Everything you need to keep a happy, healthy bearded dragon
Bearded dragons are one of the most rewarding reptiles you can keep, but their care is exacting and getting the basics wrong is the most common reason they get sick. Whether you are setting up your first enclosure or fine-tuning your husbandry, we are here with warm, plain-language guidance on UVB and heat, diet, health, and the daily care that helps a beardie thrive for a decade or more.
Friendly, research-backed guidance. For illness, always consult a reptile or exotic veterinarian.
New: The Bearded Dragon Care Planner
10 printable worksheets: daily care log, temperature & UVB log, weight & growth tracker, shedding log, brumation tracker, and more
The questions new bearded dragon keepers ask us most
These four topics come up again and again, and getting them right is the difference between a dragon that merely survives and one that truly thrives. Each one has a clear, detailed guide to walk you through it.
Bringing One Home
New to bearded dragons? Start with the simple first steps, a full supply checklist, and how to choose a healthy dragon and set up before it arrives.
The Right Enclosure
Adults need a 40-gallon-breeder minimum, with 75 to 120 gallons better. Get tank size, substrate, hides, and a proper basking platform right.
UVB & Heat
The number-one beginner mistake is lighting. Learn the T5 HO 10.0 UVB standard, basking temps by age, and how to prevent metabolic bone disease.
What to Feed Them
Babies eat mostly insects, adults mostly greens. Get feeder insects, gut loading, calcium with and without D3, and a feeding schedule by age.
What this site is
- Warm, plain-language guides to every part of bearded dragon care
- Product picks based on research, specs, and verified keeper reviews
- Accurate husbandry, because for reptiles the details are life-or-death
- Practical, encouraging, never preachy
What this site is not
- A replacement for a reptile or exotic veterinarian
- A diagnostic tool for a sick dragon
- Fear-based or alarmist content
- A source of treatment plans or medication dosing
Start here
The foundations of healthy bearded dragon care, explained simply.
How to Care for a Bearded Dragon
From choosing a healthy dragon to enclosure setup, lighting, diet, and the daily routine that keeps a beardie thriving for years.
Bearded Dragon UVB & Temperature Guide
The T5 HO 10.0 UVB standard, basking and ambient temps by age, bulb distance, replacement schedule, and how lighting prevents MBD.
What Do Bearded Dragons Eat?
Feeder insects, greens and vegetables, the 80/20 ratio by life stage, calcium and D3 dusting, and foods to avoid.
Preventing Metabolic Bone Disease
MBD is the most common and most preventable serious illness in captive dragons. Learn the UVB, calcium, and diet basics that stop it before it starts.
Bearded Dragon Morphs Guide
Classic, hypo, leatherback, translucent, citrus, and more. What each morph means for appearance, and which carry health considerations.
Bearded Dragon Behavior Explained
Arm waving, head bobbing, a black beard, and glass surfing. Learn to read your dragon's body language and what each signal means.
The Bearded Dragon Care Planner
10 printable worksheets to track your dragon's daily care, temperatures and UVB, weight and growth, sheds, brumation, feeding, and health, so nothing about your beardie lives only in your head.
Daily Care & Feeding Log
Temperature & UVB Log
Weight & Growth Tracker
Shedding Log
Brumation Tracker
Monthly Wellness Check
Browse by topic
Everything from your first enclosure setup to morphs, health, and seasonal care.
Getting Started
Habitat & Setup
Lighting & Heat
Diet
Can They Eat?
Health
Behavior
Care & Handling
Morphs
Product Reviews
Comparisons
Buyer Guides
Setup Shopping Lists
Reference Charts
Glossary
Care Calculator
Cost of a Dragon
The Three Essentials Every Keeper Needs
REPTI ZOO T5 HO UVB Lighting Combo Kit (Hood + 10.0 Bulb)
The single most important buy: a T5 HO hood and 10.0 UVB bulb that prevent metabolic bone disease.
PAIZOO Digital Reptile Thermometer and Humidity Gauge
Real-time temperature and humidity readout so the basking zone stays in range.
Rep-Cal Phosphorus-Free Calcium with D3 (Ultrafine)
Dust feeder insects a few times a week to keep bones strong.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Feeding and supplement guidance here is researched care information, not veterinary advice; confirm dosing with a reptile vet.
Bearded Dragon Essentials Keepers Rely On at Amazon
- T5 HO 10.0 UVB Bulbs: The lighting standard for bearded dragons, replaced every 6 to 12 months
- 40-Gallon-Breeder Terrariums: The minimum footprint an adult dragon needs to thrive
- Reptile Thermostats: Hold a safe, steady basking temperature day and night
- Calcium Supplements: Dust feeder insects to prevent metabolic bone disease
- Live Feeder Insects: Dubia roaches, crickets, and BSFL gut-loaded for protein
How big should your bearded dragon be?
Tell us your dragon's age in months and our free calculator estimates its expected size, the right tank size, basking temperatures, feeder insect size, the insect-to-greens ratio, and how often to feed by life stage. Then see what a bearded dragon really costs to set up and keep.