tall one.
• Ventilation: good cross-ventilation matters; this is an arid-adapted species, and stagnant, humid air can contribute to respiratory problems.
• Secure doors: sliding or hinged doors should close securely – dragons can be surprisingly persistent at pushing against loose-fitting doors.
• Hides: provide at least one hide on the cooler side (and ideally a warm-side option too), so your dragon can retreat and thermoregulate without added stress.
• Climbing & basking: sturdy branches or a basking platform positioned safely beneath the heat source give the option to climb and reach the warmest zone.
• Furnishing: rocks, branches and backgrounds should be secured so nothing can shift or topple, with no sharp edges.
• Avoiding overcrowding: bearded dragons are usually kept alone. Housing more than one together commonly leads to stress, competition over basking spots and food, and injury, and is not generally recommended.

Juveniles are often started in a smaller rearing setup, but they grow quickly and should move into a full adult-sized enclosure well before they are fully grown, rather than staying in an undersized tank long-term. A commonly recommended minimum for a single adult is around 120 × 60 × 60cm (roughly 4 × 2 × 2ft), and many keepers – along with some more recent guidance – now favour going larger where space allows.

Heating & temperature

Bearded dragons cannot regulate their own body temperature internally, so they rely on moving between a warm basking area and a cooler zone to stay healthy. A proper thermal gradient – not just a single warm spot – is essential.

• Basking zone: measure the basking surface itself – the exact spot under the heat source, using a probe thermometer or infrared gun – rather than the air nearby. More recent, surface-specific guidance suggests roughly 42–45°C; other widely cited guidance gives a slightly lower 38–42°C for the general basking/hot end, which may reflect the broader zone rather than the single hottest point, so the two aren’t necessarily in real conflict. Either figure is a reasonable target, but the ambient air away from this spot – and the cool end – should read noticeably cooler (see Cooler side, below).
• Cooler side: the cool end should offer a genuinely lower option so your dragon can move away from the heat entirely – commonly cited as roughly the low-to-mid 20s°C for ambient air temperature, though a surface reading in the same spot can run a little warmer. The aim is a real, usable temperature drop from the basking zone rather than one exact number.
• Humidity: aim broadly for 30–40% during the day – a hygrometer is worth having, since guidance varies a little between sources (some note a natural rise overnight, up to around 60%, isn’t a problem). Good ventilation matters more than chasing an exact figure; avoid stagnant, overly humid conditions.
• Overnight temperatures: most setups can drop cooler overnight, with many keepers turning off basking heat at night. UK welfare guidance suggests not letting the enclosure fall much below around 20°C overnight; other sources note dragons can tolerate brief dips cooler than this without harm, so treat this as a sensible target rather than an exact cut-off. Supplemental heat is usually only needed if the room itself gets very cold, and never from a heat rock.
• Measuring properly: use a digital probe thermometer (or an infrared temperature gun) at the actual basking surface and at the cool end – do not rely on the thermostat dial or bulb wattage as a proxy for the temperature your dragon actually experiences.
• Thermostat use: a thermostat suited to your heat source is essential to prevent overheating, and should be considered standard equipment rather than an optional extra.
• Safe positioning: heat sources should be guarded so your dragon can never make direct contact with them. Heat rocks are not recommended – they carry a real risk of burns and do not reliably heat the way a proper basking setup does.

UVB & lighting

UVB exposure allows dragons to synthesise vitamin D3, which is essential for calcium metabolism. Without adequate UVB, dragons are at real risk of metabolic bone disease – a serious and often irreversible condition.

