Bearded Dragon Habitat – An Ultimate Guide

Bearded dragons can be found over most of Australia in nature. They inhabit warmer, dry-environment such as ‘Woodlands’, ‘coastal dunes’, ‘heathland’, ‘tropical savannas and deserts’ are all home to bearded dragons.

They can be spotted sunbathing on ‘tree stumps’,’ ‘fence posts,’ ‘branches and stones,’ and so on. They can view predators’, prey, and mates while trying to absorb some heat from the sun. 

Bearded dragons require a warm environment to grow. They are chilly and depend entirely on a source of heat to maintain a constant temperature of the body that changes with the temperature of their surroundings.

They warm themselves by basking in the sun and may hide underground to avoid ‘extreme temperatures’ and ‘predators’. 

Bearded Dragon Subspecies

Beardies are divided into eight subspecies that inhabit different sections of the island: 

Species	Location
Pogona minor minor	Western and Central Australia
Pogona barbata	Eastern Australia
Pogona nullarbor	Southern Australia
Pogona microlepidota	Northern Australia
Pogona vitticeps	Central Australia
Pogona henrylawsoni	Western and Central Australia
Pogona minor mitchelli	Northwestern Australia
Pogona minor minima	Houtman Abrolhos Islands

They get more than twelve hours of direct sunlight daily in nature, and there aren’t many lakes/ponds in the vicinity. This results in a hot and dry atmosphere.  ‘Central Australia’ has ‘scattered scrubs’, ‘tiny trees’, and ‘rocky terrain’.

This indicates that this species is just semi-arboreal and is not a strong climber. Bearded Dragons have various distinct developmental alterations as a result of their surroundings:

1. They have a third eye that allows them to perceive shadows above them.
2. Their head is tilted, allowing water drops to fall from the head into their mouth.
3. As a protective measure against many desert predators, they possess ‘spike-shaped scales’.

Because of their environment, they require UVA and UVB rays for normal metabolic activity. Due to the obvious arid habitat, they remain hydrated by eating insects and vegetation rather than drinking. 

The desert is quite hot so Bearded Dragons seek refuge in tiny rock cracks to cool off. To hide from predators, they also climb plants for higher-basking places. In captivity, stimulation for climbing and hiding spots must be provided, as well as the strong light and low humidity. 

Beginners frequently choose cages that are too tiny, have coiled UVB but utilize potentially hazardous sand surfaces, or fail to provide climbing and hiding activities. 

How can I make a house for my bearded dragon? 

When you want a  bearded dragon to be grown-up, you’ll need a terrarium with a screening cover that is at least forty gallons (151 L) in capacity (36 inches / 91 cm long). If space allows, a “48” x 24″ (122 x 61 cm) habitat would provide an adequate place for your bearded dragon to play and exercise. Because your bearded dragon comes from hot and dry areas, you will require a source of heating for their enclosure. 

Following items are needed in your bearded dragon’s tank:

1. Enclosure
2. UVB (ultraviolet) light
3. Thermometer, hygrometer, and heating element
4. Log/basking rock
5. Flooring
6. Several shallow bowls for food and water
7. Tweezers and live feeder insects
8. Having enough room in your house

Picking The Right Home 

You should be aware, however, that not every aspect in a normal desert terrarium setting is appropriate for beardies, particularly little ones. Even if you don’t want sand set up with all the desert decorations and such, there are several features of the desert setting that you should pay particular attention to: 

• Bearded dragons prefer warmer temperatures.
• They like a low humidity environment. The dragons have adapted to breathe mostly dry air. They can sustain a maximum humidity of 65 percent. Anything greater than that, on the other hand, might cause your beardie to develop lethal lung illness. It is suggested that you have approximately thirty percent humidity level. 
• Beardies enjoy having UV light hanging over the top of their tank to keep them warm and attentive. They also require additional UV radiation, which can be UVA and UVB, but is particularly important for optimal bone formation and metabolism.

You must keep your beardie in one of the following ‘enclosures’: 

• The tank that is made of glass:

A bearded dragon’s most frequent tank is a glass aquarium. They’re inexpensive and simple to get at local pet stores. The main drawbacks are that they aren’t well insulated and are fairly hefty.

Moving the tank around before placing your dragon inside is challenging, but once your dragon is inside, you won’t be worrying about changing it much. Even if the dragons don’t mind the tank’s lack of insulation, some owners have claimed that their pet’s color has been muted by the cold. 

• Plastic Aquarium:

Plastic tanks have progressed admirably during the last several decades, from simple plastic boxes to complex, professional enclosures. Plastics consisting of ‘ABS and PVC’ will work best for your beardie.

