Buying your bearded dragon is an amazing time and you must be more than happy to bring a new lizard pet home. After a lot of research and thinking, you have decided to get a dragon pet that will hopefully spend 10 or more years with you!
In this post, we will cover everything that you need to know when buying your bearded dragon. Where to buy a bearded dragon? Should you choose a male or female bearded dragon?
How to choose a healthy bearded dragon and how to prepare for its arrival? Is it better to buy a baby or an adult bearded dragon? We will answer these and more questions to help you with a new family addition.
How to choose a healthy bearded dragon?
When choosing your bearded dragon, pick one that looks alert and healthy. Ask the seller to handle a bearded dragon and when doing so, take a closer look at it. Don’t be too worried if a bearded dragon, especially a baby, tries to run 
away. This can be normal, as you are a stranger and bearded dragon might think of you as a predator.
But it is very good when a bearded dragon is already tamed or is comfortable with handling. A young bearded dragon might also open its mouth and try to scare you, but biting is very rare.
Don’t choose a bearded dragon that looks lethargic and not interested in surroundings. Almost all bearded dragons are curious and interested in what is happening around – especially when you come close to its cage. Lethargic beardies resting with their eyes closed for a long time can indicate a sickness or infection.
A healthy bearded dragon should have its body and head slightly raised while sitting comfortably or walking around.
Bearded dragons that don’t move much or at all, have mucus in their eyes or nose and mouth froth are most probably ill. Others signs of a disease are swollen limbs, tail kinking, bend in the back (Metabolic Bone Disease).
Examine a bearded dragon for any skin infection, mites or parasites – they are usually small black or red dots that hide between the limbs and skin folds. Also, check a bearded dragon’s vent – it should be clean, not red and must not have any fecal spots (signs of parasites).
Healthy bearded dragon should also have a round plump belly and head, with no ‘dents’ or protrusions. Bearded dragons body should be round, without any bones sticking out near hips or back. Make sure bearded dragon’s toes and tail are present and not missing. Tail should not be too thin.
If you are choosing a bearded dragon that is housed with other beardies, check out the condition of the cage. The cage should be clean and not overcrowded. All bearded dragons in that cage should look healthy – sick bearded dragons usually pass the infections to others.
How to choose a friendly bearded dragon?
Most bearded dragons are friendly and docile. If you notice aggressive behavior from a bearded dragon when buying, don’t choose it. Aggressiveness can show when they open their mouths, puff the throat and seem ready to attack whenever you try approaching them.
Some bearded dragons can be mad and aggressive from the beginning, and you just need avoid buying one. A mad beardie can ruin your impression about all pet lizards!
Does a male or a female make the better bearded dragon pet?
Male and female bearded dragons are often very similar in looks and behavior, but there are some differences. Most male bearded dragons are bigger than females and have more personality.
Males are more outgoing, and often engage in social engagement more actively. But at the same time, they often become territorial and aggressive during breeding seasons, while females usually remain calm.
What is more, expect female bearded dragons to lay eggs (infertile) even if the male is not there. You will have to create a hiding spot for her to lay eggs and take care of her diet before and after laying the eggs. Males, on the other hand, don’t produce any eggs.
Another factor that affects your choice might be a breeding interest. Do you want to breed bearded dragons in the future? If yes, you definitely need a young female and male – but you can introduce a male later, only for breeding if you wish.
Should you buy a hatchling, juvenile or an adult bearded dragon?
Generally speaking, buying a hatchling bearded dragon might not be the best idea. The problem is, many hatchling bearded dragons don’t survive. There can be different reasons, and most beginner lizard owners can accidentally make some mistakes that can kill a fragile hatchling beardie.
But more often, some hatchling bearded dragons are not feeding when they come out the egg and die of starvation (non-feeders). This can be extremely frustrating and there is not much that you, the owner, can do to help the dying hatchling.
The best option is to buy a baby, juvenile or even an adult bearded dragon. Babies should be at least 6 weeks old, or 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) long. Don’t buy a bearded dragon that is smaller than this.
Juvenile bearded dragons are 5 months old and over, and adults – 18 months and over. This way there will be a bigger chance of bearded dragon’s survival, which can help avoid any disappointment and lost money.
Another important factor to note is that most baby bearded dragons don’t develop their final colors until they become adults (around 2 years old).
Many people choose to buy a more expensive morph of a unique color or pattern. So, choosing an older bearded dragon can tell you more about its future coloring. Read about different bearded dragon colors and morphs in this post.
But even breeders can’t guarantee a final color that your bearded dragon will have – they can only predict it with a good chance. You also need to stay away from inexperienced or deceptive sellers, who can lie about bearded dragon’s characteristics to get more money from you.
Should you buy one, two or even few bearded dragons?
How many bearded dragons you should buy will depend on few factors. If you want to breed your bearded dragons, you can buy one male and one or young females. They can live well together and can produce offspring. But there can also be a case when a male attack a female.
Another reason to buy two or more beardies is to make it more entertaining to watch them grow and have companionship. But overall, bearded dragons live well alone and will not struggle too much if living on their own.
