Quick Care Summary : For optimal hatchling growth, keep baby bearded dragons in a 40-gallon breeder tank with a 105–110°F basking spot and an 80–85°F cool side. Provide 12–14 hours of tube-style UVB light daily, maintain 35%–55% humidity, and spray their heads once daily for hydration.
- Diet: Feed 1/4″ to 3/8″ gut-loaded crickets, roaches, or small worms 2–3 times daily, plus chopped leafy greens. Prey must not exceed the width of the dragon’s mouth.
- Supplements: Dust insects with phosphorus-free calcium (with D3) every 3–4 feedings, and vitamins once a week.
- Safety Warning: Never feed lightning bugs. Avoid oversized prey, loose pebbles and decorations that could be swallowed or conceal uneaten insects.
Baby bearded dragons need proper basking temperatures, UVB lighting, frequent meals, calcium supplementation and a simple enclosure that makes food easy to find. This baby bearded dragon care sheet explains the hatchling-raising methods we have used successfully at Dachiu Bearded Dragons since 1996.
Using this care program, we have consistently raised groups of healthy dragons to 14 inches or longer within four to five months. During their first four months, our hatchlings have averaged approximately half an inch of growth per week. Individual growth varies according to genetics, appetite, health and environmental conditions.
Who this guide is for: This care sheet applies primarily to healthy, captive-bred baby and young juvenile bearded dragons during their first several months of life. Dragons that are ill, underweight, injured, or recovering from improper care may need an individualized plan from a qualified reptile veterinarian.
Baby Bearded Dragon Enclosure Setup
For the first few months, keep your baby bearded dragon in a simple enclosure no larger than a 40-gallon breeder. A manageable setup makes food easier to find and allows you to monitor the dragon closely.
Crickets often move away from brightly lit areas. Your dragon, however, will spend much of the day near the basking light. A simple enclosure prevents feeders from disappearing behind excessive decorations.
Heating & Lighting
A baby bearded dragon needs a basking-surface temperature of approximately 105–110°F, with a cooler side around 80–85°F. Place a 40- or 60-watt spotlight above a plain basking rock at one end of the enclosure. Do not use an electric heat rock.
A baby bearded dragon’s basking surface should reach 105–110°F during the middle of the day. Adjust the bulb wattage or basking-platform height until an accurate thermometer confirms that range. Place a digital thermometer probe on the highest part of the basking rock. Leave it there for at least one hour before checking the temperature. Please measure the temperature rather than guessing.
Overhead light provides heat in the same way that sunlight warms a dragon in nature. The light also warms the basking rock and provides gentle heat beneath the dragon’s belly.
Keep the opposite side of the enclosure cooler, at approximately 80–85°F. This temperature gradient allows your dragon to regulate its body temperature. Nighttime temperatures can safely drop into the 60s.
Set the lights on a timer and provide 12–14 hours of light each day. Install a full-spectrum linear UVB tube, such as ReptiSun, Repti-Glo, or our preferred Arcadia bulb, above the enclosure. Do not use a compact coil bulb.
Position the UVB bulb approximately 6–10 inches from the basking area, unless the manufacturer recommends a different distance. Proper positioning helps your dragon receive the UVB it needs to produce vitamin D3 and develop healthy bones.
UVB strength decreases with distance. Always check the manufacturer’s packaging for placement and replacement instructions.
Our breeding-program practice: Once a week, we give healthy, established hatchlings in our facility a day of rest by turning off the lights and withholding food. This is the routine we have used in our program; it is not presented as a universal requirement for every baby bearded dragon.
Enclosure Furnishings and Substrate
Keep the enclosure simple during the first four months. Limit decorative items so crickets cannot hide behind or beneath them.
Do not place artificial green leaves in the enclosure. Your dragon may try to eat them.
You may use paper, reptile carpet, or properly prepared play sand as substrate. When using play sand, sift it through a screen and remove all large pebbles. A dragon that swallows a pebble may develop a life-threatening intestinal blockage.
Bearded dragons need a dry enclosure with moderate humidity. Aim for a humidity range of approximately 35%–55%. Consistently keeping the humidity below 30% or above 60% may cause problems.
Offer water once daily. You can lightly spray water onto the dragon’s head while it continues to lick the droplets. When a dragon dislikes direct spraying, place droplets on the enclosure wall or basking rock instead. Some dragons learn to drink from a shallow water dish. Replace the water every day and immediately after the dragon soils it.
Remove bowel movements as soon as you notice them. Clean more frequently when you house more than one dragon in the same enclosure.
Feeding Your Baby Bearded Dragon
Baby bearded dragons in our program receive three appropriately sized insect meals per day, along with access to fresh chopped greens.
