A terrarium/vivarium is one of the most important things that your bearded dragon needs in its lifetime. A vivarium provides a bearded dragon with shelter, basking and cooling spots, hiding area, branches and foliage and a place to eat and sleep!
In this post, we will talk about choosing and buying a terrarium for your bearded dragon. We will discuss how to buy a terrarium of the right size depending on your bearded dragon’s size and age.
Then, we will talk about indoor and outdoor terrariums/cages/playpens. We will also discuss other bearded dragon terrarium ideas and share tips on placing the terrarium in the right place.
And you have to set everything up before your bearded dragon arrives! Otherwise, your beardie will get cold and stressed if you keep it in a small container while setting up a terrarium. If you have its vivarium ready before arrival, the acclimation period will be finished quicker.
Do I need to buy a terrarium for my bearded dragon at all?
Many people might think that getting your bearded dragon an enclosure is not very important. But think about it: is letting your bearded dragon roam the house and touch everything without your supervision fine?
While it is fun to handle your bearded dragon and let it out for some quality time, you need to be careful. Only let your bearded dragon roam the house while you are watching it.
There are many problems with your bearded dragon walking around the house and not having a vivarium. The first one is keeping its temperature right. Your bearded dragon will have a very hard time heating itself without artificial lighting (unless there is a source of unfiltered light).
Another problem will be its feeding and watering, which can get messy and hard to achieve. Your bearded dragon will struggle to find its bowls or to search food and water.
Another problem is interaction with other pets (if you have any). They might attack each other, causing injuries. Your bearded dragon is very likely to climb the shelves, up the curtains, touch the wires, and can cause a fire or spoil your furniture.
There is also a big chance of your bearded dragon going very close to a lamp and burning itself (if it is not covered).
So, buying your bearded dragon a terrarium is a must. You can let it have fun around the house when you are watching it. Otherwise, your companion can get ill or injured.
Should I get my bearded dragon an outdoor or indoor cage?
Getting an indoor terrarium for a bearded dragon is the most popular choice. It is popular because people feel safe about keeping their bearded dragons inside the house.
Another reason is that most people live in areas where outside temperatures and humidity are too low or too high for bearded dragons. So keeping their bearded dragons inside the house with supporting artificial lights will ensure they are well cared for.
But if your climate allows to keep bearded dragons outside, at least for summer, you might consider it. If the weather is optimal for your bearded dragon only in summer, you can let him/her stay in the outdoor cage for the season. When it gets colder, move your bearded dragon inside.
What type of a terrarium/vivarium does a bearded dragon need?
Bearded dragons are arid to semi-arid lizards that mostly live in deserts and forests. They also like climbing, so a potential terrarium should have a reasonable height (at least same length as your beardie, 16 inches and more for an adult).
The best type of a terrarium for your bearded dragons is a savanna or desert terrarium. We will talk about terrarium selection for bearded dragons in a minute.
1. An outdoor cage for your bearded dragon – pros and cons
Setting up an outdoor enclosure for your bearded dragon to spend summer in can be a good decision. But at the same time, there can be problems. An outdoor cage is a good choice for a summer season in most places with warm-hot summers. Or, all-year-round if you live in a warm country or state, such as southern California.
The pros of an outdoor cage for your bearded dragon are fresh air, unfiltered sunlight and natural environment. But there are also cons: predators (such as raccoons, foxes, wild birds, rats and fire ants that can even kill your beaded dragon!) can attack your bearded dragon, steal its food or eggs.
Some birds, such as crows and owls, will enter the cage from the top if you don’t install a screen top. There are also predators that can enter the cage from the bottom by burrowing under the cage – such as moles and shrews.
Rats, other rodents and birds might chew the cage barriers or screen top, making holes in the cage. If they make any holes, your bearded dragon might escape.
To avoid any accidents, you must prepare a good cage. Firstly, you must take care of a screen cover. This can be a net cover, mesh or heavy duty metal screen top.
Make sure it is the right size when buying. What is more, you need to think about placing the cage or pen slightly above the ground (placed on a platform) or below (buried 10 inches below). This is to prevent any burrowing animals from getting inside the cage from the bottom.
Here are some ideas for an outdoor enclosure for your bearded dragon
Wooden cage. One of the ideas for an outdoor bearded dragon cage is to build one of your own. The best material for the cage would be wood. Prepare a wooden framework of the right size (will depend on the size of your dragon).
Attach wooden timber to each other to make a framework. Create wire panels and attach them to each other using J pliers. Then, use staples to attach them to the framework. Don’t forget about the top cover. Also make sure to cover the terrarium joints with non-toxic silicone aquarium sealant. Otherwise, any spilled water will cause the wood to rot.
Playpen. You can also build or buy a metal playpen like this and cover the top and sides with extra mesh or net cover with smaller openings.
Greenhouse pen. If the outdoor temperatures are not high enough, you can get/make a pen that you will put in your greenhouse. But make sure that the temperature and humidity(!) are right for your bearded dragon.
Remember, predators and bugs can enter an outdoor cage. If for example, your bearded dragon eats even one firefly, (read about toxic foods here) it will die shortly after. No matter which outdoor cage you buy or build, add a wire or metal screen tops and sides with small openings.
With a playpen, wrap it with a mesh or wire with very small openings (1/2 inch or so). Although it will not fully prevent these bugs from coming in, it will greatly add to the safety. You can also use insect netting like this to wrap the playpen or the cage.
Another thing you must do to discourage your bearded dragon from eating fireflies is to feed it on time and give an extra snack one-two hours before sleep. If you are worried about your bearded dragon eating toxic bugs, keep it indoors.
