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Bearded dragons have specific lighting requirements that emulate their natural warm and dry habitat. Learn about their lighting needs at Petco.
Updated on June 19th, 2026
Picking the best leopard gecko substrate can be an overwhelming task; learn about some great options to help your leopard gecko live a happy & healthy life!
Updated on June 19th, 2026
Learn how to setup your reptiles terrarium to ensure your reptile lives a wholesome & happy life. Shop at your local Petco for all reptile terrarium needs.
Updated on July 17th, 2026
Learn how to set up a beardie enclosure.
Updated on March 24th, 2026
Your bearded dragon needs daily activity to stay physically and mentally fit. Petco is sharing tips for incorporating regular exercise and play into your reptile's routine.
Updated on June 19th, 2026
Choose the largest cage your space and budget will allow. At minimum, a 55 gallon enclosure should be considered. Acceptable substrates include slate, reptile carpet, decomposed granite or large gravel. Yes, setting up a bio-active environment for beardies is possible. It will take a bit of research and effort to get it right.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Thanks for your question about Smaug, and thanks for the photo as well! I think that you have a good start to your set up, and that we can tweak a few items. First, your lighting situation appears adequate - I see a UVB light (please change this bulb every 4-6 months), a basking light, and a ceramic heat bulb. I would ensure that your temperatures are appropriate for this species, and that you are monitoring them using digital thermometers (I think that you see both a digital and analog thermometers currently) at the level of Smaug. Analog thermometers are inaccurate, so I don't recommend using them (also, they are high up on the sides of the enclosure, so they wouldn't be giving an accurate temperature read for Smaug). For the cage furniture that you have, I like that you have places for Smaug to climb and hide. However, I would recommend having a hide on both the warm side of the enclosure and the cool side so that Smaug has choices. Same for the climbing structures. I may have missed a food and water dish in the enclosure - I would recommend that both of these be shallow, and be large enough for Smaug's entire body to fit within them. I cannot tell what type of shavings that you have on the bottom of the enclosure, but the only wood shavings that I recommend are aspen shavings. If they are pine, these can be irritating to the respiratory system. I hope that gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Congratulations on your new addition! The tank is sufficient for a juvenile, however you will likely need a larger one when Sonora is fully grown. Make sure Sonora can get into and out of the bowl easily to prevent drowning. Place thermometers in the enclosure to monitor temperature. You will need 3. One at the cool side, one on the warm side and one for the basking spot. Hygrometers can also be used to monitor humidity. You can review care information at the link below. http://www.anapsid.org/bearded.html
Updated on September 24th, 2025
One of the most reliable sites for beardie care is found at the link below. http://www.anapsid.org/bearded.html You can find additional information here: http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Care-Sheets/Lizards/Bearded-Dragon/ Provide heat, UVB lighting, water and a balanced diet while she recovers and beyond. Once she is healthy again, acclimate her to your presence slowly then gradually introduce her to handling by holding her for ever increasing periods of time.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Hi, For heat you could do a number of things e.g. place any incandenscent bulb above him, place other types of heaters near the tank etc. Please make sure that the temperature is not too high. As for food, this is more of a problem. If he's used to eating crickets it would be difficult to switch him at once to something else. I assume meal worms or otjer insects are also unavailable? You could very temporarily try some soft cat food but it may not work.
Updated on September 24th, 2025