Wait one to two hours after the lights come on before offering the first meal. This gives the dragon time to warm up. Offer the final meal at least two hours before the lights go off so the dragon has time to digest its food.
Feeder Insects
At the beginning of each meal, offer two to five appropriately sized feeder insects. Add more gradually while the dragon continues to eat, but do not release a large number of insects into the enclosure at once. Please do not leave large numbers of insects roaming through the enclosure because they may stress or bother the dragon. Remove all uneaten insects before turning off the lights at night.
Choose crickets/dubia that measure approximately ¼–⅜ inch. Never offer prey longer than the width of the dragon’s mouth. Oversized prey can seriously injure or kill a baby bearded dragon.
You may replace daily cricket/dubia feedings with appropriately sized buffalo worms or small super worms. Many pet stores do not carry these smaller feeder sizes, so you may need to order them online. Do not confuse buffalo worms or small super worms with standard mealworms. Increase the prey size gradually as your dragon grows.
Vegetables
Offer fresh vegetables every day. Chop them into bite-sized pieces and place them in a shallow dish or lid.
Position the dish where your dragon can see it from the basking area. Focus primarily on leafy greens, including collard, mustard, dandelion, and turnip greens. You can also offer chicory, chard, escarole, and endive.
Rotate the greens when possible and remove thick, hard stems or veins. Avoid iceberg lettuce because it may cause diarrhea and dehydration.
Supplementation
In our care program, we dust feeder insects with phosphorus-free calcium every third or fourth feeding and provide a reptile vitamin once weekly. We use Rep-Cal with D3.
Provide a quality vitamin supplement, such as Herptivite, once each week. Do not overuse vitamin supplements. At the same time, do not neglect calcium, because both mistakes can cause health problems. Every baby bearded dragon should receive properly installed UVB lighting. Calcium containing vitamin D3 does not replace an appropriate UVB setup. Proper supplementation helps reduce the risk of metabolic bone disease.
To dust crickets, place them in a sandwich bag or cup with a small amount of calcium powder. Gently shake until the insects have a light coating, then feed them to your dragon.
Reducing Stress in Baby Bearded Dragons
It is VERY IMPORTANT to keep your new baby’s environment as stress-free as possible for the first few months. These steps can help reduce stress for your baby bearded dragon.
- Keep a regular feeding and watering schedule.
- Use a timer to maintain consistent daylight hours.
- Provide calcium and vitamin supplements on an appropriate schedule.
- Feed nutritious, properly gut-loaded insects.
- Avoid excessive handling while your dragon is very young.
- Maintain a basking-to-cool-side temperature gradient.
- Keep humidity around 35%–55%.
- Use a simple enclosure during the first few months.
- Keep the enclosure away from loud or high-traffic areas.
As a final note, baby bearded dragons kept in the same tank must be segregated by size, as the larger ones will dominate and stress out their smaller siblings… even when not feeding.
Our breeding-program practice: We raise hatchlings in managed groups within our breeding facility, where we monitor them closely and separate them by size and behavior. Most pet owners may find individual housing easier and safer to manage.
Helping a New Baby Bearded Dragon Adjust
Your new dragon may not eat immediately after arriving. Shipping and the unfamiliar environment can temporarily reduce its appetite.
Allow the dragon to explore its new home for three to four hours. Then offer a few appropriately sized crickets and a small amount of chopped greens in a shallow dish.
Avoid hand-feeding during the adjustment period. Wait until the dragon has eaten consistently for several weeks and appears comfortable in its new environment.
When the dragon does not eat the crickets by the end of the first day, remove them and offer water. You can also cover part of the enclosure’s front and sides with plain paper. This reduces visual activity and may help the dragon feel more secure.
Wait until midday the following day before offering crickets again. Several quiet hours without visible prey may help the dragon settle in and stimulate its appetite.
When your dragon has not eaten by the end of the second day, offer water again and please call us.
Common Hazards for Baby Bearded Dragons
Lightning Bugs
Never feed lightning bugs, also known as fireflies, to a bearded dragon. They are toxic and can cause severe illness or death.
Loose Substrate
When using sifted play sand, remove all larger pebbles before placing the substrate in the enclosure. A swallowed pebble can cause a life-threatening intestinal blockage. As can mulch or bark-type substrate.
Oversized Feeder Insects
Always choose appropriately sized prey. Crickets, Dubia roaches, and other feeder insects should not be longer or wider than your baby dragon’s mouth. When feeding worms, use mini or small superworms that measure approximately ¼ inch. Increase feeder size gradually as your dragon grows.