Beared Dragon Temperature: Providing Proper Heat For Your Lizard

Maintaining adequate bearded dragon temperature in your vivarium plays an essential role in the health of your pet. Many ailments found in captive dragons are a direct result of inconsistent, and/or improper climate control within the enclosure. To reach these desired conditions, one should experiment with different heat bulbs, and have quality thermometer's that will give you accurate temperature and humidity readings at all times. It is also important to know how much heat is needed for your specific dragon, as the requirements change with age.

Adolescent dragons enjoy a higher temperature in their basking spots. You'll want a basking area of 105-110F for babies and juveniles, while adults prefer a slightly cooler area around 95-105F. Special basking bulbs can be found at nearly all pet supply stores for a fairly cheap price. The right bulb for your specific situation will depend on a number of variables such as room temperature, air flow, and ventilation. Try different wattage bulbs and adjust the distance from the basking spot until you get the temperature required.

Aside from the basking spot, the rest of your enclosure will need a heat gradient ranging from around 85-90F on the warmer side, and around 75-80F on the cooler side. This is to be applied to beardies of all ages allowing them to properly thermoregulate their body temperature. You will also want a hide(shelter) in which the lizard can remove themselves completely out of direct light if desired.

Knowing what temperatures are needed to keep our animal happy doesn't help much if we don't have a reliable way to read them. This is where a digital thermometer comes in handy. Digital is preferred over dial thermometers because they give a much more accurate and precise reading. You can find indoor/outdoor thermometers that read two areas at once along with humidity, which should be kept around 40% at all times. These thermometers come equipped with a probe that should be set in the basking area, with the main unit on the cool side. This will give you a reading of both sides of the cage at all times.

You'll want to maintain these temperatures for 12-14 hours a day. Once the lights go off you want your enclosure to stay above 65F. In many cases you won't need any type of heating apparatus to keep the nighttime temps sufficient. However, if you notice it getting too cool you will need to invest in a ceramic heat emitter, or a colored nighttime bulb. Stay away from heating pads, as they can be dangerous to your lizard if they get too hot.

Your bearded dragon temperature needs to be kept at optimum levels to ensure proper thermoregulation. If you fail to provide the heat needed, it will create a domino effect which can ultimately lead to serious illness and even death. If digestion becomes an issue, harmful bacteria will build within your pet, causing lethargy and a lack of nutrients among other things. Don't let this happen to your beardie! Keep a close eyes on temps at all times.