Bearded Dragons Lighting & Heating: The Ultimate Guide

When you first look into setting up your bearded dragon heating and lighting it can look a little daunting. All good, we’ve got you covered.

This guide will walk you through the essentials of creating the perfect environment, keeping it beginner-friendly yet comprehensive.

This article is part 4 of the 5 part series:

1. Bearded Dragon UV & Solar Radiation: Comprehensive Guide – we looked the radiation bands bearded dragons use and why the need them.
2. Bearded Dragon Heat Lamp and Equipment List Made Simple – all the equipment you need to set up heating, lighting plus managing and monitoring it.
3. How to Choose the Best Thermostat for Bearded Dragons – detailed walk through on what type of thermostats is best and some brands.
4. Bearded Dragons Lighting & Heating: The Ultimate Guide – this article.
5. The Worst Lights for Bearded Dragons: A Complete Guide – The worst lighting and heating our bearded dragons don’t need.

Why Lighting and Heating Matter

Bearded dragons rely on their environment to regulate their body temperature and access essential UV radiation.

As we have looked at earlier in this series, we cannot buy a bulb that on its own replicates all the bands of solar radiation that bearded dragons need. So our job now is to buy the bulbs we need and bring them together as the sun.

Optimal Temperature Ranges for Bearded Dragons

Bearded dragons live within specific temperature ranges that mimic their natural environment:

• Optimal Body Temperature: Bearded dragons’ internal temperature for optimal metabolic functioning is 34°C (Cadena & Tattersall, 2009). As long as we set up our heating and lighting correctly and provide multiple levels to bask at then our beardies will keep their optimal body temperature without any further input from us.
• Preferred Optimum Temperature Range (POTR): Our bearded dragons optimal temperature range is 35–39°C (95–102°F) (Doneley, 2006).
  • The basking area should be slightly hotter to allow efficient thermoregulation.
  • Provide a cooler area so our bearded dragons can shuttle between zones as needed.
    Bearded dragons will shuttle between basking and cooling as they need. Provide branches and objects that let them choose their preferred position at any given time. Our bearded dragons know where they need to be far better than we do.

Step-by-Step Bearded Dragons Lighting & Heating Setup

Remember from our previous series, given the right options, bearded dragons instinctively choose the UV and temperature levels that suit their needs. A UV gradient setup lets them move between light and shade as required (Sakich and Tattersall, 2022). All we have to do is set up the environment correctly and then let our bearded dragons choose where to bask or rest.

Bearded Dragons Lighting and Heating Reference Table

Bearded dragons need a thermal gradient. The temperature bearded dragons need in the basking zone is between 100–108°F (38–42°C) while the cool zone drops to 77–82°F (25–28°C).

1. What Temperature Bearded Dragons Need for Basking and How it Comes Together

The basking area is the heart of our bearded dragon’s enclosure, combining heat, UVB, and visible light. Ensure the basking area is large enough to cover your bearded dragon’s full body but there must be a cool (shade) area with no UVB.

