What to Do When a Baby Bearded Dragon Won't Eat

Bearded dragons, contrary to what their name suggests, are docile and relatively small lizards. Adult bearded dragons can reach 16 to 20 inches, and baby dragons can be much smaller. The little lizards are very friendly and can make good family pets with the right care. They can be prone to environmental stress, though, and react to the stress by refusing to eat. If you adopt or breed baby bearded dragons, make sure you follow a couple important guidelines to keep them eating and healthy.

  1. Environment

    • Make sure your bearded dragon is in an appropriate environment. Baby bearded dragons should be kept in small aquariums with other dragons their size. Keeping baby dragons with larger animals could stress them out and keep them from eating. Give bearded dragons a flat rock to lounge on, and add a 40- or 60-watt bulb to warm them. The heat and light will aid digestion and encourage a bearded dragon's natural feeding inclinations. Make sure the cage has an adequate water supply, too, and mist the dragons once a day. Always keep the cage clean by scooping out any waste; a baby dragon may refuse to eat in a very dirty cage.

    Feeding

    • Take care of your baby bearded dragon's feeding needs. Feed the dragons two to three times daily, starting one to two hours after you turn their light on in the morning. Cold bearded dragons won't eat. The final feeding should be an hour before you turn the lights off. Don't overwhelm your baby dragons with crickets; feed one to three crickets at each feeding. Too many crickets will stress out a bearded dragon and keep it from eating. Supplement your dragon's diet with chopped vegetables and vary its diet; the dragon may like some foods better than it likes others.

    Problem Solving

    • If all of these requirements are being met and the baby dragon still isn't eating, take a couple additional steps. Allow brand new baby bearded dragons a couple hours to get used to their new aquarium when you first bring them home. Put a couple of crickets and some chopped vegetables into the aquarium. Cover the sides of the cage to reduce stress. If the dragon doesn't eat the food you've provided, take the food out and give the dragon a night to adjust, being sure to keep plenty of water available. Attempt to feed the dragon again the next day, once it's settled in.