• A suitable approach: a high-output linear T5 UVB fluorescent tube designed for a desert species, run across a good portion of the enclosure length, is a widely recommended approach. The percentage printed on the tube is only a starting point – actual UVB exposure at the basking spot also depends on the reflector, any mesh in the way, and the mounting distance, so two tubes with the same printed percentage can give quite different real-world results. What matters is the UVI actually measured at the basking spot (see UV Index target, below), not the number on the tube.
• Placement & distance: follow the manufacturer’s guidance for your specific tube – output varies significantly between products, so there is no single distance that applies universally. Mesh between the lamp and the basking spot reduces UVB output and usually means positioning the lamp closer than you would without it; glass or plastic, by contrast, blocks UVB almost completely, so a tube mounted behind either provides little to no usable UVB even though visible light still passes through.
• UV Index target: as a general guide, aim for a UVI of roughly 3–5 in the basking zone, tapering down towards zero in the shaded end, so your dragon can move along the gradient and self-regulate its exposure. A UV index meter is the only reliable way to check this – don’t assume a tube is providing adequate UVB just because the basking area looks bright.
• Photoperiod: a consistent day/night cycle matters – commonly around 12 hours of light in warmer months, shortening somewhat over winter to loosely mirror natural patterns. A timer removes the guesswork.
• Lamp replacement: UVB output fades well before the visible light does, so a tube that still looks fine may no longer provide useful UVB. T5 HO tubes are commonly recommended for replacement roughly annually, though this varies by product and some manufacturers suggest sooner – check the guidance for your specific tube rather than judging by eye.
• What to avoid: compact “coil” UVB bulbs and old or expired tubes are widely considered inadequate, and some past coil products have been linked to eye and skin irritation. A proper full-spectrum reptile UVB tube, replaced on schedule, is the safer route.

Substrate & flooring

There is no single substrate that suits every keeper or every dragon – this is one of the more genuinely debated areas of husbandry, so it is worth understanding the trade-offs rather than following one rigid rule.

• Easy-clean options: reptile carpet, paper towel or newspaper are low-maintenance, simple to keep hygienic, and often a sensible choice for juveniles.
• Naturalistic options: tile, slate, or bioactive soil-based mixes can look more natural and support some natural digging and foraging behaviour, but bioactive setups in particular take more knowledge and ongoing maintenance to keep safe and balanced.
• Loose substrate: loose substrates, including sand, are genuinely debated. Some experienced keepers use fine, reptile-safe sand successfully with adults; many exotic vets and other keepers prefer to avoid loose substrate altogether, particularly for juveniles, because of the risk of impaction if ingested. There is not a single settled answer – if you do use a loose substrate, keep an eye on feeding method and particle size, and factor in your dragon’s age.
• What to avoid: “calcium sand” marketed as safe if eaten is widely discouraged, as are coarse materials like walnut shell or gravel.
• Feeding setup: many keepers feed insects in a shallow dish or tub rather than directly on the substrate, reducing the chance of substrate being ingested alongside food – a useful habit whichever substrate you choose.
• Hygiene: whatever you use, it needs regular spot cleaning and a periodic full clean-out (see Cleaning & routine care, below).

Feeding

Bearded dragons are omnivorous, needing both animal protein and plant matter – with the balance shifting substantially as they grow.

• Live insects: offer appropriately sized insects – roughly no larger than the space between your dragon’s eyes – such as crickets, locusts or roaches. Avoid wild-caught insects, which can carry pesticides or parasites.
• Greens & vegetables: fresh leafy greens and vegetables should make up a growing share of the diet with age. Options like rocket, watercress and butternut squash are commonly used; iceberg lettuce is best avoided (low nutritional value), and spinach and cabbage-family veg are best kept occasional rather than a daily staple.
• Diet balance by age: as a general guide, younger dragons are often fed proportionally more livefood, shifting toward a diet that is mostly plant matter by adulthood – some UK guidance suggests roughly two-thirds livefood to one-third greens for younger dragons, moving toward mostly greens with a smaller proportion of insects as adults. Treat this as a general direction rather than a fixed rule, and adjust for your individual dragon.
• Gut-loading: feed your feeder insects a nutritious diet for 24–48 hours before offering them, so your dragon benefits indirectly from what the insects have eaten.
• Supplementation: regular calcium dusting on feeder insects, plus a broader vitamin/mineral supplement used less frequently, is standard practice – follow the specific product’s instructions, as recommended frequency varies between supplements and by UVB provision.
• Foods to avoid: avocado, rhubarb, onion, citrus in any quantity, and fireflies (toxic) should never be offered.
• Feeding frequency: this varies with age – juveniles are typically fed more often (multiple times a day), with frequency reducing through sub-adulthood to once daily or every other day for insects in adults, alongside daily fresh greens. There is no single schedule that fits every age and individual.

