Being an owner of bearded dragons, people frequently ask the question: How long do bearded dragons live? Apart from this question, Many thoughts also roam around Because it is a matter of their pet’s life. It depends on various factors. Here we will discuss every aspect briefly.
How long Do Bearded Dragons Live?
Bearded dragons’ life span, on average, is 8-15 years. But this age estimation varies among different bearded dragons. Pet Bearded dragons live more than the Dragons living in the wild usually. Various factors like a Healthy diet, sex, great genetics, and care can enhance the life quality of Bearded Dragons.
Life span of Bearded Dragons
Pet Bearded dragons have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years, or even longer. But wild bearded dragons only live for 3-6 years; on crossing 8, they are known as rare and called older or special. Male dragons tend to live more than females.
How long Do Bearded Dragons live In Captivity?
Bearded Dragons living as a pet lives almost for 8-12 years. Pet beardies live longer than wild ones. A lot of factors have an impact on this life span difference. For example, Bearded Dragons in captivity have less or almost zero risks of predation. They usually don’t face water and food shortage. Hence, increasing their life span. Although Beardies are kept in captivity, they can live much longer than their wild ones. But any negligence in care can cause serious health issues to them by decreasing their life span. Balance diet, proper light, perfect humidity level. Space is all-important for a bearded dragon to thrive. Spending some time with your per beardies daily. It will keep them fresh and healthy and will add years to their life.
How long Do Bearded Dragons live in Wild?
The lifespan of bearded dragons in the wild is nearly 5-8 years. Their life is usually shorter because most of the bearded dragons become prey of their predators. Bigger wild animals haunt them, making their lifespan shorter. Food shortage and water scarcity are also one of the main causes of endangering of Bearded Dragons. Water is an essential part of their life, but sometimes, they face serious drought due to living in a desert, causing them dead. Bearded dragon also strangled to death because of interaction with some poisonous insects. Living in the wild makes their life vulnerable because of hazardous plants too. Dingoes, birds, and large goannas (lizards) are the natural predators of Bearded Dragons. Although wild beardies have an average life of 5-8 years, they are called lucky if they become successful in living longer than that span.
How long Do Bearded Dragons live without Food?
Being an owner, most people wonder this question that How long do Bearded Dragon live without food? The answer varies from pets to wild dragons. Because for pets, access to food is easy as compared to wild ones. Food is a basic necessity of life for living animals. For Bearded Dragons, food is important for growth and healthy life, But if your Bearded dragon is not eating properly, you should notice.
For baby beardies, it is not good to starve for more than 24 hours. They should be feed 3-5 times a day. On the other hand, adult Bearded Dragons can live without food for more than 4 weeks, but it happens only when they have enough storage of Fat. Sometimes this period extends to four months when bearded dragons go for Hibernation. Food shortage can create protein and other vitamin deficiencies, which is not good for the health of Bearded dragons. It is important to take care of your pet and feed them with a healthy and balanced diet for survival.
How long Do Adult Bearded Dragons live?
Bearded dragons become mature at the age of 6-7. After that, their food intake becomes opposite to baby beardies. They start eating plants more than meat with a ratio of 3:1. Adult bearded dragons can live up to 15 years, but they are called special and lucky if they cross their normal age. But their long life depends on various factors like diet, habitat, temperature, water intake, breeding, Health, etc.
How long do baby bearded dragons live?
Baby beardies are called Hatchlings and are born at three inches in size. But this stage lasts only for 60-75 days. They grow with an average length of 1-3 inches per month. Till the length of 8 inches, bearded dragons are called Hatchling. Hatchlings are sensitive in nature and need extra care. any ignorance can put their lives in danger. With a proper diet and other factors, Hatchlings turn into Adult bearded dragons at the age of 6 years.
Do Male/Female Bearded Dragon live Longer?
Male bearded dragons have longer life spans than females. Because males are bigger than females. And due to their large size, they are stronger and resilient. Also, female bearded dragons use for breeding, and when a female has eggs, it takes a toll on her body which makes her weaker. It is suggested to keep female beardies away from breeding. Therefore, females live shorter than males.
