Raising a Healthy and Happy Baby Bearded Dragon

If you're considering getting a bearded dragon as a pet, you have two options: getting a fully-grown dragon or raising a baby. If you choose the latter, there are some important things to consider for their care.

Firstly, you need to decide where to house the baby bearded dragon. A 20-gallon tank is sufficient for most babies, but they grow quickly, so a 55-gallon tank will be needed as they mature. You could save money by buying a 55-gallon tank from the start.

The second important factor is heat control. While an adult dragon requires temperatures between 95 and 100 degrees, a baby must be around 100 to 110 degrees during the day and no lower than 65 degrees at night. It's best to keep the temperature warmer than 65 degrees at night as dragons don't like colder temperatures, which can harm or even kill them with long exposure. Warmer temps also help the baby to sleep better. You can maintain these temperatures using a ceramic emitting heater or a reptile basking light.

Food and water are also essential. A baby bearded dragon needs to eat about three times a day, consuming as much as it can in 15 minutes. To keep them healthy, dust all their food with a calcium and vitamin supplement. Although they are naturally from a desert environment, they can become dehydrated quickly. Therefore, provide a small water tray in the tank and spray mist them daily with room temperature water.

Lastly, many dragon owners over-handle their pets. To avoid traumatizing your baby dragon, let them become familiar with their surroundings. Handling should be kept to a minimum while they are still babies. As they grow more accustomed to their surroundings and mature physically, that is when you can handle the bearded dragon more often.