PVC cage. Another great cage material for a bearded dragon would be a tank made from PVC. PVC tanks are sturdy, long-lasting and look great. When choosing a PVC cage, choose non-porous, rigid, closed cell PVC.
PVC cages are often custom made, so can take longer to ship, but are a great investment for a permanent bearded dragon home. A great example would be this custom made, 3 ft long, 80 gallon PVC tank.
2. Indoor enclosure/terrarium/vivarium for your bearded dragon
Most people choose to house their bearded dragons indoors. They feel safe about predators not coming close to a beardie, and they know that artificial lighting and humidity will not depend on weather changes. So, let’s discuss how to choose a terrarium for your bearded dragon.
The right terrarium size for your hatchling, baby, juvenile and adult bearded dragon.
The best thing for your bearded dragon is to live in a differently sized terrarium depending on its age. There can be problems with buying a big terrarium for your hatchling or baby bearded dragon straight away (so you don’t need to change it later).
A hatchling or baby bearded dragon (up to 4-5 months) might find it very hard finding food and water, and might underfeed. This is another reason why some owners buy a juvenile bearded dragon instead of a baby. Never buy a 55 gallon (or more) terrarium for a baby bearded dragon.
Hatchling and baby bearded dragon suitable terrarium size
An ideal terrarium size for your hatchling bearded dragon (up to 4 weeks old or 1 month) is a 10 gallon enclosure. If you have a hatchling bearded dragon, it will grow fast and you will have to replace its terrarium with a bigger one.
If you are getting a hatchling, a good choice is to start with a 10 gallon starter kit by Zilla like this. It will also feature a screen lid and light bulbs, temperature and humidity cage and the liner.
But please note that a 10 gallon terrarium is only for one hatchling. If you have two hatchlings, get a 20 gallon terrarium. Also, a 10 gallon enclosure can be small and will be comfortable enough for up to 1 month only!
A starter kit can be a good present, but if you don’t want to spend more money upgrading the terrarium in a month or so, getting a 20 gallon enclosure straight away can be better. Terrariums that are too small will not have enough space for your beardie to move around for cooling down or hiding.
A hatchling and baby bearded dragon (0-4 months old) will do best in a medium 20-25 gallon terrarium. This should be roughly 24-30 inches long, 18-20 inches wide and 12-20 inches high. This Exo Terra terrarium like this is 24x18x12 and is around 22 gallons. Another option is this Exo Terra medium wide terrarium like this which is 24x18x18 and around 25 gallons.
If your terrarium doesn’t have a screen lid, you should get one yourself. Screen lids are important for ventilation, keeping pets away and for protecting your bearded dragon from touching the hot bulbs.
Juvenile and adult bearded dragon terrarium size
When your bearded dragon grows up and is around 5-6 months old, you need to get a new terrarium for it. From 5-6 months and up your bearded dragon will need a large terrarium that is at least 55 gallons.
The best terrarium size for 1 adult bearded dragon is around 36 wide, 18 deep and 18-24 high, which is roughly 65 gallons. Exo Terra’s large tall terrarium like this is an equivalent of around 65 gallons.
If you are housing two bearded dragons together (not the best thing to do), then you will need to cover an area of 4 by 2 feet, which will roughly be a 75-80 gallon terrarium.
Other bearded dragon terrarium ideas
- If you have a hatchling or baby bearded dragon, you can keep it in a 10-15 gallon horse through tank for few months or so before it grows older for a proper glass terrarium. Use a screen lid if you think your bearded dragon can escape or if you have other pets. You can fill the bottom with substrate and place some branches, bowls, hides etc. The only problem can be lighting – you will have to attach the lights somehow above the tank. You can also get a reptile lamp stand like this (you can adjust its length).
- A plastic cage – these are lightweight and will not break, but they are hard to find and can be more expensive than traditional glass terrariums.
- Other metal containers used for plants or watering.
- Acrylic terrarium – not a good choice as it will scratch and have a limited visibility.
Where to place my bearded dragon’s terrarium?
Where you put your bearded terrarium is also important. Let’s review some rules:
- Don’t place your bearded dragon’s terrarium in a basement, garage or somewhere else cold. Heating your bearded dragon’s terrarium requires a lot of electricity (bulbs, under tank heater) even in a normal room. In cold rooms or garages, you won’t be able to support the optimal temperatures – both you and your beardie will be struggling. Moving a terrarium that is set up can be very hard and you risk dropping and breaking the terrarium.
- Place your bearded dragon’s terrarium away from cooking areas – for hygiene reasons.
- The best place for your bearded dragon’s terrarium is living room or office, where everyone will be able to look at a bearded dragon. Beardies also love being around other people and looking at what others are doing. Placing the terrarium in children’s room means that they can do something that will cause harm to the beardie. If your terrarium has sliding doors, you can add a lock to prevent kids from opening the terrarium without supervision. With small children, make sure to supervise them while they are handling a bearded dragon.
- Don’t put your bearded dragon’s terrarium near the window or where the direct sun hits the glass. This is because the temperature inside the terrarium will go up dramatically. If you want your bearded dragon to enjoy summer sun, take it out to the garden. Place it in a pen or use a harness for a walk, but make sure to supervise your companion.
- Make sure to prepare a stand or cabinet for your terrarium before setting it up. This will make everything easier and you won’t need to lift and move it to the different side of the room. If you have a large terrarium, choose a terrarium cabinet that will fit the terrarium and maybe still have some space left for you to move around it for cleaning etc. This 36 inch Exo Terra cabinet like this is made for a large Exo Terra terrarium. There are also other cabinets that can be used for 60 gallon and up terrariums.
Thank you for reading this article! Make sure to read the next part where we will discuss substrate and heating for your bearded dragon’s terrarium!
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