Question by Jonas: When do i the breeding season for bearded dragons ?

I’m really looking forward to getting one. But all the reptile shops don’t have any babies. I’d rather get a baby seeing as how bearded dragons live 10 years. So if you know anything about the breeding cycles please help me out.

Best answer:

Answer by copperhead
Although not strictly required, beardies usually lay eggs after a period of brumination – this is similar to hibernation, usually a rest period when temperatures are cooler and they are less active. If you’ve followed questions in this section, it appears lots of folks have beardies going into brumination now. After brumination, eggs will be laid in 1 – 1 1/2 months, and hatch in 65 -75 days. I’d still wait a little while after this as babies are difficult to feed. So start looking around the end of June for one about 7-8″ long.

http://www.kingsnake.com/gladescs/bearded/

http://www.herpcenter.com/articles/Breeding-Bearded-Dragons.html

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Expert Tips on Breeding Bearded Dragons

Breeding bearded dragons requires more than putting a male and female together.  If you’re trying to breed these lizards, there are a few things you need to know beforehand.  This article will give you a few tips.

Age

It’s a mistake to breed beardies at a young age.  Younger dragons have an increased risk of egg binding as well as other health problems.  Females bred at too early of an age usually have a shorter lifespan.  It’s best to wait until they’re at least 18 months old.

Behavior

When ready to breed, the male’s beard will darken.  He will try to get the female to notice him by bobbing his head and stomping his feet.  Females will slowly bob their head in return and wave their arms.  The male often gets quite violent when mating as he will bite at the female’s neck to steady his position.

Lay Area

When your dragons start displaying their mating behavior, it’s important that you setup a lay area for the eggs.  If the female can’t find a proper area to lay her eggs, she may become egg-bound.  The area should be large and filled with moist soil and sand.

Eggs

It generally takes anywhere between four and six weeks for the female to lay her eggs.  You should be aware that the eggs won’t hatch on their own if you leave them there.  Instead, you need to dig them up very gently, making sure you don’t turn them upside down.

Females tend to lay some infertile eggs in their first clutch.  They will be yellow when held up to a candle.  Also, they will have a gelatin-like feel to them.  On the other hand, fertile eggs feel more like leather.  They will appear pink when candled.  You should also be able to see a developing, round embryo inside.

Incubation

You should setup your incubator around the same time you construct the lay area to ensure it’s ready.  The temperature should be between 82 and 84 degrees Fahrenheit.  There should also be plenty of humidity.  The eggs should hatch in about two months.

Question by Diet Soylent Green: What are the standards of general health required for breeding bearded dragons?

I have a female about 6 months, and I aim to breed her so I can sell the babies at a stand at the flea market or on Craigslist. I’m wondering, if I were to purchase a male, how old both of them would have to be, and when I can house them together and for how long.
Also, what sort of condition should they both be in? I want the babies to be in top shape to be sold. I’m not breeding for colors, specifically, I just want healthy dragons and no returns or complaints.
Thanks in advance!

Best answer:

Answer by Alyssa
Good for you for doing research!

First, make sure both lizards are at least 1 year old, 2 is better. At least make sure the female is 2 years so she won’t risk losing a lot of weight or health during breeding.

Second, have both lizards checked over by a vet and de-wormed. Internal parasites are VERY common in reptiles, and can complicate pregnancy.

You should not house them together except during breeding season. You will need 2 separate cages until they are old enough to breed.

Make sure you feed a wide variety of foods, and supplement both lizards diets with calcium powder and reptile vitamins regularly. Also, make sure the cages are spotless and the temperatures are hot enough- reptiles lose a lot of health if they are too cold for too long. During the day, the ‘hot’ side of the cage should be 110-115 degrees F, and the cool side at least 85 degrees. At night, let the temperature drop no lower than about 70 degrees. If your house is cold, buy a purple or red night-heat lamp.

You should also check them over for obvious things- deformed legs, bad eyes, etc. If you can see it, it’s a problem and they shouldn’t be bred.

Before the female can be bred, you should make sure she’s fat. Reptiles can lose a lot of weight and energy during breeding, so make sure you give her plenty of extra food and let her pack on a few ounces first.

Food: Make sure you always have fresh green vegetables available (frozen mixes of beans, peas, carrots, corn, etc. work well. Thaw them in hot water and place in a bowl in the cage daily.) They also need protein, which can be crickets, mealworms, waxworms, etc. Do not feed wild insects, they can carry parasites. Use store-bought only. You can also use commercial bearded dragon pellets. Pregnant females enjoy pinky mice for extra fat and protein. When feeding to breed, I would suggest this: one bowl of pellets, one bowl of fresh veggies, one bowl of clean water at all times, and a serving of live insects each day. This gives them the widest variety of nutrition possible. And don’t forget the calcium & vitamin powders! PS- NEVER feed regular lettuce.

Some dragons produce more eggs if they are ‘brumated’ first. To do this, let the dragons stay at room temperature with no heat lamps for about 3 months during the winter. They will hibernate for most of it, but leave some pellets and water available if they get hungry. Warm them up slowly over a period of 1 week until they are at their normal heat temperatures again. Feed them well for several more weeks before allowing them to start breeding.

Give the female several weeks to 1 month after egg laying before breeding again. 2-3 batches of eggs per season should be the max, otherwise you’ll over stress her body.

Put the female in the male’s tank for a week, then put her back in her own cage until she lays eggs. You’ll need an incubator to keep the eggs in the high 80s at all times until they hatch.

It is often suggested that the male be fed well but not allowed to get ‘fat’ during breeding- it makes him more active and more likely to mate. The female, however, should be allowed to get fairly fat.

If you have any more questions feel free to email me!

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