Bearded Dragon Temperature Chart
| Basking (hatchling/juvenile) | 100–110°F |
| Basking (adult) | 95–105°F |
| Cool side | 75–85°F |
| Night-time | High 60s–70s°F |
Daytime gradient
The basking spot needs to run hot enough for real digestion and activity — 95–110°F depending on age — while the cool end genuinely needs to sit 15–25°F lower so the dragon can move to cool down. Measure both with a digital probe thermometer at surface level, not a stick-on dial.
Night-time drop
A modest night-time temperature drop into the high 60s to low 70s°F is normal and doesn't need supplemental heat in most home environments. If your home regularly drops below the low 60s at night, a low-wattage ceramic heat emitter on its own thermostat can help.
If temperatures are wrong
A basking spot that's too cool leads to poor digestion, reduced appetite, and lethargy. Too hot risks burns and heat stress. A cool side that isn't actually cooler removes the dragon's ability to thermoregulate at all — check with a thermometer, don't estimate by feel.
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A single adult bearded dragon needs a minimum 4ft x 2ft x 2ft enclosure, with 6ft x 2ft x 2ft increasingly recommended as best practice — plus a linear T5 HO UVB tube, an overhead basking bulb on a thermostat, a real thermal gradient, a sturdy basking platform, and a shallow water dish.
A complete bearded dragon setup needs a 4ft+ enclosure, a linear T5 HO UVB tube, an overhead basking bulb on a thermostat, two thermometers, a basking platform, a hide, a shallow water dish, and age-appropriate substrate — all running and stable for at least 48 hours before the dragon arrives.
Hatchlings can start in a 20-gallon long tub, juveniles need to move to roughly a 40-gallon breeder footprint by a few months old, and adults need a minimum 4ft x 2ft x 2ft enclosure, with 6ft x 2ft x 2ft recommended.
Basking surface temperature should run 95–110°F depending on age (hotter for hatchlings, cooler for adults), with a cool side around 75–85°F, all provided by an overhead basking bulb on a thermostat — not a heat mat or heat rock.
Bearded dragons need a linear T5 HO UVB tube at 10.0 or 12% output, running the length of the basking third of the enclosure with nothing between bulb and dragon, replaced every 6–12 months regardless of whether it still produces visible light.
Bearded dragons should be kept at roughly 30–40% ambient humidity. Sustained humidity above 50% significantly raises the risk of respiratory infection in this dry-climate species — brief daily misting or a shallow soak handles hydration and shedding needs without pushing ambient humidity up long-term.