Baby bearded dragons, like other animals, need particular diets and care regimens. Even if you're not sure how old your dragon is, it's difficult to offer this kind of care. In general, determining the age of a reptile may be difficult.
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The good news is that there are a few things you can undertake to get a rough estimate of the age of your bearded dragon. To help you properly care for your pet, we'll show you a variety of techniques for determining their age.
Methods for Determining the Age of Your Bearded Dragon
Make contact with the breeder.
You'll need to speak with the breeder in order to get a more exact age estimate. Because the breeder is the only one who knows when the dragon was born, he or she will be the only one who can offer an exact date for when the dragon died.
This, however, will not be simple. It is hard for purchasers to contact breeders since not all pet businesses disclose information about who their breeder is. It may also be difficult for breeders to determine out which specific beardie you bought because of this. In certain cases, there isn't enough information to trace a dragon from its breeder to its buyer.
Inquire as to who you are purchasing the bearded dragon from.
Occasionally, the business where you are making your purchase will be able to supply you with the age information you need. This, however, may not always be practicable in all circumstances. Some dragons have lived for thousands of years, but no one has kept track of their ages. They may contain the date they got them, which may assist you in determining the animal's age at the time of your visit. If the animal comes with papers from the breeder, the store may be able to provide the exact date of birth for the animal.
This is a bit of a hit-and-miss proposition. Some individuals will be well-versed on all aspects of the dragon's history, including its health implications. Others will just have the bare minimum of information. Some retailers will include the breeder's contact information.
Measure the size of your bearded dragon.
Bearded dragons grow at a similar rate across the board. As a result, if they're less than one year old, you may use their size to estimate their age. Once they reach the age of one year, they don't grow very much anymore, making this strategy less effective. Measure your bearded dragon's length using a measuring tape, especially when they are still focused on anything else.
Here is a quick chart to help you determine the length of your bearded dragon. While this chart will work for the majority of bearded dragon breeds, certain breeds develop at various rates, making it a less-than-perfect approach for all of them. Beardies that are not properly fed and housed may not grow properly, and as a result, they will not line up correctly with this chart.
- 3-4 inches = 0-1 month
- 5-9 inches = 2 months
- 8-11 inches = 3 months
- 9-12 inches = 4 months
- 11-16 inches = 5-6 months
- 13-20 inches = 7-8 months
- 16-22 inches = 9-12 months
Determine Sexual Maturity
Sexually mature dragons are at least 8-12 months old. Otherwise, they will be much younger. To identify sexual maturity, look for bulges under the dragon's tail. There will be no bulges present prior to sexual maturity. Additionally, you may identify gender using this information.
This is a fairly last resort strategy. If you are unable to estimate your dragon's age by other methods, you must rely on sexual maturity, provided they have not yet attained it. If the lumps are not there, you must wait for them to appear. Your bearded dragon is around 8-12 months old when you detect them.