How often do bearded dragons mate? This is one of the questions that I get from my readers. Well, in this post, I will try to give you an idea on this matter.
Bearded dragons can be different from other animals in many ways. One of their unique characteristics is mating frequency and behavior.
So, how often do bearded dragons mate?
In most cases, beaded dragons mate once a year. Most bearded dragon owners breed their beardies in the spring. This is because bearded dragons brumate during winter making them healthier and more viable for breeding during the spring.
However, the most important factor to consider is the health of both male and female beardies. Is the female ready to carry and lay eggs? Is the male beardy capable of producing offspring?
If the answer to these questions is yes, then probably you can put them together to breed.
Age can also be a great indicator as to whether the bearded dragons can already successfully breed. My recommendation is that, before allowing your beardies to mate, make sure that the male is at least 12 months old and the female is 18 months old.
The male and female bearded dragons should not be housed together before and after mating. The only time that they are together is during the mating process. The mating period should only last 5 to 6 days. Not more than this.
The success of the mating depends on the readiness of the female beardy. You cannot force it even if both are in the right age. The female bearded dragon should show receptive behavior towards the male. That’s the sign that she is ready for mating.
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How to Successfully Breed Bearded Dragons?
As I’ve mentioned, bearded dragons are unique animals and have unique behaviors. When it comes to mating or breeding, beardies behave differently. Understanding these unique behaviors will ultimately result in successful breeding.
One of the most common misconceptions is that breeding bearded dragons is easy. I used to believe in the same wrong assumption too when I was just started.
The truth is that breeding bearded dragons is never easy. Small mistakes could potentially sabotage your chances of breeding your beardies.
Breeding bearded dragon is not just about putting the male and female in one house together. In fact, this can be dangerous sometimes. There are other factors you need to consider to make the process successful.
In this section, I will share with you some of the tips on how to successfully mate or breed bearded dragons. However, I would like to remind you that I am not an expert in this area.
That said, this article may not indicate the whole breeding process. However, I strongly believe that if you are just starting to learn the whole process, this is a great starting point.
It is my hope that this article will serve its very purpose – that is bringing important information to those who need it the most.
How to Successfully Breed Bearded Dragons?
As you might already know, breeding in bearded dragons will never be easy. It is in fact a tricky process that often results in failure if mistakes happen along the way.
If you really want to do this on your own, I am happy and salute you. This is because what you want to accomplish is something that many bearded dragon owners are not capable of.
Only those who are willing to do the work will try this. That is right, breeding beardies is an arduous process. It requires a lot of patience and legwork.
The following are the crucial steps you need to take to successfully breed bearded dragons.
1. Seek Advice from a Real Breeder
No one can provide you with the best information about breeding apart from people who do it themselves. Breeders have hundreds if not thousands of experiences that are helpful to you.
Do not assume that everything will be okay. Experimenting in this kind of undertaking is not a good idea. Remember that you are dealing with live animals. And if you really love your bearded dragons, you need to make sure that you do no harm to them.
This is not a science experiment that you can repeat over and over again if you fail in your trials. So this should be taken seriously.
The best way to make sure that you are doing the right thing is to consult and seek recommendations and pieces of advice from the ones with lots of experience in this area. Do it before you start the breeding process.
2. Learn How to Determine Genetic Makeup of the Bearded Dragons
As I have said, breeding bearded dragons is more than just putting the male and female in one place. One of the most important things to consider is to make sure that you have the right genetic makeup to breed.
Breeding two genetically incompatible beardies will only result in unhealthy and sickly offspring. Needless to say that a condition like this will hinder your chance of successful breeding.
3. Have Your Bearded Dragons Checked by a Vet
Before housing your male and female beardies together for mating, make sure that they are in good condition. And the person who can tell the real health of your beardies is a licensed veterinarian.
The vet will also make sure that both bearded dragons don’t have viruses by conducting laboratory testing. This will make sure that your beardies are in good condition to mate.