• Basking Bulb:
  • Use a halogen flood bulb (50W–100W, 30° beam) or a reptile basking bulb.
  • Position it 12 inches (30 cm) above the basking area.
  • Attach to a dimming thermostat to maintain temperatures of 100–108°F (38–42°C) and set the timing duration to 12–14 hours for summer or 10-12 hours for winter. (Baines, 2017). Do not attach a basking bulb to an on/off thermostat or it will go on and off throughout the day being a bit annoying for our resident bearded dragon.
  • Attach the UVB bulb to the thermostat.
• UVB Bulb:
  • Use a T5-HO fluorescent tube (e.g., Arcadia 12% UVB) or a mercury vapor lamp for strong UVB output with a reflector to direct UVB light downward and maximize its effectiveness.
  • Mount 12–14 inches (30–35 cm) above the basking area to prevent overheating (Doneley, 2006).
  • Overlap the basking and UVB bulbs so your bearded dragon gets both while basking.
  • Replace bulbs every 6–12 months (Baines, 2017).
  • Setup the UVB light so that it gradually tapers to zero before it reaches the cool end. This way your bearded dragon can self-regulate its UVB intake (Baines, 2017).
  • Attach the UVB bulb to a timer. Stagger light timers to simulate gradual sunrise and sunset effects. This helps replicate natural transitions and supports their circadian rhythm (Baines, 2017).
  • Glass blocks most UVB, and fine mesh reduces UV output by up to 50%.
• Thermostat Sensor Placement:
  • Place the thermostat sensor in the cool zone and set it to 86°F (30°C) as a safety limit. This ensures the enclosure does not overheat while allowing the cool zone to remain within the target range of 77–82°F (25–28°C) (Baines, 2017).
• Fine Tuning:
  • If the enclosure is too hot, buy a lower wattage basking bulb or move the heat further away. It may be that in summer you need a lower wattage to winter so having a range handy is helpful for immediate heat control.
  • If the enclosure is too cool in the basking area then add a ceramic heat emitter, or if it is safe to do so, bring the heat fitting a little closer to the basking spot. Avoid using high wattage bulbs or ceramic heat emitters. It is better to have a few lower wattage devices than one high wattage.
  • For morphs with thinner skin, such as Leatherbacks or Silkbacks, position the bulb further away or use a lower-intensity UVB to avoid overexposure (Sakich & Tattersall, 2022).
  • Avoid obstructions like glass or tight mesh screens that block UVB rays (Wilkinson, 2016).
  • Provide branches and rocks at differing levels so your bearded dragon can choose just the right spot.
• Check the Setup:
  • Run the setup for a few hours and then using a thermometer, check the temperature attained in the daytime reaches the requirements in the table above.
  • Temperatures above 114-117°F (46-47°C) can be fatal, so using a dimming thermostat is essential.

2. What Temperature Bearded Dragons Need in the Cool Zone

Bearded dragons need a cooler area to regulate their body temperature.

• Temperature Range: Maintain 77–82°F (25–28°C).
• Setup: Use a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) if additional heat is needed.

3. What Temperature Bearded Dragons Need at Night and How to Achieve It

Bearded dragons need darkness to sleep. They also require some heat. If, because of your climate, you already reach the minimum temperatures bearded dragons need at night then you will not need to add any more heating. However, it is likely that you will need some heating during the colder months regardless, so here is how we do it.

• Use a Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE):
  • Attach the ceramic heat emitter to the thermostat to regulate temperatures and avoid overheating. Ceramic heat emitters provide consistent heat and are safer when used with a thermostat (Boyer, 2015).
  • Set nighttime temperatures to 65–70°F (18–21°C) for adults or 75–80°F (24–27°C) for hatchlings.
  • Once the daytime settings kick in, the nighttime heat should be set to automatically turn off on the thermostat.

4. What Temperature and Lighting Bearded Dragons Need in Winter

Do bearded dragons need heating during brumation? Yes, for brumation the heating for bearded dragons should be between ~60–65°F (16–18°C). These temperatures are insufficient for reptiles to effectively digest food and at this range their immune system will be weak (Divers and Mader, 2005).

So, if you intend to feed them during brumation because your beardie has woken up for a day or two in the middle of it (which they can do), then put your bearded dragons lighting and heating back up to normal.

Brumation temperatures can be dangerous for a sick bearded dragon including with a load of parasites. It is best to have your beardies annual vet check prior to brumation.

Once your bearded dragon enters brumation, the lighting can be switched off.

• Winter: 10–12 hours of light. Lower temperatures to 60–65°F (16–18°C) for brumation.
• Brumation: Gradually reduce light and heat over 2–3 weeks until your bearded dragon enters brumation.

5. Monitoring our Bearded Dragons Lighting and Heating Levels

We consistently monitor our bearded dragon’s lighting and heating setup so that we can tweak it when it doesn’t reach the required levels.

