So you’ve decided to add a bearded dragon to your family! Bearded dragons are beginner-friendly and live an average of 10 years, making them the perfect pet for those looking to bond with a reptile. Before you rush out and bring your new bearded dragon home, first consider setting up the proper habitat to welcome them properly. We know it can feel a bit daunting to care for a new type of creature; here is a brief guide to get you started.

Creating a Balanced Diet

One of the best parts about owning a bearded dragon is getting to watch it enjoy its meals. Bearded dragons require a varied diet of veggies and bugs for an essential and well-rounded diet. Dubia roaches, mealworms, wax worms, silkworms, and horned worms are all great feeders that provide variety. To ensure they receive all the nutrients they would have in the wild, many reptile owners coat the insects in a thin layer of dusting powder with calcium and vitamin supplements.

Young bearded dragon hatchlings are omnivorous, enjoying both insects and plants to ensure all their nutritional needs are met. As they grow older, they tend to eat more plant matter, enjoying bearded dragon pellet food on a daily basis. Hikari® offers a scientifically formulated, ready-to-use paste called DragonGel™, which contains numerous tasty nutrients, including amino acids and trace minerals that omnivorous lizards require.

Our experts at the ®Hikari Laboratory and Yamasaki Fish Farm have spent years crafting our latest bearded dragon formula,  Dragon Delite™, which is an additional offering for vegetable- and insect-eating reptiles. Hikari^® Dragon Delite™ is a scientifically formulated pellet food, containing all the necessary nutrients, including our proprietary probiotic Hikari-Germ. Soaked pellets are also ideal for other vegetable & insect-eating lizards, including the Baby Spiny-Tailed Lizard, Green Iguanas, or Blue Tongued Skink.

Pellet and gel formulas are great options if your live food supply is running short or not available. They also work well for situations when you may be having friends or relatives care for your pet while you are away. Best of all, they will help reduce odor and cleaning time while providing great nutrition.

Find a Suitable-Sized Terrarium

The enclosure that your bearded dragon will live in is called a terrarium, which is a glass temperature-controlled container with plants and lighting. As land-based creatures, these pets don’t need too much overhead space. A full-sized adult bearded dragon can grow up to two feet long, so you’ll want to select a terrarium that has room for rocks and other perching areas. This means as they grow and mature, a larger hangout will likely be required. For this reason, we suggest starting off with something larger than you need. We recommend a size of at least 40 gallons with a sealed lid to make sure they have enough room when fully grown.

Setting up Lighting and Heating

Since bearded dragons are desert-dwelling creatures, you’ll want to set up your environment to mimic their natural habitat. To replicate the sun and temperatures of the desert, you’ll want to invest in a basking UVA/UVB bulb to provide radiant heat and full-spectrum lighting that mimics sunlight. These can deliver both warmth and support strong bones and overall health. The ideal temperature for the cool side of a bearded dragon habitat is roughly 75-85° Fahrenheit and 95-100° F on the basking side. You will also need to monitor the humidity levels, so it is recommended you get a hygrometer.

Substrate, Decor & More

Proper, reptile-safe substrate is crucial to mimic the natural rocky scrubland these lizards call home. Depending on the substrate you chose, a reptile carpet may be used to line the bottom of your terrarium to create a solid, safe base. Once you have the substate and carpet, it’s up to you to decide on a theme for your terrarium and the appropriate decorations. You will want to avoid using live plants so that your dragon doesn’t attempt to eat them, and adding a good basking perch is key. Branches, driftwood, or secured large rocks are good starting places for hiding and climbing. Be sure to add a shallow food and water bowl as your finishing touch.

Be sure to monitor terrarium conditions several times each day, checking temperature and humidity levels in addition to keeping a fresh water supply. Before purchasing a bearded dragon, we recommend researching trusted sources to ensure your new friend receives the best care to live a long and happy life.