Baby Bearded Dragon Information

Baby bearded dragons practically leap off of pet store shelves and into the pockets of passersby with their big, dark eyes and playful "puppy dog" antics. Unfortunately, many new reptile owners walk out of the stores without any idea what they are actually getting into. Before you purchase your new baby dragon, be mindful of the care and housing requirements of a bearded dragon over the course of its 8- to 12-year lifespan.

  1. Housing

    • A few baby bearded dragons can be kept safely in a 20-gallon long tank, but adult beardies will require a 50-gallon enclosure at bare minimum. The best substrate for young bearded dragons is AstroTurf or simple newspaper, which will facilitate the easiest cleaning. Never use sand, crushed walnuts or wood chips for young dragons, who are more prone to accidentally ingesting substrate than adults.

    Food

    • A baby bearded dragon can eat 60 small crickets in a single day, in addition to fresh greens. Offer your dragon multiple small meals throughout the course of the day, a few crickets at a time. Generally, young dragons will slow their intake of crickets as they fill up, but the occasional lizard will need to be rationed to prevent overeating at each sitting. Overeating can put undue stress on the baby's developing system. All live food should be coated with reptile minerals or calcium, and mineral supplements designed for bearded dragons in particular are best.

    Temperature

    • Basking temperatures for baby dragons should be kept slightly higher than for the adults, around 100 degrees F rather than 95 or so for adults. Make sure that the baby dragons have enough tank space to get away from the heat of the basking light if they get too hot.

    Lighting

    • Bearded dragons, like all reptiles, require special UV lighting in order to properly digest food and absorb vitamin D. This is especially important in young reptiles, who are still growing and developing their bone structure.

    Hygiene

    • Baby bearded dragons are particularly susceptible to illness and disease, so proper hygiene is of exceptional importance. Once per day, all droppings should be wiped clean from the tank décor and glass, and the substrate should be changed or wiped down. Make sure that water and food bowls are cleaned with hot water once per day, and any leftover food or dead crickets should be removed from the tank immediately.