By Margaret A. Wissman, DVM, DABVP
I have heard many different temperatures for the high and low areas for a bearded dragon, and I want to do what’s best for my year old beardie, Hemingway. What’s the real truth?
While beardies can withstand a wide variety of temperatures, here is what I always tell owners. The focal basking hot spot should be between 100 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. If your beardie is not sitting in the hot spot, gaping with its mouth open, then it probably isn’t hot enough. Remember, the entire habitat cannot be as hot as the basking area, but the hot spot is necessary for proper digestion.
For the rest of the habitat, I recommend 76 degrees F at the cool end and the hot end should be around 86 degrees F. At night, the temperature, in the cool side, should be in the low to mid-70s.
You can check back through the archived questions to read up on more detailed information about beardie husbandry on this site.