• Daily Temperature Checks: Use a digital thermometer to monitor basking, cool, and nighttime zones.
• UVB Levels: Measure with a UV index meter. Aim for a UV index of 3–5 in the basking zone (Baines, 2017). UVB bulbs don’t last forever, and their output can fade over time due to factors like voltage fluctuations and solarization (Baines et al., 2016).
• Bulb Replacement:
  • T5-HO fluorescent tubes: Replace every 12 months.
  • Mercury vapor lamps: Replace every 6–12 months.
• Avoid Light at Night: Never use bulbs that emit light, including red or blue lights, as these disturb natural sleep cycles (Baines, 2017).

Safety Tips for Bearded Dragons Heating & Lighting

• Heat Mats or Hot Rocks:
  • Bearded dragons sense heat from above, not below.
  • Heat mats and rocks can cause severe burns, especially when your dragon sleeps on them overnight.
  • Stick to safe, overhead heating options like CHEs to prevent accidents and mimic natural warmth.

Heat kills bearded dragons far quicker than cold. Overheating our bearded dragons house will lead to discomfort and perhaps even cause death. Temperatures over the early 40°C enter the dangerous zone. If a bearded dragon’s internal temperature rises to 46°C (114°F) it will die (Baine 2017). Bearded dragon’s heat up faster than they cool down (Bartholomew and Tucker as cited in Schäuble and Grigg, 1998).

Is 10 degrees too cold for a bearded dragon? As a pet in our care, 10°C (50°F) is too cold for a bearded dragon. In the wild, temperatures of 10°C (50°F) is cold enough to trigger brumation (Doneley, 2006) and the temperature can drop lower. However, conditions in captivity are different so we stick to warmer temperatures which are a little safer for our pets.

Screen mesh may be between the bearded dragon and its heat and light sources. The tighter the mesh, the more UVB is blocked out. Tanks will typically have quite a tight metal mesh screen, just another reason that glass tanks do not make for ideal enclosures.

Not sure how much it costs to keep you bearded dragon in heating and lighting? Try the handy calculator to estimate the cost of electricity.

More articles on bearded dragons habitat and housing.

References

1. Baines, F. 2017. Your First Bearded Dragon Care Information. January
2. Boyer H. T., DVM, DABVP. 2015 Diseases of Bearded Dragons. AV017 Conference Note. (Reptile & Amphibian Practice) Pet Hospital of Penasquitos, San Diego, CA, USA.
3. Cadena, V., and Tattersall, G. J. (2009). The Effect of Thermal Quality on the Thermoregulatory Behavior of the Bearded Dragon Pogona vitticeps: Influences of Methodological Assessment. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 82, 203-217
4. Divers, S. J., & Mader, D. R. (2006). Reptile Medicine and Surgery (2nd ed.). Elsevier Saunders.
5. Doneley, B (BVSc, FACVSc). 2006. Caring for the Bearded Dragon. Proceedings of the North American Veterinary Conference. Small Animal Edition. Vol 20 Orlando, Florida. p 1607-1611.
6. Sakich, N. B., & Tattersall, G. J. (2022). Regulation of Exposure to Ultraviolet Light in Bearded Dragons (Pogona vitticeps) in Relation to Temperature and Scalation Phenotype. Ichthyology & Herpetology, 110(3).
7. Schäuble, C., and Grigg, G. 1998. Oecologia (1998) Thermal ecology of the Australian agamid Pogona barbata. 114 (4). pp 461-470
8. Strimple, P., and Strimple, J. 1998. Bearded dragons: a beginner’s guide to captive husbandry and reproduction. Reptiles USA Mag, Annual: 28–44
9. Wilkinson, S. L. Reptile Wellness Management. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Exotic Animal Practice Vol 18, Issue 2, May 2015, Pages 281-304
10. Wunderlich, S., Griffiths, T. C., & Baines, F. M. (2023). UVB‐emitting LEDs for reptile lighting: Identifying the risks of nonsolar UV spectra. Zoo Biology.

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