What is the best bearded dragon temperature to keep your beardie healthy and happy? Inside this article, we look at the different temperature requirements for Hatchies, Juveniles and Adult bearded dragons.
What Temperature Should A Bearded Dragon Tank Be?
There are three temperature zones that make up an ideal bearded dragon temperature range, these are:
- Ambient: The ambient temperature (general temperature) should be between 80°F (26°C) to 85°F (29°C).
- Basking: The basking area should be between 95°F (37°C) and 110°F (43°C) with 105°F (40°C).
- Cool-down area: The cool spot should be 80°F (26°C) – 90°F (32°C).
The above is referred to as a temperature gradient.
“Cold bloods” like bearded dragons rely on the external environment to thermoregulate so they’ll move around the hot, warm and cool areas to manage their internal temperatures.
The hot area is especially important because it helps your beardie digest its food properly so your beardie can get in the maximum amount of nutrients.
Best Bearded Dragon Temperature For Babies
| Ambient Temperature | Basking Temperature | Cool Spot Temperature |
| 80°F (26°C) – 85°F (29°C) | 100°F (37°C) – 110°F (43°C) | 80°F(26°C – 90°F (32°C) |
A baby bearded dragon’s heating needs tend to be a little warmer than both juveniles and adults.
Ambient Temperature
Ambient temperature (this is the general temperature inside the whole tank) should sit at around 80°F (26°C) to 85°F (29°C).
Basking Temperature
The basking area needs to rest somewhere between 100°F (37°C) and 110°F (43°C).
Adjust the height of the lamp so that the bulb is anywhere from 6-12 inches above the basking rock. You want to shoot for the resting temp to be around 105°F (40°C) which would be ideal, use a digital probe thermometer to check the temps here.
(I’ll share a list of the best digital probe thermometer at the bottom of this article.)
Cool Spot Temperature
On the other end of the heat spectrum baby bearded dragons should have a cooler area that sits between 80°F(26°C – 90°F (32°C).
Best Bearded Dragon Temperature For Juveniles
| Ambient Temperature | Basking Temperature | Cool Spot Temperature |
| 80°F (26°C) – 85°F (29°C) | 95°F (35°C) – 100°F (37°C) | 80°F(26°C – 90°F (32°C) |
Juvenile beardies will have slightly cooler ambient temps.
Ambient Temperature
The general temperature inside the tank can sit around should sit at around 80°F (26°C) to 85°F (29°C)
Basking Temperature
The basking area is the same as a baby bearded dragon and can rest between 95°F (35°C) and 100°F (37°C) and again if your tank allows for it, you can simply adjust the height of the heat lamp to get to a good temperature.
Most owners shoot for 105°F (40°C), avoid using those cheap stick-on thermometers, they’re typically off by about 20°F which is seriously not good – instead buy digital probe thermometer – (I’ll share a list of the best digital probe thermometer at the bottom of this article.)
Cool Spot Temperature
The cool spot for juvenile beardies should sit at around 80°F (26°C – 90°F (32°C).
Best Bearded Dragon Temperature For Adults
| Ambient Temperature | Basking Temperature | Cool Spot Temperature |
| 80°F (26°C) – 85°F (29°C) | 90°F (32°C) – 93°F (34°C) | 80°F(26°C – 90°F (32°C) |
Ambient Temperature
The ambient temperature inside the tank can sit around should sit at around 80°F (26°C) to 85°F (29°C)
Basking Temperature
The basking area is cooler than both baby and juvenile bearded dragons and should be between 90°F (32°C) and 93°F (34°C).
(I’ll share the best digital probe thermometer at the bottom of this article.)
Cool Spot Temperature
The cool spot for adult beardies can be between 80°F (26°C – 90°F (32°C).
Bearded Dragon Temperature At Night
One of the biggest mistakes new beardie owners make is providing light during the night, typically a red light – don’t do this.
Bearded dragons actually have very good eyesight and see the same color spectrum as humans so they will struggle to get a good night’s sleep with a red light flooding their tank.
In terms of heating, the temperature can drop considerably and this is normal for life in the desert and science suggests that this may increase their immune system so the best temps are between 65°F (18°C) and 75°F (23°C) is fine.
One final point: these temperatures are pre-supposing that you’re giving your little guy or gal the correct heating during the day as well.
If your tank is too cool during the day and colder at night you could induce brumation or illness.
Creating An Ideal Temperature Gradient
Best Thermometers For Your Tank
Managing the temperature of your tank is essential and while you may be able to skimp on certain things this is not one of them so make sure you’re using the best measuring tools so you’re getting the most accurate temperature data.
Digital thermometers and infrared temperature guns are the most accurate way to measure the temperature zones inside your bearded dragon’s tank.
Don’t bother purchasing the thermometers that stick to the side of the tank since they are wildly inaccurate and can throw off the temperature readings anywhere from 15-20% which makes a huge difference to your beardie’s comfort levels.
We recommend:
- ThermoPro TP50 Hygrometer & Thermometer (Get two of these, one for the basking area and one for the cool side.)
- Equinox Digital Non-Contact Infrared Thermometer
Best Bearded Dragon Heat Lamp
Heat lamps (basking lights) are going to come in different wattages and will require some experimenting to get the basking area to the ideal temperatures.
Plus there are other things to consider as well like the size of the tank, what the tank is made from (e.g. tanks with wood will retain more heat than glass tanks, etc.)
We recommend:
Best Fixture For Basking Bulbs
We recommend:
Night Time Heating
We recommend
Best Lighting and UVA/UVB bulbs
Here is an area where you’re best to invest in the highest quality MVB bulbs that you can afford.
Beardies need UVA and UVB so you need to make sure that you find bulbs that have both because there are some lamps that only have UVA which means your dragon will be missing out on UVB which will ultimately result in bone problems.
Also, make sure that you’re not placing these UVA/UVB bulbs on top of a mesh screen since the mesh will filter out a good percentage of that radiation meaning your guy or gal is receiving less UVA/UVB than they require to stay healthy.
We recommend:
- Evergreen Pet Supplies 100W UVA UVB Mercury Vapor Bulb
- ReptiSun 10.0 UVB tube (avoid compact and coil bulbs as they don’t emit the right amount of UVB for your bearded dragon.)
Reptile Hides
Hides a great for not only creating a cool zone but it also makes your beardie feel more secure which we all want.
There is no “best hide” for your bearded dragon, I’ve seen people use boxes before which is fine.
You can either make your own hide or buy one from amazon (Exo Terra Reptile Cave) or from the pet store, either way, you should definitely have one of these inside your bearded dragon enclosure.