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George wants a Dragon
Facts Care Food Houses Vivarium Moods Quiz Kit list Cost Me
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George's research files · No.1

Bearded
dragons!

Hi, I'm George and I'm seven. I LOVE bearded dragons. I haven't got one yet — but I'm getting one soon (hopefully 🤞) and he's going to be called Lenny. Here is everything I found out.

🦎
Find the 5 hidden Lennys

There are five faded little lizards like the one on the left hiding in the writing on this page. Tap each one you spot — the counter at the top keeps score.

A bearded dragon basking on a branch under its heat lamp
Basking under the lamp
Close-up of a bearded dragon's spiky beard and eye
Spiky beard
A bearded dragon eating a cricket
Cricket for tea
Australia · desert lizard · lives 10–15 years · omnivore · up to 24 inches · puffs its beard when cross · has a third eye
Case file #1 · Straight from my notebook

Fun facts

Tap a card to flip it over. My favourite is number 6.

01
They live 10 to 15 years
TAP TO FLIP
That's longer than a dog stays a puppy — a beardie could still be with me when I'm 22. You have to promise to look after them the whole time.
02
They are hypoallergenic
TAP TO FLIP
No fur and no feathers means hardly anything to sneeze at. That makes them a brilliant pet if someone in your house is allergic to cats and dogs (like my dad).
03
They are diurnal
TAP TO FLIP
Diurnal means awake in the day and asleep at night — the same as us. So you get to hang out with your dragon after school, and their lights go off at bedtime.
04
They are omnivores
TAP TO FLIP
Omnivore means they eat live invertebrates (bugs!) AND leafy greens. Their diet should be about 50% dark leafy greens. Full menu further down.
05
18 to 24 inches long
TAP TO FLIP
That's about 45–60cm — roughly a school ruler and a half, and about half of it is tail. Big lizard, big house. That's why the vivarium has to be huge.
06
They have a third eye
TAP TO FLIP · MY FAVOURITE
On top of their head is a parietal eye. It can't see pictures, but it senses light and shadow — so if a bird swoops over, the dragon knows to run. Amazing.
07
They wave hello
TAP TO FLIP
Bearded dragons really do wave one front arm in slow circles. It's not being friendly though — it means "I've seen you, I'm not looking for a fight."
08
They come from Australia
TAP TO FLIP
Wild beardies live in the hot dry deserts and scrubland of Australia, climbing on rocks and branches. That's the world we have to copy inside their vivarium.
Case file #2 · My daily job list

How to look
after your dragon

A bearded dragon is not a pet you just look at. Here's the proper job list I've learned.

A boy holding a bearded dragon carefully with both hands
SCOOP FROM UNDERNEATH
EVERY DAY

Daily jobs

Fresh water in a shallow dish
Fresh greens in the morning
Live bugs (how many depends on age)
Scoop out poo and old food
Check both temperatures with a thermometer
Lights on in the morning, off at night
EVERY WEEK OR MONTH

Bigger jobs

Warm shallow bath to help with shedding
Full clean of the vivarium and dishes
Weigh your dragon and write it down
Change the UVB bulb every 6–12 months even if it still glows
Vet check-up once a year
HOLDING YOUR DRAGON

Handling rules

Scoop from underneath — never grab from above like a bird would
Always support all four feet and the belly
Never, ever hold them by the tail
Start with a few minutes a day so they get used to you
Wash your hands before and after, every single time
TAKE THIS BIT SERIOUSLY

Three things that make dragons poorly

No UVB lightWithout UVB they can't use calcium and their bones go weak. This is called metabolic bone disease and it's the most common thing that goes wrong.
A blocked tummyCalled impaction. It happens if they're too cold to digest, or if they swallow loose sand, or eat something too big.
Too coldA cold dragon can't digest its food at all. Get the basking spot right before you bring your dragon home.

If your dragon stops eating, looks floppy, or its arms shake — tell a grown-up and phone a reptile vet. 🦎

Case file #3 · What I found out about food

How to feed
your dragon

Expert mode. Bugs, greens, dusting and a proper schedule. Their diet should be about 50% dark leafy greens. 🦎

Live food (the bugs)

Every day: dubia roaches, crickets, locusts, black soldier fly larvae (calci-worms)
Treats only: mealworms, waxworms, superworms — too fatty and hard-shelled for every day
Never: fireflies (poisonous!) or bugs you found in the garden
The golden rule: a bug must never be wider than the space between your dragon's eyes.
Gut-loading: feed the bugs good veg before you feed them to your dragon, so the bugs are full of vitamins too.

Greens (the salad)

Every day: collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion leaves, butternut squash, bell pepper, rocket
Sometimes: kale, carrot, courgette, blueberries and strawberries as a treat
Never: avocado, rhubarb, onion, iceberg lettuce (all water, no goodness), and not spinach every day because it locks up calcium
Chop everything small and pile it in a shallow dish, not on the floor of the viv.

Dusting & water

Calcium powder on the bugs most days for babies, a few times a week for grown-ups. Shake the bugs in a tub with a pinch of powder.
Multivitamin about once a week.
Water: a shallow dish they can't drown in. Some dragons don't notice still water, so misting their greens helps them drink.
0–3 MONTHS · BABY
Mostly bugs
Bugs 3–5 times a day, as many as they'll eat in 10 minutes. Greens out all day too.
3–12 MONTHS · JUVENILE
50 / 50
Bugs twice a day, greens every day. They grow incredibly fast at this age.
12 MONTHS+ · ADULT
Mostly salad
Greens every day, bugs only 2–3 times a week or they get too chubby.
MINI GAME

Feed Lenny

Is this safe for a bearded dragon? Choose fast.

