{"id":2617,"date":"2020-07-08T08:26:15","date_gmt":"2020-07-08T08:26:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reptilesguide.com\/?p=2617"},"modified":"2022-11-04T18:09:33","modified_gmt":"2022-11-04T18:09:33","slug":"why-do-bearded-dragons-turn-black","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reptilesguide.com\/why-do-bearded-dragons-turn-black\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Do Bearded Dragons Turn Black? 10 Things To Look For"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you own a bearded dragon or planning to own one, sooner or later, you’ll encounter your bearded dragon turning black. They can either turn just their beard black or their entire body. When this happens, you may start to panic and wonder why they are doing this.<\/p>\n

So why do bearded dragons turn black? Bearded dragons turn black for several reasons, but usually, it’s to regulate their body temperature. Other reasons could be to defend their territory, it’s mating season, suffering from stress, or they are sick.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this guide, we’ll go through each of the reasons why they turn black. So the next time, your beardie turns black, you know the reason why and if any action needs to be taken.<\/p>\n

Below are the 10 reasons why your bearded dragon turns black and what to look for:<\/p>\n

1. Regulate Body Temperature<\/h2>\n

This is usually the main cause for bearded dragons to turn black. When they turn black, they are trying to maintain their body at the correct temperature.<\/p>\n

Usually in the morning when it’s cold, they will normally turn black. By turning darker, they are able to absorb more heat.<\/p>\n

During the day, if you notice your bearded dragon is black for most of the day, there could be an issue with the basking lights. It’s either not producing enough heat or the bulb is burnt out.<\/p>\n

Bearded Dragon Tank Temperature Guide<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
Baby<\/th>Juvenile<\/th>Adult<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Basking Area 100\u00b0-110\u00b0F<\/td>Basking Area 95\u00b0-100\u00b0F<\/td>Basking Area 95\u00b0-100\u00b0F<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cool Spot 80\u00b0-90\u00b0F<\/td>Cool Spot 75\u00b0-80\u00b0F<\/td>Cool Spot 75\u00b0-80\u00b0F<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Night 70\u00b0-75\u00b0F<\/td>Night 70\u00b0-75\u00b0F<\/td>Night 70\u00b0-75\u00b0F<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

\"bearded<\/h2>\n

2. Ready To Mate<\/h2>\n

If your bearded dragon is a male and it’s mating season, their beard will darken signifying it’s ready to mate.<\/p>\n

For a male bearded dragon, this will usually happen after they are 5 months or older.<\/p>\n

Besides turning black, other signs to look for are anxious behavior and head bobbing.<\/p>\n

When you see them display all of these signs, the bearded dragon is looking for a mate.<\/p>\n

While males usually turn black, female bearded dragons can turn black as well during the mating season. However, it’s less likely to occur.<\/p>\n

The mating season for bearded dragons is a month after the brumation period.<\/p>\n

In the wild, bearded dragons will start brumating when the weather gets colder.
\nThis will be around the month of November and lasting until February.<\/p>\n

Therefore, it’s likely in the spring when you should take notice when they turn black. If so, you know that your male bearded dragon is looking for a mate.<\/p>\n

3. Extreme Stress<\/h2>\n

There are times when your bearded dragons will become extremely stressful. When this happens, they may turn all black.<\/p>\n

Extreme stress could be caused by many things. Below are some things that could cause them to become very stressed:<\/p>\n