If you own a bearded dragon, especially a female one, you may wonder, do bearded dragons lay eggs?
Yes, bearded dragons do lay eggs. If you own a female bearded dragon, she will one day lay eggs, regardless of whether there is a male or not. She will lay a clutch of eggs in the ground and if it’s fertile, it will take 40-90 days to hatch.
How Long Does It Take a Bearded Dragon To Lay Eggs?
Bearded dragons are a species of lizard that, on average, takes between one and three months to lay eggs.
Bearded dragons are oviparous or egg-laying reptiles. They lay eggs in a clutch. Some of the things you need to know about these reptiles are their mating habits, egg laying process, and incubation period.
Bearded dragons mate in the spring and summer seasons, usually between April and July. They can produce two clutches of eggs each season, but most only produce one clutch per season. A female bearded dragon lays her eggs in her nesting site or an artificial incubator when it’s time to lay them.
How Many Eggs Do Bearded Dragons Lay?
Bearded Dragons lay their eggs in a nest and do not need to be incubated.
Bearded dragons can lay up to 5 or 6 eggs, but they usually produce less than that. The number of eggs laid will depend on the age and size of the bearded dragon, as well as how many other females are laying at the same time.
It is possible for bearded dragons to lay eggs without mating at all. They simply need to be in an environment with a temperature of 85 degrees Fahrenheit or higher and have food readily available.
How Often Do Bearded Dragons Lay Eggs?
Bearded dragons can lay eggs as often as every other day, but they only lay an average of two eggs per season.
Bearded dragons will typically lay their first egg about five months after mating and then will continue to produce eggs until about eight months after mating.
Recognizing a Gravid Dragon
A female bearded dragon can start to lay eggs when they are about a year old. After the female has mate, you can expect to see the first clutch of eggs within 4 to 6 weeks.
In a clutch, there can be anywhere from fifteen to thirty-five eggs. A female beardie can lay from one to three clutches per mating.
A non-mated female bearded dragon can also lay eggs. They can start to lay eggs when they are only 10 months old. If they do, they will typically lay one clutch.
There are signs of a gravid bearded dragon and it’s important to know. When the dragon is gravid, they will need extra care from you.
Below are some of the signs to look for when your beardie is gravid.
Lethargy – Lethargy is a common issue that can affect bearded dragons when they are gravid. It is characterized by an inability to move, eat, or drink normally. “Lethargy” is also used to describe a state of deep sleep where the body does not react to stimuli in any way.
Swollen Belly – When a female lizard becomes gravid, her body produces too many hormones which cause her to swell up and put on weight rapidly. Also, the eggs inside her will cause her belly to swell.
Digging – After a couple of weeks, the gravid beardie will start to dig around their enclosure. The bearded dragon lays eggs in the ground and she is looking for the right place.
Aggressive – Pregnant bearded dragons will become very aggressive at almost everything around her. This aggressive behavior is a natural instinct to protect the eggs inside her.
Decrease Appetite – As the female bearded dragon gets closer to laying her eggs, she will start to eat less and less. Sometimes, she may not even eat at all when she is about to lay her eggs.
If you notice any of the signs above, it’s time to start preparing the enclosure and giving her the extra care that she needs.
Gravid Dragon Care
After you know that your bearded dragon is pregnant, you’ll need to prepare her enclosure.
1. The first thing you need to do is create a nest box for her. The nest box is also called a lay box. Fill the nest box with damp material such as soil, wood chipping, or sand. The material should be easy for the bearded dragon to dig and bury her eggs.
The material should be about 6 inches in depth.
After the next box is filled, place it into the enclosure and put it under heat lamps.
2. Nesting box in a separate container. Another option you have is to place the nest box in another container. The container can be a plastic bin or wooden box. This will make it easier for you to care for the eggs and the female bearded dragons. After she has laid the eggs, you can remove her from the nesting box and place her back into her enclosure.
3. Provide extra food. Due to the eggs growing inside her, she will need more food than usual. Food that is high in calcium is necessary for both the baby bearded dragons and mother to remain healthy. Not providing her with enough calcium could lead to Metabolic Bone Disease.
4. Provide plenty of water. During pregnancy, the female bearded dragon will be dehydrated. Provide her with plenty of fresh water at all times. In addition, after she has laid her eggs, she will become tired. Mist her enclosure with water to keep her hydrated.
5. Provide plenty of calcium supplements. After she has laid the eggs, she will need plenty of calcium. If she isn’t eating much, give her calcium supplements.
Fertile Egg Care
After the eggs are laid, the female bearded dragon will abandon them. First, you will need to make sure the eggs are fertile. To see if it’s fertile, you can hold a flashlight up to the eggs and look for an embryo inside.
On the other hand, if it isn’t fertile, you can throw them out.
Caring for fertile eggs will need special care to keep them healthy and strong. Here are some tips to help you:
- Ensure that the eggs are kept at a constant temperature of about 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Check that the humidity is at the right level at all times. If the humidity level is high, there could be a possibility mold will grow on the eggs. On the other hand, if the humidity is too low, the embryo may not grow.
- Avoid touching the eggs after it’s laid. If you need to move them, wear gloves.
Complications
During pregnancy, the female bearded dragon may encounter some complications.
One of them that she may encounter is being egg bound. This happens when the female has had eggs inside for more than 45 days.
This is a possibility that the bearded dragon has a low calcium level.
If it’s been longer than 45 days, the eggs will need to be removed. You will need to take the beardie to the veterinarian immediately.
This condition is often fatal if it’s not treated right away.
Related Questions
Do bearded dragons lay eggs without a male?
Female bearded dragons can lay eggs without a male.
Bearded dragons are one of the few species that lay eggs without a male. They need to be at least two years old before they can reproduce and they might not even know that they’re ready for breeding because their behavior doesn’t change dramatically. They might not start digging their own burrows, for example.
Some female bearded dragons never see males and just lay eggs all by themselves.
Do bearded dragons eat their own eggs?
Reptiles in general are not known to eat their own eggs.
The female bearded dragon lays her eggs in a cool place and the male bearded dragon will then cover them. The female will then leave the nest to find food, but she might also go back to eat because the egg is a source of protein.
Sometimes, if there is a predator around, she may eat her own eggs to prevent them from getting close.
Can two bearded dragons be kept together?
The answer to this question is no. Bearded dragons are solitary creatures and they need their own enclosure and space to roam and explore.
Bearded dragons are one of the most commonly kept pet lizards. This is likely due to the fact that they come in a vast range of colors, shapes, and sizes.
The beardie’s voracious appetite for live food often makes them a popular choice at pet stores. Unfortunately, this also means it’s very common for people to buy two bearded dragons and be overwhelmed by their feeding and living needs.
Two bearded dragons may not be compatible since they will fight over everything from territory to food sources, which can lead to injury or death. Bearded dragons should only be housed with species that occupy the same ecological niche (e.g., if your bearded dragon is omnivorous it can share a habitat with other omnivores such as leopard geckos).