ON THE PLATE
{{ foodName }}
Safe
Nope!
{{ foodVerdict }}

{{ foodExplain }}

SCORE {{ foodScore }} / {{ foodTries }}
Case file #4 · Desert homes, investigated

What kind of
houses they like

Wild bearded dragons live in hot, dry, rocky places in Australia. So their house has to be a little piece of desert — big, warm at one end, cooler at the other, with things to climb and places to hide.

Big enough

An adult needs at least 4ft × 2ft × 2ft — bigger is always better. A baby can start smaller but they grow FAST, so most people just buy the big one straight away.

Hot end & cool end

A basking spot around 38–42°C at one end and a cool end around 25–28°C. The dragon walks between them to choose its own temperature. At night it drops to about 18°C.

Air that moves

Ventilation vents keep the air fresh and dry. Beardies come from the desert, so a damp, stuffy tank makes them ill. That's why a wooden vivarium beats a glass fish tank. 🦎

Climbing & hiding

Branches and rocks to climb (they love being up high), plus at least two hides — a warm one and a cool one — so they can go somewhere private.

The right floor

Good: tiles, lino, reptile carpet, or a soil-and-sand mix. Bad: loose calci-sand or walnut shell, because swallowing it can block their tummy.

One dragon only

Bearded dragons live alone in the wild and will fight over the best basking spot. Never keep two in one vivarium.

Case file #5 · My build plan

Build the
perfect vivarium

Tap a numbered spot to find out what goes there and why.

Inside a bearded dragon vivarium
HOT END 38–42°C
COOL END 25–28°C
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
SPOT {{ hotNum }}

{{ hotTitle }}

{{ hotBody }}

{{ hotSpec }}
TEMPERATURE TESTER

Slide to set the basking spot

18°C
34°C
50°C
{{ temp }}°C
{{ tempVerdict }}

{{ tempBody }}

Case file #6 · Dragon-watching notes

Dragon language

Bearded dragons can't make noises, so they talk with their body and their colour. Here's how to read your dragon.

Black puffy beard

"Back off, I'm cross or scared." Give them space and check nothing's frightening them — even their own reflection can do it.

Dark body, flat pose

Going dark soaks up more heat. They flatten out like a pancake under the lamp to warm up faster.

Slow arm wave

"I can see you and I don't want a fight." Totally normal and very cute.

Head bobbing

Fast bobbing is showing off — usually a male saying "this is my patch." Slow bobbing is more of a hello.

Going pale and flaky

Shedding. Never pull the old skin off — give them a warm bath and let it come away by itself.

Mouth wide open

Called gaping. Usually it's just cooling down, like a dog panting. But if it goes on and on, the basking spot might be too hot.

Sleeping loads in winter

Brumation — a bit like hibernating. Older dragons do it and it's normal, but always get a vet to check they're just sleepy and not poorly.

Case file #7 · Test yourself

Are you ready
for a beardie?

Seven questions. No cheating — but the answers are all on this website.

QUESTION {{ qNum }} OF {{ qTotal }} · SCORE {{ quizScore }}

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ALL DONE
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Play again
Case file #8 · My shopping list

The kit list

Everything you need before the dragon comes home. Tick them off as you go. 🦎

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Case file #9 · The money page

What it all costs

These are the real prices from my research book. The dragon is the cheap bit — it's the setup that costs the money.

George and his sister Alice pointing at bearded dragons in the pet shop
RESEARCH TRIP

We went to see them for real

That's me and my big sister Alice, who's 11. We went to the pet shop to see the bearded dragons properly, and we found one on the label for £55.

Seeing them in real life is the best bit of research you can do. You can check how big they really are and ask the shop loads of questions.

ITEM
PRICE
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Altogether
about £310 – £530

And then every month there's live bugs, fresh greens, calcium powder, and the electricity for the lamps. Plus new bulbs twice a year and a yearly vet check.

Case file #10 · About the researcher

Meet George

George holding a bearded dragon

I'm George, I'm seven, and I've been researching bearded dragons for ages. I've got a whole research book full of facts about them — how big they get, what they eat, how hot their vivarium needs to be, how much everything costs, and all the cool stuff they do like waving and puffing up their beards.

I haven't got my dragon yet. When I do, he's going to be called Lenny. I made this website so other people can learn about beardies too — because if you want one, you have to know how to look after it properly first.

My favourite fact is that bearded dragons have a third eye on top of their heads. 🦎
P.S. — this bit is for Mum and Dad

I have done all the research. I am ready.

I know the basking spot is 38–42°C, the cool end is 25–28°C, and 18°C at night.
I know they need UVB, and the bulb gets changed every 6–12 months even when it still works.
I know bugs must be no wider than the gap between their eyes.
I know it's 10 to 15 years, and I'm doing the daily jobs. Every day. Even Saturdays.
So... can I get one? Pleeeeeeaaaaaaseeeee?
George with his hands together, asking please
GEORGE'S BEARDED DRAGON RESEARCH · AGE 7 · MADE FOR LENNY
ALWAYS ASK A REPTILE VET IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT A DRAGON
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