The only thing that you should be careful about is buying few hatchlings that will be competitive with each other. They will fight food, and can bite each other’s toes or tails if they get hungry.
Watch hatchlings carefully if they are housed together. What is more, never house an adult or juvenile with hatchlings, as they can eat the smaller beardie.
Before buying few beardies, make sure you can arrange a very large vivarium for them. Generally, it is better to house bearded dragons separately, but you can keep few together if you wish. But keep in mind that bearded dragons will get territorial in a small space and injure each other.
If you already have a bearded dragon or two and bringing another one home, make sure to isolate it before you have taken it to the vet. Take it to the vet to have fecal tests and determine if it has any internal parasites.
How to tell the sex of a bearded dragon?
Determining bearded dragon’s sex at a young age is almost impossible. Once their bodies form and enlarge, you can tell the difference. You will be able to tell the bearded dragon sex once they are 3-4 months old or more.
If you want a beaded dragon of particular sex, you should choose one that is at least 3 months old and check the signs to differentiate the sex.
The breeder will usually tell you the sex of a bearded dragon when you are buying it. But we will also teach you to check for the signs of each sex, so you can tell the sex of a bearded dragon that you have or want to buy.
Male bearded dragons are often larger than females and have larger beards. But sometimes, female bearded dragons have more prominent beards.
The better way to tell the sex of a bearded dragon is to check its vent for specific differences. To check the vent, place a bearded dragon on the table and gently lift its tail up to be able to see the base of the tail.
- Male bearded dragons have two oval bulges on the both sides of the tail above the vent and the – these are hemipenes.
- Female bearded dragons don’t have two oval bulges on the both sides of the tail – it should be completely flat. Instead, they have a small but prominent triangular bump above the vent.
Where to buy a bearded dragon?
You can find many bearded dragon sellers, but which one should you choose?
- One of the most popular places to buy your bearded dragon is a pet store. The pros of buying a bearded dragon at the pet store is inconvenience and the ability to have a look at the potential bearded dragon that you will buy. The cons of buying a bearded dragon from the pet store is that employees will not be able to tell you the exact information about genetics and origin of a beardie. This is because the employees don’t have this information, as the bearded dragons at the pet store have been delivered by suppliers. So you won’t get to meet an actual breeder.
- Breeders can offer many hatchlings, babies, juveniles and adults for sale. Buying from breeders is a good choice when you know a reputable seller. Breeders are often the first point of contact and know everything about the bearded dragon – its genetics, origin, health, lineage and often have the parents! To find a reputable breeder, search online classified ads, go to their website and read reviews about them before buying. If you
wish to buy a uniquely colored bearded dragon, breeders are usually the best people to buy from. - You can also buy your bearded dragon online, such as here. Buying online has become easier than it was before – many shipment companies offer live lizard transportation. Many online sellers promise to send you the lizard that you have chosen and guarantee a live delivery. It is always the best to choose the fastest shipment method, which will ensure the bearded dragon is not suffering for a long time. Otherwise, a bearded dragon might suffer from hunger and stress and die.
wish to buy a uniquely colored bearded dragon, breeders are usually the best people to buy from.- Reptile Expos – buying a bearded dragon at the reptile expo is also a good idea. There, you can meet the breeders and dealers, ask questions, look at and touch bearded dragons. You can also meet other sellers and other species of pet lizards – maybe you will become interested in other species too! The only downside is that you often need to travel to the Expo, and it can be quite far away. But if you have a chance, definitely go! If you decide to buy a bearded dragon at the reptile expo, make sure to ask for a breeder’s phone number. This is in case the beardie has been sick and you couldn’t tell before buying.
- Reptile dealers – dealers are people that represent different breeders, who can be hobbyists and commercial breeders. Dealers usually have their own website and advertise different bearded dragons for sale. Some dealers even buy unique bearded dragon types and sell them on their website or at the reptile expo.
- Shelters and rescues – you might find unwanted bearded dragons there. Some of them might not be in good health or condition. Giving a home to an abandoned bearded dragon is very good, but make sure it is not too sick that you will have to spend tons of money and time to treat and tame it.
How to prepare for buying a bearded dragon and how to bring it home?
If you are buying your bearded dragon from a pet store, reptile expo or directly from a breeder, you need to bring it home safely. But how should you transport a bearded dragon? The best container for your bearded dragon is a small plastic reptile carrier with a handle. It can also be a small pet carrier – kitten or rabbit. You will also be able to use this carrier for vet visits.
This carrier should allow air ventilation and shouldn’t be soft. Kritter Keeper is a good choice. Put some newspaper or an old towel (will keep beardie warm) on the bottom, and put a snack or two.
Make sure to avoid any high or low temperatures in the car if driving – this will depend on a season and you might turn on conditioning or a heater.
Another thing that you must take care of beforehand is a bearded dragon’s vivarium. It is always a good idea to place it in a vivarium as soon as you come home.
Try to visit the vet (choose one beforehand) to test your bearded dragon for parasites and to assess general health if the seller hasn’t done so. Do this few days after arrival, after bearded dragon has acclimated to its new surroundings.
Thank you for reading this article! Check out other articles about bearded dragons to learn more about caring for your dragon companion.