Bearded dragons are very interesting and gentle pets. In particular, red bearded dragons are one of the most exclusive and unique bearded dragon species.
If you have the opportunity to own a red beardie, inevitably, your life will become more colorful and passionate.
But that is in case you can afford this species. Because they are quite rare compared to other ones, they are considerably expensive. Not to mention, precious creatures often have a harder time staying healthy than common animals.
- So, how much are they worth that are hard to buy?
- What red bearded dragon’s color options do you have?
- Are they difficult to raise?
- Are they challenging to raise?
They are what we will mention in this article. Through it, you can list the animal on impressive and outstanding pets that you can buy in the future.
Page Contents
The Interesting Red Color of Bearded Dragons
In the wild, you can rarely find a red bearded dragon. If so, their skin will not be 100% red but will blend with other bearded dragon colors.
This is because the skin pigmentation of bearded dragons in the natural environment depends entirely on environmental factors such as sunshine, wind, etc.
When it comes to breeding red bearded dragons, we call it selective breeding.
As you know, females and males mating with each other will produce offspring with the dominant genetic characteristics of both their father and mother.
Thus, to create bearded dragons with red color, it is necessary to select bearded dragon parents with many red colors. The breeders keep such individuals to increase the rate of red bearded dragons.
Now, do you know why they are so rare?
Back to the color of red bearded dragons. There are two types of colors that you can choose from.
Depending on the color of their parents, they will belong to pure-red bearded dragons and mixed-red bearded dragons, meaning that not only the red will be on their skin.
When it goes deeper, each color type has the following different darker or lighter pigments.
For beardies only in red:
- Red bearded dragon
- Blood-red bearded dragon
- Ruby-red bearded dragon
For bearded dragons with mixed red colors (mostly combined with yellow or sandy):
- Sandfire-red bearded dragon
- Orange bearded dragon
- Citrus-tiger bearded dragon
- Sunburst bearded dragon
- Tangerine bearded dragon
Red Bearded Dragons in the Wild
In the natural environment, red bearded dragons live in central Australia and live separately, not in groups. That is why you should not let two bearded dragons live in one enclosure.
Red bearded dragons are quite large in size, nearly 2 feet and have a short lifespan. That’s because, in the wild, they have many dangers lurking like enemies, diseases, lack of food sources. However, when raised as pets, they will live much longer.
Red bearded dragons stand out by not only their eye-catching colors but also by their sturdy and robust looks. They seem fierce, but they are incredibly gentle.
If you have a red bearded dragon to raise, you’ll see why this species is loved by many owners.
What do Red Bearded Dragons Eat?
Bearded dragons can eat many things, including insects and vegetables. In nature, in addition to insects, this species even eats small animals such as mice and cockroaches, etc. So it can be said that they are omnivores.
Insects
The insects that red bearded dragons can eat include crickets, Dubia roaches, and worms. They are an excellent source of nutrition that provides the species with the necessary amount of protein and fat.
However, for your pet’s safety, you should not feed insects caught in the wild to feed them as they can contain many harmful parasites and bacteria. When bearded dragons eat them, they are more susceptible to intestinal diseases.
Instead, you can choose foods available on the market like freeze-dried crickets and mealworms. They are not as fresh and attractive as live insects, but they still contain a lot of essential nutrients.
If you want them to be softer so bearded dragons can chew more efficiently, soak the food with water.
Alternatively, you can also buy live mealworms from Amazon. There are quite a few vendors selling this product. You will have many good choices with healthy, fat and fresh insects.
Moreover, Amazon will also ensure that these best worms for bearded dragons will be delivered to your hands safely and quickly.
Notably, these products also help you save on pet food costs. They are not only a favorite dish of bearded dragons, but you can also raise the insects in the proper environment, making them a regular source of protein for the red bearded dragons.
Plants (vegetables and fruits)
Bearded dragons love to eat fruits and vegetables. It is a food source that provides them with essential minerals, vitamins, fatty acids, and fiber, etc.