Water & hydration

• Fresh water: a shallow, sturdy water dish should always be available, refreshed daily.
• Hydration through diet: fresh, water-rich vegetables contribute meaningfully to overall hydration alongside drinking water.
• Bathing & misting: some keepers offer occasional shallow, lukewarm baths or light misting, which many dragons tolerate and which some find helps with shedding or encourages drinking. This can be a useful supporting habit, but it is not a substitute for proper husbandry, and dragons should never be left unattended in water deep enough to cause difficulty standing.
• Signs hydration may need attention: sunken eyes, looser or less elastic-looking skin, and thick or unusually solid urates (the white portion of the droppings) can all be worth a closer look. If you are concerned, it is best raised with an experienced reptile vet rather than addressed with bathing alone.

Handling & behaviour

Bearded dragons are generally considered a calmer, more tolerant species compared with many reptiles, though individual personality varies a good deal.

• Acclimatisation: give a newly settled dragon time in its enclosure before starting regular handling, and keep the first sessions brief.
• Safe handling: support the body and legs fully rather than gripping, never lift by the tail, and avoid sudden movements. As a general guide, keep sessions to around 10–15 minutes at a time, and handle at a safe, low height.
• Signs of stress: look out for a darkened or black beard alongside other stress cues, persistent glass-surfing, hiding more than usual, or refusing food – context matters, since some of these overlap with normal behaviour.
• Common behaviours: head bobbing is often a territorial or social display, more commonly seen in males. Arm waving is typically a submissive or acknowledging gesture, more often seen in females and younger dragons. A darkened beard can signal display, stress, or simply thermoregulation or an approaching shed, depending on context. Some dragons, particularly older or more mature individuals, slow down noticeably during cooler months (brumation) – a natural seasonal state for many adult dragons. This shouldn’t be assumed by default, though: reduced appetite and lethargy have other, more serious causes too, and it’s generally worth having a vet rule these out first – especially if there’s any weight loss, if the dragon is young, or if the home stays at a normal warm room temperature year-round (see Health warning signs, below).
• Individual temperament: not every dragon enjoys the same amount of handling. Reading your own dragon’s preferences matters more than following a general rule.

Cleaning & routine care

• Spot cleaning: remove faeces and any uneaten food daily.
• Food removal: take out uneaten live insects and veg the same day, so food does not rot or insects harass your dragon overnight.
• Water bowl: clean and refill daily.
• Deeper cleaning: a full clean-out of substrate and furnishings with a reptile-safe disinfectant is commonly recommended roughly once a month (sooner if things look or smell like they need it), rinsing thoroughly and letting everything dry before your dragon goes back in.
• Hygiene: reptiles can carry Salmonella. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling your dragon or cleaning the enclosure, and avoid preparing food near enclosure equipment.
• Simple records: keeping brief notes on feeding, cleaning and anything unusual makes it much easier to spot gradual changes early (more in Routine record keeping, below).

Health warning signs

Routine record keeping

Keeping a simple record of your dragon’s care makes it much easier to catch subtle changes early, and gives a vet useful history if you ever need one. Worth tracking:

• Feeding – what, how much, and how often
• Weight, checked periodically
• Sheds – frequency and whether they were complete
• Faeces – frequency and appearance
• Behaviour – anything out of the ordinary
• Medication, if any is prescribed
• Vet visits and advice given
• UVB tube replacement dates
• Enclosure maintenance and cleaning

Equipment checklist

A practical starting checklist, grouped by category. This is general guidance on what you will need – not specific product recommendations, and not an affiliate list.

Related care

This guide sits alongside the rest of PetReptiles’ care resources.