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Beardie Supply Co.

The Beardie Guide

Thirteen chapters, free to read, no sign-up. Lighting distances measured rather than guessed, feeding amounts by weight, and a symptom list that says which signs mean a vet today.

Type at least two letters. Try “basking”, “brumation”, “tracker” or “UVB”.

Lizzy, the painted bearded dragon guide, holding the care guide and saying hiI’m Lizzy. Ask me anything. Personalized advice, based on this guide.Chat →

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18 cited sources

Named researchers and primary papers, listed at the end.

Updated 27 August 2026

Always kept up to date based on science and data.

Start hereSomething seems off22 signs and what usually causes them. 5 mean an exotic vet the same day.

Prefer paper? The essentials fit on one page: print the free care sheet.

Chapters

  1. An adult bearded dragon resting on a dark fleece blanket, head raised toward the cameraCh 01 · 3 min · 3 sectionsBefore you get a dragonBuy the setup first. A dragon can’t wait a week for its lighting to arrive.
  2. A furnished vivarium: branches, a flat basking stone and loose substrate under an overhead lamp and a linear tubeCh 02 · 3 min · 5 sectionsThe enclosureSize, substrate, decor, and where the basking spot has to sit.
  3. A bearded dragon on a flat basking stone beneath a heat bulb and linear UVB tube in a dark-walled enclosureCh 03 · 19 min · 9 sectionsLighting and heatThe longest chapter, and the one most worth getting right, light does more work for a dragon than anything else you provide.
  4. A bearded dragon standing over a shallow blue bowl of chopped greens on a slate tileCh 04 · 3 min · 5 sectionsFeedingPortions by weight, not age. Salad every day at every stage. No fruit.
  5. Two bowls of chopped greens beside a measuring dispenser of supplement powderCh 05 · 4 min · 5 sectionsSupplementsThree products, one dosing rule, and how to read what’s actually in the tub.
  6. A pale, alert bearded dragon standing squarely on a white surface, legs and tail in viewCh 06 · 5 min · 8 sectionsHealth and bodyWhat a healthy dragon looks like, what the warning signs are, and which of them mean the vet today.
  7. A bearded dragon tucked into a stone hide in loose substrate, eyes closedCh 07 · 1 min · 2 sectionsBrumation and estivationTwo different things, constantly confused, and one of them can hide a sick animal.
  8. A bearded dragon perched upright on a branch with loose skin lifting around its head and neckCh 08 · 5 min · 7 sectionsSheddingA dragon’s shed looks nothing like a snake’s, and expecting it to is why most keepers think theirs has a problem.
  9. A bearded dragon drinking with its tongue out from a shallow stone water dishCh 09 · 6 min · 7 sectionsWater and hydrationThey drink, and that’s the only way water gets in. Most of it should be arriving in the food.
  10. A bearded dragon soaking in shallow warm water in a white basinCh 10 · 6 min · 6 sectionsImpactionUsually a water and temperature problem rather than a substrate one, and worth knowing when to stop treating it at home.
  11. A bearded dragon held in cupped hands while an ultrasound probe is passed along its bellyCh 11 · 33 min · 10 sectionsDisease and the vetAlmost nothing in this chapter has a home treatment. The value in knowing it is recognizing it early enough to matter.
  12. A bearded dragon on substrate beside a branch, mouth open in a gapeCh 12 · 28 min · 15 sectionsBehavior and handlingWhat a dragon is telling you, how to pick one up without frightening it, and what the first fortnight actually looks like.
  13. A bearded dragon standing up against a windowsill, looking out through the screenCh 13 · 40 min · 14 sectionsLiving with a dragonCohabitation, quarantine, and the ongoing maintenance that keeps a correct setup correct.

Reference

General suggestions, not veterinary advice. Read the full disclaimer.