They will help the skin, digestive system and other body parts function properly.
For adult red bearded dragons, plants are even more important in their diet compared to insects.
Here are some types of veggies that bearded dragons often eat:
- Green beans
- Butternut squash
- Sweet potato
- Bell pepper
- Cabbage
- Kohlrabi
- Parsnip
- Yellow squash
- Asparagus
- Celery
- Okra
- Romaine lettuce
- Zucchini
- Carrots
Types of greens for bearded dragons include:
- Kale
- Collards
- Parsley
- Clover
- Dandelion greens
- Turnip greens
- Mustard greens
- Endive
- Rocket
- Coriander
And fruits:
- Melon
- Apples
- Mango
- Papaya
- Peaches
- Apricots
- Plums
- Kiwi
- Strawberries
- Guava
- Pears
- Grapes
- Raisins
- Apricots
Of which, you should pay attention to cut vegetables so small that the size of each piece should not be larger than the distance between the pets’ eye sockets. Otherwise, they will be numb and convulsive.
Another important thing is that you should not give them acidic fruits like lemon or orange. The acidity is not good for the digestive system of red leatherback bearded dragons.
Food supplements
Bearded dragons get most of the vitamin D3 from sunlight through sunbathing. However, you should still supplement them with this vitamin on food.
Currently, the market is selling quite a lot of vitamin D3 and powdered calcium. You can find and sprinkle them on pets’ insect or daily food.
For baby bearded dragons, they will need to be added daily. This amount will decrease as they reach adult size (3-4 times/week), and as they get old, they will need to take calcium and vitamins each week.
Water
Although bearded dragons live in arid environments, they drink lots of water and enjoy bathing. That is why you need to provide water for them every day.
Bearded dragon water should be placed as high as the head of the animals so they can drink accessibly while not spilling water on the floor. Besides, you need to change the water and leftovers regularly for them to make sure there are no bacteria growing.
The Diet of Red Bearded Dragons
When red bearded dragons are young, they need a lot of protein and fat to function properly, improve body functions, and grow speedily.
Therefore, for baby blood red bearded dragons, you should give them 25% of plants and 75% of insects.
In contrast, as the animals grow, the ratio between these two nutritional components varies significantly. They will only need 40% of insects and vegetables will account for the remaining 60%.
The following list is some of the best bearded dragon food:
- Dried crickets of Fluker’s
- Zilla Reptile Munchies Mix Treat
- Live Waxworms for Feeding Reptiles
- Zoo Med 5118 Bearded Dragon Food
- Fluker’s Buffet Blend Food for Young Bearded Dragons
- Bassett’s Cricket Live Superworms
Ideal Habitats for Red Bearded Dragons
Enclosure
The ideal environment for bearded dragons is cages, tanks, and aquariums. And the standard of their size will be based on the size of the pet to decide.
Let us explain more for you.
An adult red bearded dragon is nearly 2 feet long. Therefore, if you choose a 20-gallon aquarium for your baby bearded dragon, you will need a bigger one when he grows up. Our advice is that if your room is not too small, prepare to give him a 75-gallon aquarium.
Furthermore, you also need to cover the bearded dragon cage because the animal can escape at any time. They can climb on trees very quickly in nature.
In this case, the stainless steel mesh panels would be very suitable. They also work to circulate air for the habitat of bearded dragons.
There is an important issue that you need to consider when you choose the cage for more than one bearded dragon.
That is, if you have two bearded dragons, you should split the cage in half and keep them separate. Because otherwise, the bigger individual will bite the smaller one.
In particular, if they are male, the risk of bleeding is certain. They have a strong instinct for territory and food.
When raising bearded dragons, you need to keep their enclosure clean and dry. If it gets wet, your pet will be susceptible to the skin, digestive, and eye diseases caused by harmful bacteria.
