Pogona vitticeps
Bearded Dragon
Bearded dragons are the most popular pet lizard for good reason: handleable, expressive and hardy when their heat and UVB needs are met precisely.
AgamidaeLifespan 8–15 yearsCare complexity 3/5Suitable for beginners
At a glance
- Scientific name
- Pogona vitticeps
- Family
- Agamidae
- Origin
- Arid and semi-arid inland Australia
- Lifespan
- 8–15 years
- Adult size
- 45–60 cm including tail
- Weight
- 300–600 g
- Temperament
- Calm, tolerant of handling and interactive
- Activity level
- Diurnal and moderately active
- Social needs
- Solitary — never house two together
- Intelligence
- Capable of learning by imitation in laboratory studies
- Noise
- Silent
Housing and environment
- Housing
- Minimum 120 x 60 x 60 cm for an adult, with a proper thermal gradient
- Space requirement
- Floor space and basking height with clear hot and cool ends
- Temperature
- Basking surface 38–42°C, cool end 22–26°C, night 18–22°C
- Humidity
- 30–40%
- Exercise
- Daily supervised time outside the enclosure in a safe warm room
- Grooming
- Regular shed monitoring and occasional warm soaks
Diet and feeding
Juveniles mainly insects with greens; adults mainly greens with insects two or three times weekly
Behaviour and compatibility
Basking, arm-waving, beard darkening and brumation in cooler months
- With children
- One of the better reptiles for supervised family keeping
- With other animals
- House alone
- Training difficulty
- Low — tolerates handling and target training
Health
- Metabolic bone disease
- Impaction
- Atadenovirus
- Mouth rot
- Yellow fungus disease
Needs a reptile vet, correct UVB and calcium supplementation from the start
Special care requirements
Replace UVB tubes every six to twelve months even though they still emit visible light