Factors influencing the Life span of Bearded Dragons
Following factors can Influence the lifespan of Bearded Dragons
Diet :
A healthy diet always ensures the quality of life of either it is humans or animals. Like humans, animals also desire good food. If you are feeding a healthy balanced diet to your blog post pet, you are increasing their long life chances. Bearded dragons are Omnivores in nature, which means they can eat both plants and meat. Infant or toddler Bearded dragons need more protein in their diet than Carbohydrates. So their diet should be full of 80% protein to 20% carbs.
On the other hand, young and adulthood Bearded dragons like to eat more veggies and fruit than protein. But too much of anything is dangerous for Health. Young dragons should be with 20% protein to 80% plants ratio. Bearded dragons are easy-going reptiles. They eat whatever they found. Beardies like various insects, i.e., cockroaches, cricket, grasshopper, DubIA, slugs, and spiders. In-plant Collection Bearded dragons like to eat broccoli, parsley, green beans, corn peas, and pumpkin, But food should be given an inaccurate amount. You can feed them with fruit too, but it should be only 10% no matter how older your bearded dragon is. Fruits can include grapes, apples, strawberries, watermelon, etc. in diet A Healthy and balanced diet will increase the chances of Survival of Bearded dragons.
Habitat :
Dragon Bearded are from Australian Desserts. So if you are keeping A bearded dragon as a pet, it is necessary to provide the same habitat as the desert at home. A proper Desert habitat is much needed for the safety and growth of bearded dragons. Proper light, humidity, and temperature should be carefully observed for their better living. Size of Bearded Enclosure varies with the age of Bearded Dragons.
For example
A. Baby beardies need a 20-gallon tank
B. Juvenile beardies need a 40-gallon tank
C. Adult beardies need a 70- 120 gallon tank.
Apart from the size of a gallon, one thing which matters most for perfect habitat is Substrate. Yes, Substrate plays an important role in a better environment. It is highly recommended to use Non- particle substrate For Pet’s beardies instead of particles. Pet pets can digest particles and dust, which may cause impaction, leading to serious health issues. For non- particle substrate, you can use reptile carpets, ceramic tiles, newspapers, and sheets. Additionally, you can put Rocks and hides in the enclosure because Bearded dragons enjoy crawling among them. You can add safe plants like Rosemary, Turtle Vince, and jade plants in beardies tank for decorative purposes. It will make them happy too.
Environment:
For a longer life span of Bearded Dragons, Temperature plays an important role. The right temperature of Enclosure will help Beardies to enjoy their life more. Temperature varies for different age beardies. Place both heating and cooling space in their tank. The temperature for the heating area should be 110° F for babies and 100°F for adults. While cooler areas should not be more than 90°F for babies and 80°F for adults. A perfect light indicates a Healthy life for Bearded dragons, So it is necessary to place UVA/UVB light resources in the tank. It will help them in activities; otherwise, they may become ill. The humidity level of the tank should not be below 40%. If the humidity level goes down by 40%, it may cause respiratory problems. You can check Humidity with Hygrometer.
Sex:
Usually, Male beardies’ life span is longer than that of females. But this case is not happening in every case. But following reasons can cause great difference among their life duration. 1- Male beardies are larger than females. And size matters a lot in life span 2- Female beardies becomes weak after Breeding. During breeding, female beardies release more energy. After laying eggs, she took a toll on her body. This energy release causes her life to span shorter than a male. So it is recommended not to use female bearded dragons for Breeding.
Hygiene:
It is important to keep your Bearded Dragons Neat and Clean. Hygiene is the necessity to save your beardies From skin problems and other health issues, enhancing their life span. Keep their tank clean. Wash it once in two weeks. Make sure to keep it dust-free; that is why use non-particles substrate. Wash your bearded dragons once a month to protect them from Skin problems.
Size:
Generally, Larger bearded dragons possess more life span than smaller ones, or you can say Male lives more than females. Because larger Bearded Dragons are resilient than smaller ones and can handle problems easily. A healthy and balanced diet will help them to increase in size. So it is better to keep them in a larger tank/enclosure to prevent them from suffocation due to their larger size.
Belonging Specie:
Bearded Dragons have 8 subspecies. Larger subspecies are resilient and stronger than smaller ones. Larger beardies in the wild are better at fending off predators. They easily become adaptable to different environments. Pogona vitticeps subspecies are one of the most common among them. They tend to live almost 8-12 years. Pogona henry lawson is smaller than others and possesses a lifespan of 8-10 years. The Rankin’s dragon is another smaller subspecies. Their lifespan ranges from six to ten years. It is recommended to buy Bearded Dragons from a certified seller because it is more likely to have good genes.