Product suggestions
Here are some of the best cages, tanks, and aquariums on the market that you can refer to:
- Exo Terra Allglass Terrarium
- Tetra Deluxe Aquatic Turtle Kit
- Zilla Vertical Tropical Kit
- Terrarium Table – Glass Display for Plants
Substrate
In his habitat, bearded dragons will need many items to be able to live healthy and happy. In particular, the substrate is one of the necessary accessories that you need to equip them adequately.
So what is the bearded dragon substrate?
Substrates, of which the most common is sand, are used to keep the reptile cage clean. They must be able to absorb odors and moisture well so that the red-bearded dragon’s waste such as feces or urine will not make the cage foul or damp.
Sand is widely used for red-bearded dragon lizards, although there is considerable debate about the species’ health safety when people allow them to use sand.
Bearded dragons have a habit of tasting objects around them, including substrates. Some people believe that if they eat sand, it will lead to intestinal obstruction and indigestion.
Anyway, we understand that if you choose premium-quality products and keep an eye on your pet, you can prevent it from happening.
In addition to sand, there are a number of other materials that can be used as substrates for your pet, including reptile mats, coconut fiber, paper scraps, newspaper, cardboard, ceramic tiles, etc.
While ceramic tiles are easy to clean and last a lifetime, they cannot absorb moisture and smell.
In contrast, the remaining ingredients work well in keeping the bearded dragon’s cage always dry and clean, but you have to replace them regularly.
Suggested products
Here are some best substrate products for your red bearded dragon:
- Zilla Reptile Terrarium Bedding Substrate Liner
- Zoo Med Eco Earth Loose Coconut Fiber Substrate
- Zilla Alfalfa Meal
Heat and Lighting
In nature, people find this species living in caves, rocks, and bushes in arid woodlands and deserts in central Australia. As a result, many people mistakenly believe that red bearded dragons can live at ambient temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius.
The fact is that although they live in the desert, bearded dragons often hide in caves and bushes to avoid sunlight and enemies. All in all, the warm environment is very favorable for them to live in the enclosure healthily.
The ideal temperature that you need to maintain in their cages must be around 25-30 degrees Celsius. At night, it will be a little lower, about 21-26 degrees Celsius. So you can turn off the heat bulbs at night if the room temperature is not too cold.
Besides temperature, bearded dragons also need UVB light bulbs to absorb the necessary substances for skin and bones, such as vitamin B and calcium.
You should not ignore this item because, without these substances, bearded dragons will be sick and may even not be able to walk.
Many people think that when bearded dragons are already equipped with UVB light bulbs, they will no longer need to sunbathe.
If you are one of them, then you are wrong.
Although UVB lamps provide important substances, natural sunlight is still considered better for bearded dragons.
You should sunbathe your pet every morning on two days of the week, and each should only be 45 minutes. The best sunlight is at 7:00 am.
You should pay attention to bearded dragons sunbathing in the garden. When you bring their cage to the garden, place it where the foliage is, so the animals can rest and avoid the heat when the sun is too hot. As such, they will not get a burn.
These are the best-rated heat and UVB light bulbs for your bearded dragon:
Decorations
If you want to make a bearded dragon habitat look more vivid, you can add a lot of accessories and decorations, such as fake stones, trees, small lakes, logs, and hammocks, etc.
Also, red bearded dragons love to explore and hide. Therefore, you need to create a place for them to hide. In nature, they use such areas to avoid heat and enemies in the daytime.
Bearded dragons live in a few different environments. So if you have a lot of time, you can rely on it to create lifelike habitats in the animal’s terrarium or the best bearded dragon tanks.
There are two theme options that you can apply to, including deserts and rainforests.
If you want the bearded dragon enclosure to look like a miniature desert, you should choose substrates of sand, paper scraps, or coconut fiber. They have quite wild colors, suitable for this topic. Also, you can buy low tussock, cactus, dry twigs, fake rocks, rock caves, etc.
If you like greenery and life in the jungle, you can use deep green reptile carpets, fake vines, small ponds, broad-canopy trees, etc.