The front is usually constructed of a clear, translucent plexiglass-like material, while the rest is opaque. Plastic tanks, unlike glass tanks, are less prone to breakage. You also have the option of drilling in cable holes, which will make the arrangement even tidier. 

• Wooden Aquarium:

If the cost of plastic and glass tanks is too high for your budget, you may consider purchasing a container made completely of wood. You may choose between ‘melamine and plywood’ for this. 

Habitat positioning of Bearded Dragon

After you’ve collected all of your resources, the next critical step is to select where you’ll put your enclosure before you start putting it together. Its placement will be determined by its size and the available area. The following locations will be ideal:

1. Not under the direct light of the sun or near windows where sunlight can enter the cage or tank directly though they would still need the heat and UV light.
2. Temperatures will rise as a result of the sun’s rays, making efficient temp management in your terrarium difficult.
3. It’s a peaceful setting.
4. Avoid loud environments since they will upset your lizards.
5. To prevent tension, choose a location with little distractions, such as other pets walking by. 

Step by Step guidelines for setting up a bearded dragon Tank 

Arranging the tank, placing your substrate, ‘installing heat lamps’, ‘UV light bulbs, and control and monitoring equipment are all part of the bearded dragon tank setup. After that, you may add decorations, furnishings, and other accessories to make them your own. That’s needed to set up your bearded dragon’s tank correctly. 

•  Arranging your tank:

Ignore this step if you already have a tank completed. Alternatively, assemble your aquarium according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Setting together your enclosure is a simple operation that will only take you a few minutes. 

• Can be disinfected and cleaned:

Clean and maintain your tank thoroughly using a disinfectant one developed for reptile cages to remove any pathogens, such as bacteria, that may be lurking on the surface of your habitat.

Sprinkle and wipe it with a disinfectant to disinfect it. Lastly, after cleaning your tank, rinse it with water to remove any remaining sanitizing chemicals and allow it to dry. 

• Substrate should be added

Fill up the tank with the substrate of your choice. Make it 2 to 3 inches deep if you’re using a loose substrate. On the Contrary, with a solid substrate, just a single layer is required.

Include ‘enrichments’, ‘furnishings and décor’, as well as a water dish. With a little imagination and personalization, you can create a strikingly attractive and lifelike terrarium. The most important is the basking platforms, which should be exactly beneath where you will install your basking-light, as well as a hide or shaded area on the colder side.

If it has a hole beneath it, your dragon will be able to burrow under it if they don’t want to be right on the warmth but still want to be warm. But, keep your pet away from the heating lamp and the screen below the heating source since it will be scorching hot. 

• Install heat lamps & UV lights:

Install the terrarium screen and start the ‘heat lights and UV light bulbs’. All you require are lamp fittings that are suitable with your bulb of selection, which you can put on the front of your screen. Some tanks have mounting hoods and other attachments. That’ll make the whole process simpler.

If you have a small habitat, you can use bulbs that release both heat and UV light, such as mercury vapor lamps. If it is large, utilize separate UV and heating sources. Smaller tanks, on the other hand, will make constructing a temperature gradient much more difficult. 

1. Lamps that produce heat:

You must build a temperature difference with a sunbathing region at 100 to 110 °F (95-100 °F for hatchlings) and a cooler side at 75 to 90°F. Put the basking bulb immediately above the basking location, covering a large enough area to allow your bearded dragon to heat its entire body at the same time.

Maintaining the desired temperature can be accomplished by varying the distance between ballastless heat lamps or by utilizing a thermostat. Finally, if the overnight ambient temperature falls below 65°F, install your nightly non-emitting light since they require complete darkness to sleep soundly.

It should be noted that under heat mats or pads may only be used as a supplementary heat source and not as the primary one. 

2. ultraviolet light bulbs:

To enable these creatures to absorb Ultraviolet rays and heat at the same time, use Ultraviolet bulbs that cover more than 80% of the space and overlap with the basking place. To get the appropriate UVB penetration, position your bulbs at the manufacturer’s suggested spacing.

It’s worth noting that UVB light doesn’t pass through glass. Based on the scale of your tank, we recommend a light which may contain bulbs with varying wattages and lengths. 

• Device for monitoring and controlling:

Install your ‘control and monitoring equipment, such as your ‘hygrometer’, ‘thermostat, and thermometer’, to see if you have the proper terrarium-habitat settings. 

Desert Theme Cage Set-Up 

The bearded dragon tank is great when it provides a variety of natural elements for the bearded dragon to have fun.

These varying textures, which vary from ‘shrubbery to wood to dried excavator clay mounds,’ accurately replicate those seen in any grassland/semi-desert setting.

