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How to Take Care of a Pregnant Bearded Dragon (Gravid)

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A pregnant bearded dragon comfortably resting on a stone surface.

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Taking care of a gravid bearded dragon is challenging, and it can often be an uphill task to keep them healthy. A female dragon can get pregnant and lay infertile eggs without mating. Therefore, the way you care for a pregnant bearded dragon with fertile eggs is similar to that with infertile eggs.

When a female bearded dragon is pregnant or gravid, it needs special care, which involves feeding it a calcium-rich diet for egg production. Also, a well-sized plastic container is essential for the dragon to lay eggs comfortably.

It is essential to conduct research and keep your bearded dragon stress-free during this egg-laying time. Continue reading this post to get an insight into how you can take care of your pregnant bearded dragon.

How Much Do They Bearded Dragons Eat When They Are Pregnant?

Tell take signs of a bearded dragon pregnant. A pregnant bearded dragon (female) consumes more food since her appetite will significantly rise, and she will constantly be eager to have meals. Ensure that you feed your bearded dragon adequate food (mainly insects rather than veggies) since they will require it regardless of how much weight they gain. 

You will see her belly swelling during the 2nd or 3rd week and notice grape-like bumps in the dragon belly as the eggs develop. 

When the female beardie is about to lay her eggs, their food consumption will reduce. Around this period, they begin to lose their appetite, consuming less and less until some dragons get entirely starved. Do not be concerned if their appetite decreases; this is natural. 

The fat that has been accumulated from overeating comes in handy, and it will sustain the bearded dragons until they lay all the eggs, at which point their appetite will return with a vengeance. Please provide them with sufficient food afterward to help them regain the weight they lost throughout the treatment.

A pregnant female dragon might quickly get dehydrated due to running, digging, and so on. Ensure they have enough water. Frequent bathing will also aid in hydration, particularly with the obstinate ones that refuse to drink. 

Increase their tank temperature by a degree or two since they will spend less time basking and require heat to remain healthy and happy.

Female bearded dragons produce eggs in clutches that vary in size according to fertility and other factors. They may also lay many clutches within a single year, which quickly exhausts their bodies. Ensure to provide the dragon with the additional nutrients and vitamins their bodies demand, as failing to do so can result in a decline in their health or the onset of disorders such as Metabolic Bone Disease.

What Are the Supplements You Should Give Your Gravid Dragon?

There are several supplement varieties, each containing various vitamins, nutrients, and minerals in different proportions. Some of these supplements include:

Calcium Supplements

When taking care of a pregnant bearded dragon, you must provide plenty of calcium. Foods substantial in calcium, such as green vegetables, cranberries, squash, feeder insects, alfalfa sprouts, kelp, papayas, and wheatgrass, are ideal for pregnant bearded dragons. 

Calcium supplementation is necessary for egg production, which means that the eggs will drain the calcium in the female body. As a result, instead of 1 to 2 times a week, you should give the bearded dragon calcium daily this can greatly help reduce dystocia.

Without additional calcium, egg production will deplete calcium from your dragons bones, deteriorating her skeletal system. Calcium deficiency can result in Metabolic Bone Disease, a potentially lethal illness. Additionally, the eggs might not develop properly, impairing her ability to deposit them.

It could lead to:

  • Broken tails, toes, or limbs
  • Paralysis
  • Tremors
  • Swelling or deformity of the lower jaw

However, the damage does not stop there. Without sufficient calcium throughout development, the eggs cannot develop a robust shell. They develop fissures, which result in interior illnesses for your female dragon. 

In the worst-case scenario, the gravid female dragon may be unable to lay any eggs at all, resulting in her being egg-bound.

A little additional calcium supplement goes a long way toward ensuring the safety and well-being of all bearded dragons.

Vitamins 

Bearded dragons should also take multivitamins at least three times a week in addition to other supplements when feeding your dragon. Vitamins should be taken every other day, but not on the same day as calcium. The primary choice is whether to incorporate synthetic vitamin D3. 

