How to Properly Take Care of Bearded Dragon Eggs

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Are you wondering how to take care of bearded dragon eggs?

As you’re going to learn, hatching your bearded lizard eggs is a little bit more complicated than caring for other newborn animals. 

But you’ve come to the right place to learn all about bearded dragon eggs care and what to do with them. 

How to Take Care of Bearded Dragon Eggs?

Unlike mammals, most reptiles don’t care for their babies and pay little attention to the eggs they lay. As such, you can’t expect a female bearded lizard to do the hard part. 

Moreover, bearded lizard eggs need the right temperature and humidity to ensure proper growth and increase their chances of survival. 

That’s why it’s vital to learn how to take care of bearded dragon eggs. But it’s nothing that you can’t master with a little bit of help from me. 

Do All Female Bearded Lizards Lay Eggs?

Many owners assume that they don’t have to worry about their female lizard laying a clutch of eggs when there’s no male around.

However, most female dragons will lay eggs without mating after reaching sexual maturity. But without a male to fertilize them, no babies will hatch from these clutches of eggs. 

beardie resting after laying eggs

If you mate your beardie, you’ll notice signs your pet is gravid (pregnant) very soon. The gravid female becomes lethargic, plump, and exhibits nesting behavior before laying, such as digging.

You can expect the female to lay her eggs 4 to 6 weeks after mating. As such, the first step in caring for your bearded lizard’s eggs is to provide a container with moistened bedding to lay the clutch. 

What Do Bearded Dragons’ Eggs Look Like?

Bearded lizard eggs have a distinct appearance, so you shouldn’t be worried that you’ll mistake them for something else.

The eggs are small – up to 1-2″ inches in diameter, ovular, and white/cream in color. Fertile eggs are full, while infertile ones are yellow and have dents. 

candling bearded dragon egg

You can also use the “candle” method to tell if the bearded dragon eggs are fertile. Just hold the egg up to bright light, and if you see any pink/red blood vessels or an embryo shape, the egg is fertile.

However, be careful not to handle the eggs too much, or you can kill the fragile embryo. Remove any empty eggs and throw them out as soon as possible.

As for fertile ones, you should place them inside an incubator for bearded dragon eggs or care for them in the soil. More about what to do with bearded dragon eggs in a bit.

These fertile eggs should double their original size as you incubate them since the embryo inside is growing. Wrong temperature and humidity are the prime reasons for the collapse of fertile bearded lizard eggs. 

How Many Eggs Do a Bearded Dragon Lay?

Since reptiles don’t nurse or nurture their young as mammals do, most of their babies don’t survive long after they hatch. That’s why lizards and snakes lay a lot of eggs to ensure the species survival. 

So, how many eggs do a bearded dragon lay?

Pregnant bearded lizards lay eggs in a group, called a clutch. A single clutch has around 20 eggs, and you can expect between one to three clutches per mating season on average.

However, some female dragons can lay up to six clutches with 20-30 eggs each. So, you’re looking at 60-120 eggs per breeding season. 

batch of baby bearded dragons

While not all eggs will hatch successfully, you’ll have your hands full of baby bearded lizards. The little one will also need a lot of care during the first few weeks of their life.

As such, you shouldn’t mate your female bearded dragon if you’re not ready to take care of its offspring.

Moreover, some female lizards have problems laying eggs and may become “egg bound.” Usually, this condition is the result of poor diet and lack of exercise. It requires urgent professional treatment.    

How Long Does a Bearded Dragon Egg Take to Hatch?

As I already said, gravid females lay their clutch four to six weeks after a successful mating.

It can take your beard lizard pet 1-2 days to lay the whole clutch, after which the female will rest and repeat the process in a few months. 

So, how long does a bearded dragon egg take to hatch once you start the incubation process? As specialists explain, “bearded dragon eggs will take between 50 and 80 days to hatch.” [1]

But the bearded dragon egg incubation period can be as long as 90 days or as short as 40. So, you should keep an eye on the clutch for signs of hatching, such as denting.

Baby dragons have an egg tooth on their snout, which they use to crack the shell. It can take the little ones up to a day and a half to emerge from the egg. 

Let the baby bearded lizards hatch on their own and be patient. Eggs in one clutch can take a couple of days to hatch, so don’t be quick to dispose of them. 

What to Do With Bearded Dragon Eggs? 

Bearded Dragon Eggs on a container

To hatch your beardie’s eggs successfully, you need to act quickly, especially if your pet surprises you with a clutch. As an experienced breeder explains, “You only have about 24 hours to get it right.” [2]

That’s because the eggs need a constant temperature and humidity to survive. Otherwise, the embryo inside can’t develop and will quickly perish. 

So, when it comes to what to do with bearded lizards eggs, you have two choices: hatch the eggs in an incubator for bearded dragon eggs or hatch them without one. 

