Bearded dragon: gear and buying guides
The bearded dragon is a curious, people-friendly diurnal lizard, often described as the ultimate pet reptile. Its easy temperament should not hide demanding equipment: a terrarium of at least 120 cm, powerful UVB replaced yearly and a basking spot around 40 °C.
Profile : 40 to 55 cm as an adult, 8 to 12 years of lifespan, suited to committed beginners.
See it in the Planète Pets shop: Ventilated clear box for feeder insects, transport and quarantine, 19 cm (€17.90) · the whole shop
Outside our shipping area? The downloadable practical guide: Your First Terrarium: Leopard Gecko, Bearded Dragon, Corn Snake, Ball Python (€15)
Species profile
- Lifespan
- 8 to 12 years
- Adult size
- 40 to 55 cm
- Basking spot
- 40 to 42 °C
- Humidity
- 30 to 40 %
- Minimum enclosure
- 120 × 60 × 60 cm
- Temperament
- Diurnal, curious and people-friendly, it is often called the ideal pet reptile.
- Health watch
- metabolic bone disease from poor-quality UVB (tremors, soft jaw) · gut impaction from swallowing loose substrate
🩺 The health watchpoints on this page are for information only: only a veterinarian can examine your animal and make a diagnosis.
Bearded dragon gear, family by family
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Food
An omnivore whose diet shifts with age: juveniles eat mostly insects, adults mostly greens (endive, rocket, edible flowers) with insects 2 to 3 times a week. Calcium supplementation is essential.
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Care & grooming
An occasional lukewarm bath helps hydration and shedding. Watch for calcium deficiency signs (tremors, soft jaw), directly linked to UVB quality, and remove droppings daily.
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Toys & enrichment
Bearded dragons enjoy supervised time outside the enclosure, climbing branches and hunting live insects. Occasionally rearranging the decor keeps exploration stimulating.
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Bedding & habitat
A terrarium of at least 120 x 60 x 60 cm for an adult, a high-output T5 UVB tube covering much of the length, a 40-42 °C basking spot and a cool zone around 26 °C. Low humidity, desert-style setup.
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Travel & safety
Transport in a ventilated rigid box with a towel, no loose substrate, keeping the car temperate. For long winter trips, a wrapped lukewarm heat pack keeps the temperature safe.
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Accessories
Equipment budget is significant: basking lamp and T5 UVB (replaced every 12 months, around 30 to 60 € per tube), thermostat, dishes, hammock or basking branch. A full setup often runs 400 to 700 €.
🍖 Feeding a Bearded dragon: diet, supplements, food refusals
The Bearded dragon diet, precisely
An age-shifting omnivore: juveniles eat mostly insects, adults mostly greens (endive, rocket, edible flowers) with insects 2 to 3 times a week, backed by calcium. Temperature governs digestion: a Bearded dragon kept below its 40-42°C basking spot digests poorly and eventually refuses food — faced with a refusing animal, check the thermometer before the menu.
Gut-loading and supplements: the invisible part
A cricket is only worth what it ate: feed your insects for 24-48 h (fresh vegetables, bran) before offering them — that is gut-loading. Add calcium dusting at nearly every juvenile meal, every other one for adults, plus a calcium dish available at all times.
Water and hydration
A stable water dish changed daily, big enough for a soak if the animal wants one — many drink little but bathe before shedding. Dehydration shows in skin folds and sunken eyes: that means the exotics vet, not the mister alone. The full profile is on the full Bearded dragon profile.
Quick answers
- What does a Bearded dragon eat?
- An age-shifting omnivore: juveniles eat mostly insects, adults mostly greens (endive, rocket, edible flowers) with insects 2 to 3 times a week, backed by calcium.
- Why is my Bearded dragon refusing food?
- Check temperatures first (basking spot at 40-42°C): too cold means no digestion. Then shedding and settling-in stress — but measured weight loss calls for the exotics vet.
We don’t ship products to your country yet; our practical guide downloads anywhere: Your First Terrarium: Leopard Gecko, Bearded Dragon, Corn Snake, Ball Python (€15)
🧴 Caring for a Bearded dragon: shedding, enclosure hygiene, prevention
Shedding: the health barometer
In the Bearded dragon, the shed works as a health bulletin: complete and in one piece, all is well; in lingering patches, suspect the humidity first (target: 30 to 40%). A humid hide (sphagnum) added at shedding time is enough in a dry setup. Never pull skin off by hand — retained shed on the extremities is treated with lukewarm soaks.
