Introduction ✨
One of the most popular reptile pets in the world, bearded dragons are renowned for their intriguing habits, calm behavior, and ease of handling. Anyone considering bringing one into their home must take into account how long bearded dragons live. However, with proper care, bearded dragons typically survive 8 to 15 years in captivity. The longevity of your reptile pet highly depends upon proper husbandry. We’ll cover all you ought to know about bearded dragon lifetime in this complete guide, including average age in captivity and the wild, factors that affect life expectancy, and professional advice on how to ensure an extended lifespan in good health.
╰┈➤How Long Do Bearded Dragons Live on Average❓🐉
In captivity, bearded dragons often live for eight to fifteen years. This range depends on several hereditary characteristics and the level of care they undergo.
Amazingly, 18 years is the longest bearded dragon’s lifespan ever observed in captivity. Sebastian, a bearded dragon who lived in the UK and passed away in 2016, accomplished this. Sebastian was a central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps), which is the most popular kind of bearded dragon raised as a pet.
╰┈➤Lifespan of Bearded Dragons in the Wild vs. Captivity 🐉
Naturally, bearded dragons encounter some difficult circumstances in the wild. They must find and hunt their food, struggle to stay alive, and stay aware of the various dangers that come with living in the wild. As a result, their lifespan is rather brief. The typical lifespan of a bearded dragon in the wild is only three to eight years. Since most dragons die at the age of five or six, it is remarkable when a dragon reaches the age of eight.
On the other hand, things are very different for pet dragons. A domestic dragon leads a rather relaxed life. Nothing ever tries to devour you, no habitat and environmental hazards and food is always available. A domestic dragon kept in captivity lives a lot longer. Bearded dragons kept as pets often live between eight and fifteen years. With exceptional care, a bearded dragon can live up to 20 years but it is unreal.
╰┈➤What Affects a Bearded Dragon’s Lifespan❓🐉
The lifespan of a bearded dragon depends on several variables. These fall into the following general categories:
🟠 Diet and Nutrition
First of all, ensure a fresh and clean water supply. Use a small, shallow water dish to ensure your beardie always has access to water.
Beardies can eat both plants and insects and their nutrition needs to be properly balanced. Pet dragons must eat fruit, vegetables, and insects. Therefore, a daily salad consisting of vegetables (such as bell peppers, squashes, carrots, and green beans) and greens (such as bok choy, watercress, dandelion, mustard, and collard greens) is quite healthy for them. Chop their salads into bite-sized pieces so they may consume them easily. Fruits should be considered a daily indulgence or make up more than 10% of their diet.
Most importantly, every day, beardies at their growth phase should consume as many insects as they can consume in ten to fifteen minutes. Bearded dragons may safely eat locusts, red worms, earthworms, crickets, superworms, and Dubia roaches.
On the other hand, adult dragons need more veggies and fewer insects to avoid obesity and associated health problems, while young dragons need more protein to support their fast growth.
Additionally, for healthier growth & nutrition, remember to include calcium and vitamin D3 supplements in their diet.
🟠 Enclosure and Habitat Conditions
For your reptile pet to be healthy, their habitat must be set up properly. The Australian deserts are where bearded dragons originated. Therefore your beardie’s habitat must resemble this setting. If you want your lizard to live as long as possible, the enclosure you give them must have the proper cleanliness, humidity, temperature, and illumination.
It matters how big your beardie’s cage is. Baby bearded dragons should have a 20-gallon tank, juvenile beardies a 40-gallon tank, and adult bearded dragons a 55-gallon tank.
Moreover, the substrate you select for your bearded dragon will also make an impact on their health.
🟠 UVB Lighting and Heating
Maintaining a proper temperature slope inside the enclosure is essential for your bearded dragon’s gut health and overall well-being. The basking area should be kept between 95°F and 110°F, while the cooler side of the enclosure should remain between 75°F and 85°F.
In addition, UVB lighting plays a critical role in calcium absorption. Without adequate UVB exposure, bearded dragons are at risk of developing (MBD) metabolic bone disease. To ensure their health, UVB lights should cover approximately 75% of the enclosure.
🟠 Inbreeding & Genetics
Bearded dragons are particularly vulnerable to inbreeding, which can result in genetic problems, abnormalities, and deformities. In particular, silkback bearded dragons are a kind that was deliberately bred to produce scales that are smooth rather than spiky. Additionally, significant skin problems brought on by this mutation may lower life expectancy and quality of life.
🟠 Stress
Malnutrition, improper handling, inadequate habitat, and other chronic stressors impair immunity, which can lead to a variety of issues and shorten a pet’s life.
🟠 Veterinary Care and Health Issues
Visits to the veterinarian are essential for early identification and to avoid possible health problems since they allow the vet to examine the dragon’s physical state, spot any symptoms of a medical condition, and offer advice on how to keep it healthy.
╰┈➤How to Help Your Bearded Dragon Live Longer❓🐉
Tips for Optimal Habitat Setup
Providing your bearded dragon with a cozy home is essential to extending their life. You can follow these tips for optimal habitat setup.
- In captivity, imitating their natural Australian desert habitat can have a major effect on their longevity and general health.
- Offer a roomy enclosure that permits mobility and exploring.
- To replicate the temperature and light levels observed in the natural, make sure the cage has the proper heating and lighting components.
- To stop the transmission of illness, new reptiles should always be quarantined before being included with current pets.
- Choosing substrates that mimic the rocky or sandy landscape of their native environment might also help them feel less stressed and improve their general health.
- They can make use of branches, rocks, and man-made caverns to hide, bask, and keep themselves physically healthy.
- Use different tanks or separated enclosures if you are keeping more than one beardie.