Your dragon requires vitamin D3 to use the calcium and phosphorus in their food to strengthen the dragon bone structure. When a healthy dragon is exposed to the appropriate ultraviolet light spectrum, they spontaneously produce D3, which is not always essential. 

Before the availability of T5 UVB lamps and less stable illumination, reptile keepers would carry supplements for their pet dragon that included a small amount of synthetic D3. A modest quantity of D3 is an excellent way to ensure the dragon’s health even when the illumination is less than ideal.

Probiotics 

You can provide probiotics, but they are not required on days when nothing is given. Some days should be reserved for resting the dragon’s kidneys and liver, but don’t neglect any of its vitamins to do this.

Warm Baths

It is also essential to give your female gravid dragon regular warm baths to keep her hydrated. You should provide your beardie warm baths at any time of year, but it is vital in this strenuous laying season. 

Furthermore, it is also crucial to keep your female dragon hydrated even after producing her eggs by giving her warm baths.

Lay Box

When a female bearded dragon is close to laying eggs, she becomes restless and begins scratching at the walls of her vivarium more than usual. Your bearded dragon will also want a lay box to prepare for your bearded dragon eggs. Often, she buries her eggs as she lays them, and she will lay between 16 – 24 eggs.

It is vital to provide a suitable container with an appropriate substrate for laying at the right spot. If she is unwilling to occupy the lay box, it is unsuitable.

You can use sand or vermiculite as the lay box. Vermiculite is a widely utilized substrate in both research and breeding. The substrate should be devoid of feces and other debris, as well as pathogens that might cause fungus.

Provide a big lay box container with moistened vermiculite to a depth of at least 30 centimeters (10 to 12 inches). Dampening (not wetting) the vermiculite will aid in its retention in place while the dragon digs and the eggs should not adhere to the vermiculite. 

You should observe the female routine for three weeks following laying before switching to the regular one. The beardie’s body has to restore what it has lost during that time, and it would be best to keep an eye on their food consumption.

Pregnant bearded dragons need more nourishment, and a variety of insects, including silkworms and phoenix-worm treats, are perfect.

How Many Eggs Do Bearded Dragons Lay

Pregnant bearded dragons lay up to 20 eggs at any time. However, they can lay as few as 4 or 5 eggs. Will they all hatch into baby bearded dragons? This is dependent on your care and the fertilization of the eggs and how good the dragon was when she lay them, but a 100% success rate is achievable

How Long Can a Female Bearded Dragon Be Pregnant?

Once the bearded dragon’s eggs develop, it will carry them for around a month to 6 weeks. It is essential to continue providing her with the necessary attention throughout this time. During this time, place a premium on a nutrient-dense diet because bearded dragons become deficient in calcium, vitamins, and minerals.

After the bearded dragon lays eggs, they will hatch safely after around 55 – 75 days. 

Before the gravid dragon lays, you must have a strategy in place for its location and maintenance. If your dragon does not have a suitable nesting environment to lay her eggs, she will grow agitated. If the appropriate resources are not available, serious health problems can ensue, such as the inability to lay eggs.

One question I get asked a lot is how long after brumation can a dragon become pregnant. This is usually when they have built up sufficient body mass after feeding.

FAQs about Dragons

Conclusion on How To Take Care Of A Pregnant Bearded Dragon

As long as you provide a suitable nesting environment and adequately feed your gravid-bearded dragon, the egg-laying procedure should be effortless. However, problems may occur, and it is critical to monitor your pet for symptoms that you should take to a vet. 

If the 4 to 6 weeks timeframe has passed without your dragon laying eggs, egg binding will occur. Egg binding is a dangerous condition that, if left untreated, can result in death. Whenever your dragon is behaving strangely but you believe pregnancy is improbable, it may be advisable to bring them in for a check-up.

For similar and additional tips, don’t forget to check out our in-depth bearded dragon care guide. please subscribe to our website here so that you don’t miss our new content.

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