Desert reptile · Agamid lizard

Know whether your bearded dragon's care is actually on track.

Your beardie can't tell you the basking spot has drifted cool or that appetite is slipping. baskr watches the pattern across your logs, temperature, humidity, weight, feeding and shedding, and shows you what needs attention before it becomes a problem.

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Bearded Dragon

Basking spot drifting cool

34°C for 5 days vs the 38–42°C range. Check the bulb or thermostat.

Basking spot

38–42°C · 100–108°F

Cool side

26–29°C · 79–84°F

Humidity

30–40%

Ideal ranges for Pogona vitticeps, the same targets baskr scores your logs against.

Basking and warm figures are surface temperatures at the spot; cool and ambient are air. Measure with a probe or infrared thermometer at the animal's height.

Bearded Dragon: a few things worth knowing

Bearded dragons 'wave', a slow, circular arm motion that signals submission to other dragons.
That spiky 'beard' puffs out and darkens when they're stressed or defensive, making them look bigger.
They're from Australia's arid interior and bask at 40°C+, heat is effectively part of their digestion.
They can see UV light, which is exactly why proper UVB lighting matters so much for their health.
With good husbandry a bearded dragon commonly lives 8–12+ years.

When is your bearded dragon active?

Diurnal

Active by day

Where bearded dragons come from

Arid inland Australia

Wild climate. Hot, dry scrubland and desert; blazing days, cool nights.

Why the care is what it is. This is why baskr targets a fierce 38 to 42°C basking spot, strong UVB, and low humidity, and why a cool night drop is normal.

What baskr watches for your bearded dragon

Logging is the input. The product is spotting when a single off reading becomes a pattern worth acting on.

Basking temperature

38–42°C (100–108°F) over the basking spot

A few degrees cool for a week and digestion, appetite and activity quietly drop.

Thermal gradient

A cool side of 26–29°C (79–84°F)

No real gradient leaves a dragon unable to regulate, and skews its behaviour.

Humidity

30–40% for a desert species

Persistently high humidity is a respiratory-infection risk worth catching early.

Weight trend

Steady gain in juveniles, stable in adults

A downward trend across two or three weigh-ins is an early red flag.

Feeding & appetite

Daily insects for juveniles, greens-led for adults

A run of refusals that isn't seasonal is worth a closer look at warmth and weight.

Brumation vs illness

A gradual, seasonal slow-down in cooler months

baskr separates a normal brumation dip from an off-season decline you should act on.

How to set up a bearded dragon terrarium

Minimum size
120×60×60 cm (4×2×2 ft) for an adult, bigger is always better.
Temperatures
Basking 38–42°C (100–108°F), cool side 26–29°C (79–84°F), night drop to ~18–21°C.
Substrate
A firm, dig-friendly base like a topsoil/play-sand mix or bioactive soil. Avoid loose calci-sand and walnut shell, both are impaction risks.
Hides & décor
At least two hides (one warm, one cool) plus a solid basking rock or branch directly under the lamp.
Layout
Run a strong hot-to-cool gradient down the length: basking platform under the heat + UVB at one end, a shaded cool retreat at the other.

Plants for a bearded dragon terrarium

Safe to include

  • Snake plant (Sansevieria)
  • Haworthia
  • Prickly pear pads (Opuntia, despined)
  • Hibiscus
  • Dandelion
  • Spider plant

Avoid

  • Ivy
  • Oleander
  • Elephant ear
  • Most bulb plants (daffodil, tulip)

A desert species doesn't need a jungle, a few hardy succulents and edible plants are ideal. Rinse anything they might nibble, and skip anything you can't confirm is non-toxic.

What to feed a bearded dragon, and what to avoid

Staples

  • Dubia roaches
  • Crickets
  • Black soldier fly larvae
  • Leafy greens: collard, mustard, dandelion, endive

Occasional / treats

  • Hornworms
  • Silkworms
  • Squash, bell pepper
  • A little berry or melon as a treat

Never feed

  • Fireflies (toxic, can be fatal)
  • Avocado
  • Rhubarb
  • Excess spinach & iceberg lettuce
  • Wild-caught insects (pesticides/parasites)

Supplements. Dust insects with calcium (with D3 a few times weekly if UVB is marginal) and a reptile multivitamin about once a week.

Good to know. Juveniles are insect-heavy (~70% insects); adults flip to mostly greens. Always gut-load feeder insects before offering them.

The gear that matters for a bearded dragon

The right kind of kit, pick brands you trust.

UVB lighting

A high-output T5 HO UVB tube (~10–12%, Ferguson zone 3–4) spanning about two-thirds of the enclosure, ~30 cm above the basking spot. Replace every 12 months even if it still lights.

Basking heat

A white basking (halogen) lamp on a dimming thermostat to hold 38–42°C at the basking spot.

Thermostat

Non-negotiable, it controls the heat source so the enclosure can't overheat.

Thermometer + hygrometer

Digital, with a probe read at basking height, not stick-on dials. Check both ends of the gradient.

Enclosure

A 4×2×2 ft (or larger) front-opening vivarium with good ventilation.

The kind of thing baskr will tell you

Grounded in your own logs and the ideal ranges above, plain language, never a diagnosis.

Basking spot read 34°C for 5 days, below the 38–42°C your beardie needs to digest. Check the bulb height or thermostat.

Rex has refused 4 feeds in a row, and it's mid-summer, not brumation season. Keep an eye on weight and basking warmth.

Humidity has averaged 57% this week, high for a desert species. Improve ventilation before it turns into a respiratory issue.

Is your bearded dragon's setup on track?

Enter your own readings for an instant care score, the same check baskr runs for you every day.

Do you have a UVB light?

Enter a reading or two above to see Bearded Dragon's care score.

A quick guide, not a diagnosis. Ideal ranges vary with age, morph and setup, and individual animals differ, so confirm anything critical with an experienced keeper or a reptile vet.

Bearded Dragon vs other pets

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Bearded Dragon care questions

What temperature should a bearded dragon's basking spot be?+

For an adult, aim for roughly 38–42°C (100–108°F) at the basking spot, with a cooler side around 26–29°C (79–84°F) so it can thermoregulate. baskr checks the temperatures you log against this range and flags a sustained drift, but always verify with a good thermometer at basking height.

How often should I weigh my bearded dragon?+

Weekly for growing juveniles and roughly monthly for adults. The trend matters more than any single number, baskr charts the trajectory so a slow decline stands out early.

How do I know if my bearded dragon is brumating or ill?+

Brumation is seasonal and gradual, reduced appetite and activity as things cool, with weight holding. Steady weight loss, sunken eyes, or off-season lethargy point to a problem. baskr flags an off-season or steep decline; for anything concerning, see an exotics vet, baskr is a husbandry assistant, not a diagnosis.

What can bearded dragons not eat?+

Avoid fireflies (toxic), avocado, rhubarb, and large amounts of spinach or iceberg lettuce, and never feed wild-caught insects. Stick to gut-loaded feeder insects and safe greens, and dust with calcium.

Free tools for your bearded dragon

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Last reviewed August 2026. General husbandry guidance, not veterinary advice, and ranges vary with age, morph, subspecies and setup. Confirm anything critical with an experienced keeper or an exotics vet.