Some high-quality accessories and decorations for bearded dragon cage include:
FAQs about Red Bearded Dragons
What does it mean when a bearded dragon turns red?
When your bearded dragon suddenly changes his skin color to red, even though he was not in red before, there are several explanations for this phenomenon.
However, they can mostly be due to the animal’s body responding to the cage’s temperature or when he wants to communicate with other bearded dragons. And they depend on which areas of his skin turning red.
If the discolored skin on your pet’s body is the neck, it means that he is trying to change the way he interacts with his fellows. The beard and chest areas have similar explanations.
On the other hand, if it’s on the back, your bearded dragon is enjoying cool weather during the breeding season of the species. Thanks to that behavior, he can save dozens of hours of basking time and maintain the active body temperature at 35 degrees Celsius.
In addition, it is also possible that your bearded dragon is trying to disguise himself from enemies. However, in captivity, this is uncommon.
How much is a red bearded dragon?
As we have mentioned, the rate of producing red bearded dragons depends on the skin pigmentation of both their father and mother. Therefore, red bearded dragons are usually bred by breeders but not be as widely bred as other species.
In order to produce a pure red bearded dragon without mixing other colors, breeders need a couple of bearded dragons with lots of red. Therefore, they are quite rare.
That is why they are so expensive. And the redder bearded dragons are, the more they are priced, ranging from $200-400.
If you decide to raise a red bearded dragon, you need a lot of money to be able to buy him, not to mention the costs to feed him.
Furthermore, the price of a red bearded dragon also depends on his age. The younger he is, the cheaper he will be.
However, you should not because of saving costs to choose to buy red bearded dragons under three months old.
When they are too young, they will need to be with the mother bearded dragon.
Otherwise, it will be hard to survive. By that time, you will need to spend more money to cure the baby bearded dragon. You may even lose your purchase if he cannot overcome diseases.
How long do red bearded dragons live?
Like all other species of bearded dragons, red bearded dragons can live for 6-10 years. However, in nature, this number is much less, only about 3-4 years.
The reason for this significant difference is that bearded dragons living in the wild are riskier to death. It could be due to predators, lack of food source, or diseases.
In contrast, in captivity, they will be better cared for. Better yet, if you give them a happy and healthy life, they can live long as twice as the average life expectancy of this species.
What are some cool names for red bearded dragons?
When raising pets, everyone will want them to have a nice and meaningful name. And bearded dragon owners are no exception.
When it comes to red bearded dragons, there are a number of names that match them based on colors, personality, etc. which you can refer to as follows.
- Flame: Bearded dragon super red color is reminiscent of flames.
- Maleficent: Prickly and proud – that’s what we think of when we hear that name of a red bearded dragon.
- Godzilla: If your red bearded dragon is quite mischievous and active, give him this cute monster name.
- Spike: It sounds prickly, right?
- Sparky: As a spark, that is what this name means.
- Santa Claws: With a beard and red appearance, who do you think of?
Is red bearded dragon a good pet?
Although red bearded dragons in particular and bearded dragons, in general, have a thorny appearance and outstanding skin color, they are one of the most gentle animals in the world.
You will not have to worry if they bite you or you might be injured by their spikes.
Their gentle nature is also manifested by the way they react when they’re in danger. The animals will not resist and fight the enemy but only change their skin into a darker color and flatten their stomach.
In this way, their looks will become bigger and more intimidating.
Besides, you can do everything with your red bearded dragons without fear of them getting annoyed or running away like dressing or cuddle them, etc.
That’s one of the reasons why bearded dragons are loved around the world and taken care of as pets.
Can a red bearded dragon kill you?
Absolutely not! Except for some infectious diseases that pets can infect you or vice versa such as salmonella.
Our advice is to wash your hands before cuddling your bearded dragon and regularly clean his cage. As a result, harmful bacteria will not grow and cause disease for both you and your pet.
Do red bearded dragons stink?