Just make sure you only use plants and forests that have been determined to be completely safe for your bearded dragon. 

Though a tank of this  type is perfectly suited for a newborn or juvenile bearded dragon, the beautiful background, hammocks, soft-bed, and even small teepee are all things that any bearded dragon would enjoy! 

Jungle Themes Cage Set-Up

This tank set-up idea provides a habitat that is both easy to manage and stimulating for your bearded dragon, from the simple deep green reptilian carpet to the ‘lush greenery and rock staircase’.

Even though bearded dragons are not strongly able to climb, these false leaf vines provide a close to real jungle feel to an otherwise plain-cage arrangement. 

In terms of what you should modify or attempt to position a ledge nearer to the sunbathing bulb, add a nice backdrop, and remove one of the branches to give your dragon more freedom to explore. I’d also make certain that any branch I left was secure since I don’t want it to fall on my beardie! I like how this cage layout provides lots of floor area for the bearded dragon, with decorations like a rock water dish and artificial plants around the tank’s edge.

I also like that there is enough room for climbing! With the capacity to climb up a pair of inches, this dragon will certainly be able to keep hot and absorb lots of UVB! If you provide your dragon a mechanism to hoist itself up to sunbathe, make sure you measure the temperature of that bathing location so your dragon doesn’t accidentally expose itself to too much heat.

Aim for a basking-spot temp of 95 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit for adults and 105 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit for newborns. 

Decorations for a Bearded Dragon’s tank

If you’ve already seen some excellent examples of total cage setup, let’s concentrate on the small elements that make more difference than they have given credit for! 

• Plastic Ball:

Bearded dragons, contrary to common belief, like to hunt and can benefit greatly from having a little plastic ball to play around in their tank or cage. Please ensure the ball is not so little that they can swallow it accidently, or else you’ll have some real impaction problems to deal with!

• Bridges:

A bridge is another great choice for any bearded dragon tank. Bridges come in a variety of forms and sizes, and they’re a fun method for your bearded dragon to move from point A to b. in their tank. One thing to remember, though, is that you would not want to build the bridge too high. If your dragon falls over a bridge that is too high, it might be dangerous. 

• Food bowl:

One of your greatest protection for keeping your bearded dragon’s tank clean is a feeding dish. You will enjoy introducing a little more style with the variety of materials and sizes of bowls available. Furthermore, if you begin serving salads/feeding juicy fruits, you will have to keep your substrate a bit cleaner! 

• Hammock: 

Bearded dragons, in case you didn’t know, enjoy lounging in hammocks. I highly suggest suctioning one to the tank’s glass on one side. It’s the ideal area for soaking up the rays. Ensure the hammock is sufficiently low for your beardie to get into and stable quite so for them to stay in. I also suggest that you pick a hammock fabric that would not catch/snag on their nails.

• Foliage:

I strongly advise you to include some plants in your bearded dragon’s habitat to give it a more realistic feel. It’s totally up to you whether you use real or fake plants! Plants will provide your bearded dragon with different textures and hiding spots, as well as fresh aromas and, ultimately, a happy habitat. A happy bearded dragon is a healthy bearded dragon! 

Affordable and Easy to MakeTank Decor Ideas

you still want to buy your bearded dragon some items that they will enjoy?  The following decor ideas for bearded dragon’s habitat are both economical and easy to make! 

Rocks from Outside

An older big rock you could find in your garden is among top favorite economical bearded dragon tank décor materials! Rocks are great because they provide a secure haven for ‘bearded dragons to bask and climb’, and they can even assist with the filing of their claws! You would like to pick a rock that’s not crumbly or pointy since the last thing you want to do is put your bearded dragon in danger! Soak your rock for at least four hours, but preferably eight hours, in a mixture of 5 to10 percent bleach. Bleach fumes are hazardous to bearded dragons, carefully rinse it afterwards. 

Wood from Outside

If you really can select the perfect sort of wood, you can make a great piece of décor for your bearded dragon’s tank to climb and hide beneath. Simply bake it at 350 degrees for at least thirty minutes to eliminate any mites or other insects that may be present. Here’s a short list of a few woods that are suitable for your bearded dragon…

• Crepe Myrtle
• Oak
• Maple
• Dogwood
• Tulip Tree

Conclusion

To summarize, beardies are native in Australia.The majority of their species live in the continent’s center, and their native habitats are dry deserts and woodlands. It is certainly worth the time and effort to make these habitat arrangements before taking your beardie. You’ll be able to have everything ready for their arrival if you do this. You’ll learn what your bearded dragon likes and dislikes with time, and you may adjust correspondingly, but the things in this guide are the essentials that every dragon needs.

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