Hath the Eggs in an Incubator

As I already mentioned, learning how to care for bearded lizard eggs is vital because the eggs need a suitable environment to hatch.  

The right temperature for bearded dragon eggs is  80° – 85° degrees Fahrenheit and the ideal humidity is 75%.

Most owners prefer to use an incubator to achieve these levels for several reasons:

  • You can monitor the temperature and humidity and adjust them whenever necessary.
  • An incubator has a higher hatching rate than leaving the eggs in the soil. 
  • Some types of incubators monitor and adjust the temperature/humidity automatically. 

However, getting the eggs to the incubator is tricky because too much movement can kill the developing embryo:

  • Remove the eggs carefully from the soil and place them in a suitable container with the right substrate to provide enough moisture and prevent mold growth.
  • Then you put them inside the incubator and check the eggs daily to ensure there’s no mold growth or signs of collapse.
  • Wait 40-90 days for the eggs to hatch. 

Here’s a great video to watch:

Hatch the Eggs Without an Incubator

Not all people can afford to purchase an incubator for bearded dragon eggs. And there’s no point if you don’t plan on breeding your bearded pet lizard.

Fortunately, you can still hatch the eggs without an incubator, using natural soil and a heat source. However, the success rate won’t be as high since you can’t monitor the temperature and humidity closely.  

So, let’s talk about how to take care of bearded dragon eggs without an incubator

  • Once your gravid female lays her clutch in the soil, clean the bedding to prevent bacteria and mold overgrowth. 
  • Use a heat lamp or under-the-tank heater to maintain a proper incubation temperature of 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  • Use a hygrometer to monitor the humidity. Spray the soil with water to increase the moisture level. Don’t ever spray the eggs with water, or they will become moldy and die. 
  • Keep a close eye on the eggs but don’t handle them. Wait 40-90 days for them to hatch. 

Keep the female bearded lizard away from the eggs. Reptiles don’t have strong maternal instincts, but they can protect their clutch in an enclosed space or eat their offspring when they hatch. 

How to Care for Bearded Lizards Eggs: FAQs

How to Take Care of a Bearded Dragon Baby?

baby bearded dragons

It can take a day or two for baby bearded lizards to hatch from their shell fully. They will be exhausted for a while and not overly active. Leave them in the incubator for 24 hours or until they recover.
Once your baby lizards are energetic, you should move them to the enclosure. Provide water and a balanced diet, suitable for baby dragons – live insects, water, and safe greens.

Do Bearded Dragons Stay with Their Eggs? 

No, bearded lizards don’t stay with their eggs. Beardies quickly forget about their clutch once they bury it in the ground. So, you don’t have to worry about your reptile pet missing its babies. 

How Do I Dispose of My Infertile Bearded Dragon Eggs?

You can throw the infertile bearded lizard eggs or use them as a natural fertilizer. If you’re not sure the eggs are infertile, you can freeze them in the fridge before throwing them out. 

Should Bearded Dragon Eggs be Soft?

Yes, bearded dragon eggs are soft and rubbery. They should be white/cream in color and have a full appearance. If they’re yellow and dented, the eggs are likely infertile. 

Conclusion

As you can see, you have to maintain the right temperature and humidity to care for bearded dragon eggs and hatch them successfully. You don’t need an incubator, but it makes the job easier.

Once the babies hatch, you should be ready to move them to a suitable enclosure, away from your female dragon. And you’ll need tons of suitable live insects to feed all those hungry babies.

So, you should think if you’re ready for such a responsibility. And remember to care for your female bearded dragon. She needs plenty of protein and calcium to recover after laying her clutch. 

Resources

  • 1. REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF BEARDED DRAGONS [Internet]. www.lllreptile.com. Available from: https://www.lllreptile.com/articles/154-reproductive-biology-of-bearded-dragons/
  • 2. What to do when your dragon lays eggs – Tutorial [Internet]. Bearded Dragon .org. [cited 2021 Dec 21]. Available from: https://www.beardeddragon.org/threads/what-to-do-when-your-dragon-lays-eggs-tutorial.166108/
candling a bearded dragon egg

What do you think about these tips on how to care for bearded dragon eggs? Have you ever hatched a clutch? Share your experience in the comment section. 

Alina Hartley
Alina Hartley

Alina Hartley is a small-town girl with a ginormous love of bearded dragons. It all started with Winchester, a baby bearded who was abandoned at the shelter by his former owners because of a birth defect that caused one front leg to be shorter than the other. Alina originally went to the shelter looking for a guinea pig, but one look at Winchester and it was love at first sight. From that day on, Alina has dedicated her life to learning everything she can about bearded dragons. She loves helping new beardie parents start their incredible journey with these magnificent reptiles.
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