How To Tell Age Of Bearded Dragon? | Identification Tips 2024

When you get a new bearded dragon pet, it will require a special diet according to its age. These pets have special requirements at every stage. Therefore, you must know how old they are. If you are a first-time dragon owner, read all about your new pet to understand how to tell age of bearded dragon quickly.

Pet care is not easy to provide unless you are sure what the specific requirements are. Will the bearded dragon need more fluids? Or can it digest a particular type of vegetable or insect? Only age will determine the kind of foods you can serve your new pet! Here is how you can get to know more about your bearded dragon!

Breeders Know All

If you got the bearded dragon from a pet shop, find the breeder because they know when each batch of pets was forwarded to vendors. Moreover, these breeders are more knowledgeable when it comes to determining ages. So even if you do not get to the one who delivered your pet to the shop, you may be able to get an assessment of the age of your dragon pet.

The Pet Shops

The pet shop where you got the bearded dragon might not be comfortable sharing information about the breeders, but they would know when they got the dragon themselves. The information on when they received the bearded dragon might give you an idea of how old they must be. While it is a rare practice to keep records of the ages of pets, pet shops always know when they received the pet, and hence, it becomes easier to understand how old they must have been when brought to the shop. Usually, breeders do not forward dragons to shops during the first month, and they also cannot hold on to them for more than four months.

Measure Growth

It is vital to keep a check on your bearded dragon’s growth, and even novice owners can estimate how much a dragon can grow. This means that if you see a bearded dragon, you may be able to tell if it is an infant or an adult according to the growth chart of bearded dragons that is easily accessible on the internet.

One thing that owners must keep in mind is that if you got your dragon pet from the wilderness, the growth of your pet might not be comparable to the chart. When in the wild, these bearded creatures might not grow to their full potential since their diet is unbalanced.

The optimum growth of bearded dragons with a balanced diet is as follows:

• 0-1 month: 3 to 4.5 inches
• 2 months: 5-9 inches.
• 4 months: 9 to 12 inches
• 6 months: 16 inches
• 12 months: Almost two feet, maybe an inch or two less than this

Another way to determine the age can be to notice the vital characteristics such as teeth, spikes, and even toes. If the skin is soft and the dragon looks pale, then it is young. Adult bearded dragons have harder skin, and their bodies are more formed.

Sexual maturity is also an integral feature that can help determine age. If your pet dragon is sexually mature, it means that it is more than eight months old. The more your dragon ages, the more profound the sexual behavior. Suppose your pet is almost a foot-and-a-half long, and you are not sure about its exact age, you can look under the tail, and if you see bulges, it is due to the development of sex organs. The age of your bearded dragon will be above eight months for sure!

Sexual maturity is the most accurate assessment in a way it determines that the bearded dragon is an adult.

Why Is The Age Of The Bearded Dragon Important

Bearded dragons require proper nutrition at all ages, and due to the limited food items that they can consume, it is best to know what age group they belong to so you can plan their meals accordingly. As children, these creatures cannot drink milk like other infant pets.

Moreover, even as adults, specific vegetables and fruits have to be fed, so they remain healthy. You can plan a balanced diet for your bearded dragon to see what suits them most according to their age. At each step, the right nutrition will ensure proper growth, and without knowing the period, it is not possible to feed them foods according to their growth levels.

Conclusion

Pet owners often wonder how to tell the age of bearded dragons when they are not adopted from a known source. You can consult the breeder or the pet shop for records. In case that is not available, you can measure their growth or determine their sexual maturity by examination. Moreover, you can read all about bearded dragons too.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of food is good for my bearded dragon if it is between four to eight months?

If your dragon pet is not eight months old, it is not considered an adult. Young dragons must be given vegetables and fruits rich in calcium so they grow well. Moreover, these growing creatures must be given high-protein foods to grow as well. When your bearded dragon is growing, you must ensure that you give them foods that are not too high in phosphorus because it hinders calcium absorption. Make sure that you follow a prescribed diet for adolescents and young bearded dragons so that they grow into healthy adults.

How can I tell if my bearded dragon is an adult?

The best way to deduce the age of dragons is to see if they have reached sexual maturity. Bearded dragons that are over eight months of age are considered adults, and they will develop sex glands that are visible due to their protruding organs. You can get a fair idea by examining the dragon whether they have become adults or not.