Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok all i have been hearing and reading in some places is that a beardies basking spot should be between 105 F to 115 f.

In the book i bought "The Bearded Dragon" by Steve Grenard it says that optimal temps for BASKING should be 90 to no hotter then 93.

I am getting my first beardie in like 5 days i think it is and need some adivce. It will be a younger guy and i also heard that babie beardies need a higher temp to digest and and all that fun stuff. Right now the set up i have has not gotten above 111 f. So is that to hot or is it ok for a baby and not an adult.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks,
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Mike & Wendy

2.0.0 Siberian husky, Jackrussel/schitzu
1.0.1 Leopard Gecko
0.0.4 Beta's
3.1.0 Future Herps

Younger BDs require more heat and also a diagonal basking area, not a flat horizontal rock. If you see your BD shying away from the basking spot you can lower the temp if they seem they can't get enough, raise it. I recomend 105-115°F. Every BD is different.

We raise all our young'ns outdoor and give what mother nature provides. They get a range of up to 120.

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Bennett

beardiedragon.com
Home of the Florida Orange
'06 Babies coming soon

These guys hatched on March 26th so there youngins. I have read enough and dont want to have it to hot to the point that it could hurt them and after reading so many different recomended temps I am now a lil confused! As they age do you use a lower basking temp for yours or is the 105 - 115 about the normal??
Also what do you use to measure your temps? I use a temp gun for our geckos and i know that tends to be a lil off from the readings on the probe thermometer that we have in the tank.
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Mike & Wendy

2.0.0 Siberian husky, Jackrussel/schitzu
1.0.1 Leopard Gecko
0.0.4 Beta's
3.1.0 Future Herps

Bearded dragons of all ages should have access to basking spots with a range of temperatures. There really shouldn't be just a single basking spot with a single basking temp. Instead several basking areas or a large wide basking area under a flood style basking bulb (or regular outdoor flood bulb works just as well as petstore bought basking lights) set so it shines over the entire basking area, providing areas big enough for the bearded dragon at temps close to 120F and areas of the basking spot (or different basking areas) with lower temps (a wide inclining branch or driftwood, or brick/rock pile (stablized with either epoxy or bolted together) so the high point is the hottest with sides and lower point being different lower temps. This way the dragon can move about the basking area to find the temps he needs.

Though I personally haven't kept bearded dragons for very long, I have noticed both during the first year of life and afterwards (till she was nearly three, when I had to sell her) my bearded dragon will always go to the hottest point of her basking area (baby a log mounted on an angle to a board, to keep it stable, adult a large piece of driftwood was long enough to cover nearly one third the length of the cage with both high and low areas) as soon as she wakes up and right after feeding. Once warmed up she would move to lower areas or run about her cage.

This is why a range of temps for basking is given, 95-115F. Even if there are areas in your cage that reach temps higher than 115F but the overall temp of the cage doesn't exceed 90F, you don't have to worry about cooking your dragon, they will move to a cooler area if it gets too hot for them in any one location (or gape to cool down if not too hot). If your dragon spends all her time in the cool end of the cage, then it's a good bet her basking area is too hot.

Temp guns are great for measuring surface temps of basking areas.

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PHLdyPayne

in my cages and setups i use a ceramic heat emitter for my heat bulbs. they last a long time, a bit pricey at about 25 bucks a bulb, but to me worth it since they last awhile. i have the temps at the hottest basking points at about 112-115. i keep the heat lamps on one side of the cage over the basking areas. i have rocks and drift wood under the heat lamps. this way the middle and other side of the cage is the cooler side of the cage for when my dragons need to move to the cooler parts. they tend to spend most of their time on the basking areas, and move when they get too hot. the cooler side of the tank does not get cooler than 85 degrees. i also have an entire bedroom dedicated to my dragons so they room stays very warm. it wouldnt do so if you just have one cage in say a living room or wherever.

hopes this helps

110 to 120 degrees is a good basking spot temp at any age. Adults don't need the temps as high (around 95 to 105 is good for them) but they seem to enjoy having access to the higher temps as long as they can go somewheres to cool down when they need to. You can check the basking spot by measuring the point closest to the heat/light source. But equally important is to provide a cool side of around 80. Measure this by checking the lowest area on the oppsite side from your heat source with your digital thermometer or temp gun.
As long as your beardie has a place to get IN and OUT of the heat then it will be able to egulate it's body temp as it needs too.

Thank you all for your info!!
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Mike & Wendy

2.0.0 Siberian husky, Jackrussel/schitzu
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.0.1 Leopard Gecko
4.0.0 Beta's
3.1.0 Future Herper's