Health & Medical checkup:
One of the best ways to increase the life span of Bearded dragons is to monitor their health routine. A healthy bearded dragon will have more life span than a diseased one. Although it is rare, the metabolic bone disease can cause damage to bones of jaws, spine, and legs, especially the front one in the Bearded Dragons. To avoid this disease, increase the calcium intake and keep the dragons under perfect light. It is better to visit the veterinarian once a year for a physical examination.
Life Expectancy of Bearded Dragons?
The average life expectancy for Bearded Dragons is 10-15years in captivity. While, In the wild, their life spans are usually shorter ranging from 3-6 years. Many factors can shorten their life spans in the wild, including a shortage in food supplies and predators such as wolves, snakes, and Other bigger animals. Or sometimes wild beardies encounter poisonous fruit or vegetable, causing death. In captivity, bearded dragons become vulnerable to diseases such as respiratory problems due to dust particles substrate or metabolic bone disorder due to low calcium intake. Therefore, it is important to monitor your pet strictly. And visit the veterinarian regularly to keep yourself up to date on his Health.
Life Cycle of Bearded Dragons?
Here we will discuss the life of bearded dragons to enhance your knowledge regarding their life stages. The Six Life Stages of a Bearded Dragon When the Bearded Dragon grows, it goes through 6 stages and becomes an adult beardie and enjoys life.
Embryonic Stage:
The first stage of Bearded Dragon’s life development. The embryonic stage takes place inside the egg, and beardie is in the form of a small embryo. A high level of stress and improper nutrition of the mother during this stage may affect the offspring and its quality of living.
Hatchlings
Hatchling starts out around 3 inches. It will remain hatchlings until they’re about 7-8 inches. During this hatchling stage, Bearded dragons grow between 1-3 inches in length per month.
Juvenile
juvenile dragons are generally7-8 inches long. These little dragons generally grow about 1 inch each month. They will be considered juveniles until at least 1 year of age. Juveniles should be fed a diet containing about 75% insect and 25% plant matter, such as fruits and vegetables.
Young Adult
After completing one year, a Bearded dragon is known to be a young adult. They’re not growing as quickly anymore, though they’re becoming mature. Because of this, social behaviors are becoming more obvious. The food of adult dragons consists of about 50% plant material and 50% insects.
Late Adulthood
At the ages of 4-7, a dragon is called a late adult. They become fully grown and start eating the opposite diet of a juvenile. As mature adults, dragons eat about 75% of plants or vegetables and only 25% of insects.
Older age
The old age of Bearded Dragons begins after 7 years. At this stage, the mobility of beardies will be less with limited food intake. Being an owner, if you take proper care of your pet beardie, it will enjoy a long healthy life. Extra care can make a beardie able to live even 15 years, But ignorance and carelessness can cause death at the early stages of its life. Therefore, take care in their young age so they can enjoy their older life period with peace.
How To determine the age of the Bearded Dragon?
You can determine your dragon’s age in three ways.
Body length.
Newborn hatchlings <3 inches
1-4 month < 4-10 inches
1 year <12 inches
Adults < 16-24 inches
Weight
Juvelie dragons 300gm
Adult dragons 500gm
Sex
It is the final way to check your dragon’s sex. Between 8-12 months of age, your dragons become sexually mature, and you can determine their gender.
Tips to maximize Quality Of life Of Bearded Dragons
Although Bearded dragons live 10-15 years, these are some tips through which you can maximize lifespan and quality of life.
- Use of clean and safe Products for Enclosure, i.e., Non-particles Substrate
2. Buy The Right Size Tank according to the length of Bearded Dragons
3. For temperature measurement, Buy A Thermometer That Will help to Regulate The Tank in a good manner
4. Hydrate them well
5. Avoid unhealthy and poisonous food
6. Regular baths should be given to bearded dragons to avoid skin problems
7. Handle with extra care because they are too sensitive
Conclusion
Through the above discussion, it is concluded that the life span of A Pet bearded dragon differs from wild one Pet dragon lives 8-15 years while wild dragons live only 6-8 years Life expectancy of a Bearded Dragon depends on various factors like Diet, habitat, temperature, supplements, Disease, etc. You can maximize the lifespan of your pet dragon by taking extra care of it through Health care and regular veterinary visits.
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