Any pet can smell easily, especially with individuals living in cages or tanks like bearded dragons. However, you can prevent this in various ways as long as you are patient and love your pet.
- You need to choose a substrate that has a good capability of moisture and odor absorption while still ensuring the safety for bearded dragons. With these types, you should remove the dirty parts every two days and replace all the substrates after about one month of use.
- Regularly clean bearded dragon cage, change water and leftovers daily.
- Bathe bearded dragons once a week. On summer days, you just need to bathe them every 2 weeks.
- Limit feeding bearded dragons ingredients like fish. Red bearded dragon poop will probably smell bad if their daily food contains these ingredients.
These things are not too complicated, right? As long as you maintain these bearded dragon care, you will not notice any odors in the pet’s body and habitat.
What does it mean when a bearded dragon licks you?
Bearded dragons have a habit of being curious and tasting things around. If they lick your hand, it is simply because they think it is delicious food. You don’t need to be so worried about that.
Should I turn my bearded dragon’s light off at night?
Heat bulbs and UVB light bulbs are essential in a bearded dragon cage, helping the animals to grow without any problem. You should turn them on in the whole daytime.
So, what about night time?
There is a difference between the need for heat and UVB lights of bearded dragons.
With UVB light bulbs, you should not turn them on at night. Firstly, bearded dragons can clearly identify the light around them.
Therefore, the light emitted from the bulbs will interrupt the pet’s sleep. Secondly, if too much UVB lights are supplied, the species will be excess calcium, leading to hypercalcemia.
With heat light bulbs, you can choose to turn on or off depending on your room temperature. If the temperature drops below 15 degrees Celsius, then you need to turn on the heat light for them.
How do you bond with a red bearded dragon?
Bearded dragons can be very gentle and friendly. However, making them recognize and be familiar with their owners is sometimes discouraging.
This may be because the beardie has just changed his habitat and is not yet accustomed to his new home life. Or, maybe it’s because you haven’t spent much time with your pet.
So, to bond with him, first of all, you need to be very patient and feed the bearded dragon regularly. Then, approach him gently by keeping cuddle and hold your pet for a while. You can increase the frequency over time so the animals will get used to your presence more.
What happens if a red bearded dragon bites you?
Bearded dragons will usually not bite people. If he bites you, it may be because he is under stress or you hold your pet a little tight.
Anyway, since bearded dragons bite doesn’t harm you, you shouldn’t be too worried about that.
If you want to be more careful, you can wash the bite to avoid getting infected from harmful bacteria on bearded dragons. Also, pay attention to your pet in case he gets a red or inflamed bump from scratching.
Can bearded dragons eat scrambled eggs?
When it comes to the daily diet of bearded dragons, it needs to ensure adequate nutrition for them, of which 80% are vegetables and fruits.
In contrast, eggs are a good source of many nutrients, such as protein, vitamins, calcium, zinc, folate, selenium, and magnesium, etc.
For humans, eggs are very nutritious and can be eaten daily. However, with small creatures like bearded dragons, the eggs seem to be too much substance even though bearded dragons can eat boiled eggs.
Therefore, make sure you only feed them in very small quantities and only feed every two weeks.
In addition to boiled eggs, you can also cook scrambled eggs. It will be a refreshing treat for your bearded dragons.
Can I kiss my red bearded dragon?
Absolutely not.
You may find your pet cute and in need of petting, just cuddle but not kiss him. Otherwise, your risk of getting an infection caused by bearded dragon bacteria is higher. And you especially need to avoid having open body parts like mouth, eyes, nose, etc. come into contact with this animal.
Bottom Line
Red bearded dragons are rare and expensive, but they are no less easy to raise compared to bearded dragons of other colors. As long as you take care of them properly, the pets will live healthy with you.
In addition, you can also breed many bearded dragons with various interesting colors from a red bearded dragon and a different-color bearded dragon.
If you need further bearded dragon facts, feel free to contact us or visit our website. Please like and share the article with others if you find it useful. Thank you!