- Numerous engaging toys and activities that promote natural behaviors and offer mental exercise are beneficial to bearded dragons.
╰┈➤Best Foods for Long-Term Health
🔸 Insects: Black fly larvae, Dubia roaches, and crickets are great sources of calcium and protein. Insects collected from the wild should not be fed since they can have parasites or insecticides.
🔸 Vegetables: Leafy greens that are high in nutrients, like dandelion, mustard, and collard greens, are the best. For variation, you can add carrots, bell peppers, and squash.
🔸 Fruits: Blueberries, watermelon, tomatoes strawberries, bananas, and apples are safe but should be given infrequently owing to high sugar content.
🔸 Supplements: To avoid metabolic bone disease, calcium and vitamin D3 supplements are essential. Dust insects with these supplements once a week for adults and two to three times a week for juveniles.
╰┈➤Signs of Illness to Watch For
The most common early signs of illness you witness while seeing your pet reptile are as follows;
- Constipation
- Lack of appetite
- Less Active
- Diarrhea
- Slack jaw
- Sunken eyes
- Wrinkled skin
- Shaky movements
- Skin discoloration
If you find any of these symptoms in your pet bearded dragons, consult a vet as soon as possible for early detection of disease to ensure longevity.
╰┈➤Common Health Problems That May Shorten Lifespan:
Let’s get started by talking about the most prevalent illnesses, ailments, and health issues affecting bearded dragons!
🔸 MDB (Metabolic bone disease): Bearded Dragons’ Bones deteriorate because they either don’t get enough calcium in their diet or don’t absorb it correctly.
🔸 Yellow Fungus: The superficial and deep tissues of a bearded dragon are attacked by the relatively aggressive fungal infection known as yellow fungus.
🔸 Respiratory infection: Bearded dragons are prone to upper respiratory infections, which are bacterial lung infections brought on by an excess of moisture.
🔸 Parasite attack: A high parasite level will make bearded dragons sickly and lethargic.
🔸 Infectious Stomatitis (Mouth rots): Mouth rot occurs when the bearded dragon’s mouth becomes so inflamed that the tissues start to rot.
🔸 Impaction: Impaction (constipation) happens when your bearded dragon is unable to have a bowel movement due to an interior obstruction.
🔸 Tumors: Cancers or tumors or can also spread vigorously in your reptile pet’s body due to poor husbandry.
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╰┈➤Bearded Dragon Life Expectancy by Age Chart
The ability to identify age enables owners to give their bearded dragon the best possible care, diet, and habitat arrangement for the duration of its life, resulting in the greatest possible health and enjoyment. You can estimate your pet’s age using the following techniques & tips.
🟠 How to Estimate Age❓
Determining the age of a bearded dragon is not always simple. Based on their size & stature, you can make a reasonable assumption when they’re young. However, after a year or so, when their growth slows down, length & weight measuring methods become less accurate.
Weight, sex maturity, skin texture, and degree of activity all play a role in determining age once adult size is attained. A mature dragon that is becoming calm and chubby is probably a senior.
On the other hand, you can tell your bearded dragon’s age more accurately, only when you know it by birth. Moreover, pet breeder and vet examinations can also help you to estimate a beardie’s age.
🟠 Milestones at Each Stage:
🔸 Hatchling
- 0–3 months
- 2-4 inches long, growing quickly, and eating three to four times a day
- More protein is needed.
🔸 Juvenile
- 4–12 months
- 4–14 inches in length
- slow Growth
- two to three meals a day
- shifts from primarily insects to more veggies.
🔸 Sub-adult
- 12-18 months
- approaches mature size with little growth
- Eats one or two times a day
- able to initiate adult feeding rates
🟠 Age range for adults
- 18 months to 5 years
- Typically fully matured about 18-24 months
- When full size, it is more than 16 inches long.
- 1-2 times a day, consume veggies and some live meals.
- When sexually mature, females lay eggs.
🔸 Senior
- Older than five years
- Growth has ceased.
- Age-related alterations could occur.
- Make dietary adjustments for aging
- Can survive in captivity for 6–14 years.
- Care will be aided by keeping track of a bearded dragon’s age and stage.
╰┈➤FAQs ❓❓❓
How long do bearded dragons live as pets❓
These amiable reptiles can survive in captivity for eight to fifteen years if given the right care.
How long do bearded dragons live in the wild❓
The typical lifespan of a bearded dragon in the wild is only three to eight years. It’s amazing when dragons live to be eight years old.
What can I do to help my bearded dragon live longer❓
A healthy diet, optimal habitat conditions, UVB illumination, and routine veterinary examinations should all be provided.
How do I know if my bearded dragon is getting old❓
Probably, at old age (6-7 years), you will observe decreased activity, loss of appetite, limb weakness, baggy eyes, and decreased shedding in your pet bearded dragon.
Can bearded dragons live 20 years❓
With extraordinary care, a bearded dragon can live up to 20 years but it is unreal.
What shortens a bearded dragon’s lifespan❓
Poor food, poor UVA & UVB lighting, illness, and uncomfortable or filthy conditions can dramatically shorten their longevity.
Conclusion: (How Long Do Bearded Dragons Live❓) 💡
Wrapping up all the discussion it is clear that, by focusing on creating an ideal habitat, providing balanced nutrition, monitoring health, lowering stress, providing exercise and enrichment, and considering genetic factors, you can greatly extend your pet’s lifespan and quality of life. Remember that regular, careful maintenance is essential to a bearded dragon’s longevity. You may provide your reptilian pet with the best opportunity for a long and healthy life by putting the tips and techniques covered in this tutorial into practice.
