Do you own a bearded dragon?
Have you been fascinated with the commitment required to provide care to these pets? And as such have often asked what is bearded dragon lifespan? This article is for you.
Bearded dragons as pets have over the years gotten so popular, particularly in the United States. In fact, these animals have been considered one of the best pets due to their distinctive traits and personality.
Their animated and social behavior, robust nature, mild temperament, flexible diet, and willingness to breed in captivity has attracted the attention of reptile enthusiasts.
Factors that Influence the Lifespan of a Bearded Dragon
It is usually believed that the average lifespan of a bearded dragon is up to about 10 years. But, improved husbandry practices have proven otherwise. Before we go into specifics about their lifespan, it is important to know the factors that contribute to this bearded dragon life expectancy.
1. Environment
Bearded dragons come with unique personalities that need special environments to thrive. As bearded dragon owners, there are certain key environmental factors that need to be provided for your beardies to keep them healthy and improve their lifespan.
To start with, they should be given proper space. This means that they should not be cramped in a tight space but given ample room to express themselves. One way to definitely shorten the existence is to expose them to undue stress. Also, you want to ensure that their space is provided with proper lighting, substrate, and heating.
For these lizards to thrive well in health, adequate temperature gradients must be provided within their enclosure. Plus, a hot basking spot kept between 35-40˚C.
Also, it’s best to give them access to an elevated piece of rock or timber ornament so that they can bask within 30cm of the heat source. If these elements are not made available, it increases the chances of losing your beardie sooner than normal.
It is important to note also that maintaining high standards of hygiene and cleanliness within the dragon’s enclosure is very critical to their health. Spot checks should be done (at least once a day). The substrate should be sifted to remove contaminants such as feces, uneaten food, or shed skin.
2. Diet
Diet is another very critical determinant of how long a bearded dragon gets to live. To start with, these dragons are omnivores and thus feed on a range of plant matter and live insects. While their mainstay is fruits and veggies, they should be fed with live foods as well – especially the juvenile and hatchlings.
These live foods include woodies, silkworms, mealworms, and crickets. It is important that they get a wide variety of produce, as this will ensure their diet is nutritionally balanced. Their nutritional requirements are basically according to their age. That is, their dietary needs change with age. As a rule of thumb, when they are young, a daily supply of protein will do them real good. As they age, this is where more of the greens and vegetables will come in.
Also include in their diet are supplements of Vitamins such as D, and E, Calcium, and the likes. The quality of nutrition you provide for them will tell on the quality and length of their life. Not to forget the importance of freshwater, as it should be available at all times.
3. Sex
One of the factors that determine how long your bearded dragons live is the sex of the pet. Generally, although not always, males tend to live longer than females. One of the reasons for this is that males are a little more resilient and of course larger.
Another reason is that breeding impacts the span of the beard. Whether it’s humans or animals, reproduction usually takes a toll on the body. The more babies they have, the shorter their life.
4. Size
A notable characteristic of Pogona Vitticeps, being the most common species of bearded dragon in captivity is its size. Out of the 8 breed or types of a bearded dragon, it has the largest size potential.
This suggests that species that are large tend to have a longer lifespan than the smaller ones. One reason for this is also probably because larger breeds are usually more resilient.
So, What Is Bearded Dragon Life Expectancy
No doubt, bearded dragons are a wonderful pet to have around. When it comes down to the question of how long do bearded dragons live, this is partly dependent on many factors as mentioned above.
On average, bearded dragon lifespan can be as much as between 5-8 years in the wild. But, when in captivity, they can go as far as between 8-12 years, depending on the attention given to it by the owner. So there is a direct relationship between how well they are taken care of and how long they get to live.
There are cases where they can live beyond than to as much as 15 years if given super care. In conclusion, it is a big commitment to own a bearded dragon, or ‘beardy’, as they have an uncommon lifespan when it comes to pets.
Now you know that you play a role in how long your pet gets to live. So, if you want them to meet their maximum lifespan, you want to pay attention to the factors that encourage them to thrive. Starting with the above mentioned.
Did you like “How Long Do Bearded Dragons Live?”? We would greatly appreciate it if you would share this on your favorite social media channel.
Be the first to comment