How to Breed Bearded Dragon Eggs as They Mature

According to a 2008 research study, conducted by The British Federation of Herpetologists, reptiles are now as popular among pet owners as dogs, and the bearded dragon is among the top five most purchased pet reptiles. When beardies hatch they are only 2 to 4 inches long, but as adult they can reach 24 inches in length. Breeding bearded dragons is relatively simple if you have both a male and a female, and if you create an environment that replicates their seasonal breeding conditions in the wild. Some pairs will breed without a brumination period, but this typically results in a low fertility rate in the eggs, and consequently causes a low hatch rate.

Things You'll Need

  • Bearded Dragons
  • Enclosure
  • Potting soil
  • Sand
  • Incubator
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Allow the lizards to mature. Most lizards are sold shortly after hatching, but will not be sexually mature until they are a year old. Mature bearded dragons are typically more than 15 inches long.

    • 2

      Cool the dragons to encourage them to enter brumination. This is a period of stillness similar to hibernation experienced by mammals. Cool the animal's enclosure to about 60 degrees, reduce the UV light to six to eight hours, and limit feeding to once a week. The animals will partially or completely bury themselves and act lethargic. Keep them in brumination for two to three months.

    • 3

      Warm the lizards back up. Increase the temperature in the cage by one to two degrees per day until the temperature in the enclosure is back up between 100 and 110 degrees. Increase the hours of UV light to 14 hours a day. Increase feeding so that bearded dragons eat as much as they want daily.

    • 4

      Put the male and female bearded dragons in a shared enclosure that has a nesting box. The nest box should be at least a 2-feet square, filled with a moist sand-potting soil mixture. Make sure that the potting soil you use does not contain any chemicals or fertilizers that could damage the eggs; the soil should be fully organic.

    • 5

      Watch for the breeding rituals to take place. The male will puff up and strut. He will eventually grab the female behind the head and maneuver into position beside her to mate. You may not see the act of mating, so monitor the health of your female dragon. She will often have open wounds caused by the breeding process on her legs, head and neck. Also watch for her midsection to widen out when she becomes egg laden.

    • 6

      Remove the eggs from the nesting box after they have been laid. The female bearded dragon will dig a hole in the nesting box and lay her eggs in it then cover them up. Females are nonmaternal so she will not return to care for the nest after the eggs are lain. Take care when removing eggs from the nest, as they have soft shells which can be easily punctured.

    • 7

      Incubate the eggs in a chicken or reptile incubator for 60 to 80 days, at 85 degrees. Cooler temperatures will result in a greater number of female babies and warmer temperatures will result in a greater number of male babies.

    • 8

      Watch your female bearded dragon. As the eggs she previous laid are maturing, she will most likely lay a second and third clutch of eggs in the nesting box. These should also be removed and incubated.