4. Give the Female Bearded Dragon the Right Supplement
The female bearded dragon will carry and lay the eggs. But before it happens, the female has to be healthy enough to produce healthy eggs. One way to make sure that the eggs will be healthy is by giving supplements to the female beardy.
You can give both Calcium and Vitamin D supplements (click here to check this supplement on Amazon).
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It is very important to give this supplement at least two weeks before the actual breeding. This will ensure that the female gets the right amount of calcium for her eggs and for herself after laying the eggs.
This way you can prevent your female beardy from having calcium deficiency.
5. Provide A Separate Breeding Tank
When breeding, make sure that you provide a separate tank for the male and female beardies. This is to avoid intervention or aggression from other bearded dragons housed in the same habitat.
During the breeding period, the beardies should be free from any trouble that could be stem from territorial issues. Thus, giving them a tank for them to breed in is very important.
The size of the tank also matters. Normally, a 75-gallon or bigger is a good choice. If you can, choose between 100 to 120 gallons.
In the tank, provide them with something they can climb on and place to hide. So make sure that you add branches and rocks.
Click here to view the perfect breeding tank on Amazon.
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6. Allow Your Beardies to Mate
After making sure that your female beardy has consumed a sufficient amount of calcium and vitamin D, you can now allow your beardies to mate.
But you need to be careful here. Housing the male and female together will cause a fight. When that happens, it will be a real disaster.
Thus, you need to make sure that there will be no fighting occurs. Always monitor your beardies to keep them safe from injury.
After making sure that both beardies don’t show aggression towards each other, you can allow them to stay in the same tank together for longer periods of time. But don’t forget to monitor them every now and then.
7. Prepare a Lay Box
After breeding, and if it is successful, your female will lay eggs sooner. Before that happens, you need to make sure that she has a lay box to lay her eggs in (check this lay box on Amazon).
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The box should have a six inches deep of topsoil (it could also be a combination of potting soil and sand). Make sure that the topsoil is soft and has the right amount of moisture to allow her to bury her eggs easily.
8. Prepare an Incubator
After the female has laid and buried all her eggs, the next step is to make sure that the eggs will successfully develop. You can do this by transferring those eggs to an incubator (click here to view my recommended incubator on Amazon).
- Digital controller with LCD display and LED heat indicator light
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
When transferring the eggs, do not directly touch them. Find ways to do it without physical contact with the eggs. The transferred eggs will stay in the incubator until they hatch.
However, it is very important to occasionally check the eggs. After a couple of days without interference, you can check the eggs using a flashlight. You should see the living embryo at this point.
The eggs will stay in the incubator for about two to three months. The length can be arbitrary depending on the temperature you set. Most bearded dragon owners set the temperature between 80 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
The humidity also plays an important role. And the ideal humidity is anywhere from 30 to 40 percent. The humidity rate like this is enough to keep the eggs from drying up.
9. Take Care of the New Hatchlings
The wait is over. The eggs are hatched. The next thing you need to do is to place the babies in different bins to give them enough space. 4 to 6 baby bearded dragons per bin is ideal. This will also protect babies from having injuries.
Another thing that you need is a UVB bulb, right substrate, and heat source. Remember that baby beardies love hotter temperatures in their habitat especially the basking area. Set the temperatures at around 100 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
Final Thoughts on How Often Do Bearded Dragons Mate?
Bearded dragons are unique animals and therefore have unique behaviors. One of which is their mating behavior.
Bearded dragons usually mate once a year and mostly in spring seasons. The spring season is a perfect breeding period because they have finished brumation in the winter.
However, the entire breeding process is more challenging than you might have thought. It is trickier and requires patience and the right attitude.
The success of the breeding process depends on you as an owner on how you pay attention and provide the needs of your bearded dragons.
I hope this helps. To learn more about how to take care of bearded dragons, feel free to visit my guide here.
