Bearded dragons are popular pets and make great companions if handled with care. They have a lifespan of up to 15 years. Bearded dragons exist in different colors depending on their breed and origin. They have distinctive spines and scales running from their bodies to their heads.
Bearded dragons start laying eggs at an age of around two years, and this is when they reach sexual maturity, but mostly they vary depending on breed, size, diet, and environment. When the bearded dragons are kept in a warmer environment with enough food and space to move from one point to another, they will start egg laying early.
In what season do bearded dragons lay eggs? Bearded dragons lay eggs mostly from spring to early summer, when most of the female bearded dragons get pregnant. During the egg laying process, you will be required to help replenish female bearded dragon resources to get her back to good and normal health.
How Do I Know If My Bearded Dragon Is Going to Lay Eggs?
When your bearded dragon is going to lay eggs, she will start acting abnormally. She will show signs such as sleeping, a loss of appetite, and becoming lethargic. She may start scratching and digging around the habitat when searching for a suitable place to lay her eggs.
When you come across these nesting behaviors and signs, it will be your responsibility to ensure you help her prepare a nesting box to lay her eggs. Doing this will prevent her eggs from becoming egg bounding.
How Do I Prepare My Bearded Dragon to Lay Eggs?
What to do when your bearded dragon needs to lay eggs is to prepare a laying box for her to lay her eggs in. There are some factors you need to consider when preparing for your bearded dragon to lay eggs.
Below are five main factors to be considered:
1. Laying box
When your female bearded dragon is about to lay eggs, you should prepare a laying box that will help her create an adequate environment for her eggs.
2. Diet
Bearded dragons are omnivorous since they eat both plants and animals. You should provide your female bearded dragon with enough food that contains both proteins and calcium for her to increase her reproductive system when she is laying eggs.
Replenishment of nutrients will be required to ensure the female bearded dragon gets a well-balanced diet, including green vegetables with high nutrients, proteins, and calcium, during the laying period. You should also provide fresh water to the female bearded dragon when she needs to lay eggs.
3. Clean and Neat Environment
Providing a clean and neat environment so that the female bearded dragon has a free and safe space to rest as she lays the eggs.
Additionally, you will be required to remove all infertile eggs from the nesting box to avoid health issues.
4. Temperature and Humidity
When your female bearded dragon needs to lay eggs, you need to ensure she receives the required temperature and humidity. The temperature should range between 60-80 degrees, and the humidity should be around 40-70%.
How hot does it have to be for a bearded dragon to lay her eggs? When your bearded dragon lays eggs, she will require almost 12 hours of sunlight to reach the maximum temperature and humidity.
5. Monitoring Your Bearded Dragon
You should monitor your bearded dragon closely during the egg-laying process. Note any signs of discomfort or stress, and ensure you sort them accordingly.
How Many Eggs Will a Bearded Dragon Lay the First Time?
Bearded dragons can lay between 15-35 eggs in a single clutch for the first time. The number of eggs laid varies depending on different factors, including breeding, size, diet, and environment. During the mating season, bearded dragons can lay several clutches, ranging between 2-5 clutches.
When your bearded dragon is laying her eggs, you will be required to meet some factors to increase egg reproduction, such as providing food containing more calcium than normal until she lays all the eggs. This will help her strengthen her bones and be strong during the egg laying process.
Can Bearded Dragons Lay Eggs Without Mating?
Yes, bearded dragons can lay eggs without mating, but the eggs will be infertile. When the bearded dragon reaches the sexual maturity stage, she will start laying eggs even when there is no male bearded dragon for mating. However, the eggs will not be hatched for baby bearded dragons.
This process, where a female bearded dragon lays eggs without mating, is known as facultative parthenogenesis.
When you don’t have a male bearded dragon, you should know how long it takes for a bearded dragon to lay infertile eggs. She might take around 5-7 weeks to lay infertile eggs. Infertile eggs are mainly laid in the first clutch, which occurs between 10-15 months of age. When you discover your bearded dragon is laying infertile eggs, you have to look for a male bearded dragon for mating.
When a female bearded dragon is laying infertile eggs, you will notice some signs, including abnormal bowels, bumps in the abdomen, pinkish urine, and a loss of appetite.
Can a Female Bearded Dragon Store Sperm?
Yes, a female bearded dragon can store male bearded dragon sperm for about a year in the reproductive tract after mating. This is one of the natural, built in survival mechanisms where a female bearded dragon has to store the sperm.
Does the Gender of a Bearded Dragon Egg Depend On the Heat?
Yes, the gender of a bearded dragon egg depends on the heat provided to the eggs. When the eggs of a female bearded dragon are kept at a temperature below 35oC, the bearded dragon embryo will have two Z chromosomes, which will develop a male bearded dragon baby.
When the eggs are kept at a temperature above 35oC, they will have Z and W chromosomes, which will develop a female bearded dragon baby.
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