Enclosure hygiene: real preventive medicine
Droppings removed on sight, water changed daily, a full monthly disinfection (white vinegar or reptile-safe disinfectant, never scented products), and a systematic 60-day quarantine for any newcomer. In dry setups, the reverse trap: substrate soiled and damp at depth becomes an invisible bacterial nest.
The Bearded dragon’s health: the signals that matter
Documented watch-points: metabolic bone disease from poor-quality UVB (tremors, soft jaw) and gut impaction from swallowing loose substrate. Add the reptile universals: lethargy beyond brumation, open-mouth breathing, and any lasting behaviour change. Over a 8 to 12 year lifespan, an exotics vet identified before the emergency saves critical days.
Quick answers
- My Bearded dragon sheds in patches — is it serious?
- It signals insufficient humidity (aim for 30 to 40%): a humid hide and misting fix most of it. Persistent shed on toes or tail tip warrants lukewarm soaks, then a vet if nothing lifts.
- Which products for cleaning a Bearded dragon enclosure?
- Diluted white vinegar or a reptile-safe disinfectant, rinsed thoroughly — never unrinsed bleach or scented products, toxic in a confined volume.
We don’t ship products to your country yet; our practical guide downloads anywhere: Your First Terrarium: Leopard Gecko, Bearded Dragon, Corn Snake, Ball Python (€15)
🧰 Accessories for a Bearded dragon: thermostat, measurement and kit
The thermostat: accessory number one (non-negotiable)
Every enclosure heater runs through a thermostat (€30-60): without one, a lamp or heat mat can pass 50°C and burn the animal. Add two thermometers (one per pole: 40-42°C / 24-28°C) and a reliable hygrometer — in herpetoculture you only control what you measure.
The Bearded dragon kit
long feeding tongs and an insect keeper with its gut-loading food; gram-accurate kitchen scales for the monthly weigh-in; a timer for the day-night cycle (about 12 h); a spare UVB tube marked on the calendar — it fades before it dies.
Full budget and starter-kit traps
A complete Bearded dragon setup: €400 to 800 (enclosure, thermostat-controlled heating, UVB, measurement, decor), then €15 to 40 a month. Beware pet-shop “complete kits”: undersized tank, thermostat-free lamp and a fanciful stick-on thermometer — the line-by-line detail is on the full Bearded dragon profile.
Quick answers
- What is the most important accessory for a Bearded dragon?
- The thermostat: it stops the heating from injuring the animal and holds the basking spot at 40-42°C. Everything else comes second.
- What budget to set up a Bearded dragon?
- €400 to 800 for a serious, complete setup, then €15 to 40 a month — cheap starter kits get paid for twice.
We don’t ship products to your country yet; our practical guide downloads anywhere: Your First Terrarium: Leopard Gecko, Bearded Dragon, Corn Snake, Ball Python (€15)
Guides to read
- Vertical terrarium for a crested gecko: height, ventilation and humidityBedding & habitat
Vertical terrarium for a crested gecko: why height matters more than floor space, what size fits each age, and how to manage the humidity cycle.
- Feeding a crested gecko: CGD powder, fruit and occasional insectsFood
Feeding a crested gecko: why complete CGD powder remains the base diet, when to add insects, and how often to feed by age.
- Tail loss in crested geckos: why you should never grab one by the tailCare & grooming
Tail loss (autotomy) in crested geckos: why the tail never grows back in this species, what handling mistakes to avoid, and what to do if it drops.
- Terrarium enrichment for a crested gecko: branches, hides and climbing supportsToys & enrichment
Terrarium enrichment for a crested gecko: why climbing supports matter as much as décor, what hides to provide, and whether to rotate the layout.
- Transporting a Green Iguana to the Vet: Carrier, Heat and StressTravel & safety
Rigid carrier, keeping the animal warm on the road, and grips to avoid with the tail: how to transport a green iguana to the vet without adding to its stress.
- Humidity and Shedding in the Chinese Water Dragon: Avoiding Skin ProblemsCare & grooming
Why the Chinese water dragon needs high humidity, how to maintain it without stagnation, and the early signs of an incomplete shed.
- Feeding a Green Anole: Which Insects, and How Often?Food
Small live insects, prey size and feeding frequency: the complete guide to feeding a green anole, a strict insectivore and a tiny lizard.
- Handling and Transporting a Pacman Frog: Limiting Stress and ContactTravel & safety
Why the Pacman frog's permeable skin means handling should stay minimal, and how to transport it safely for a vet visit.