Printable owner manual
Basking temps you don't have to guess at.
A 50-page printable manual with basking and diet targets split by age, UVB (ultraviolet B) strength and mounting distance, thermostat and probe placement, choosing a healthy dragon, the law in every state, and health triage, not one blurry range copied across a dozen care sheets.
Not sure yet? Download the first 5 pages free, contents page included.
- 50 pages, print or view
- Beginner and intermediate friendly
- No external links inside the PDF
Edition 4.1
Oct 2026 · 50 pages
Care-sheet roulette
- Basking temps that vary 15+ degrees between sources
- UVB replacement schedules nobody agrees on
- No idea what glass surfing even means
- Stuck shed advice that quietly makes it worse
This guide
- One basking target, split by age, with the why
- UVB distance, replacement interval and thermostat placement stated plainly
- Glass surfing explained, with the actual fix
- Stuck shed and brumation handled the safe way, step by step
What's inside · 50 pages
Everything from first setup to daily routine.
Housing and setup
The enclosure and where it goes, the temperature gradient, thermostats and probes, UVB tube and distance, substrate, bioactive setups and cleaning.
Diet by age
Feeding by age, feeder insects and gut-loading, safe greens, the never-feed list, and calcium, vitamin D3 and multivitamin on their own page.
Health and red flags
Metabolic bone disease, impaction and dehydration, respiratory infection, atadenovirus and yellow fungus, parasites, shedding, burns, and reading poop.
Handling and behavior
Handling and taming, the beard, color changes, arm-waving and glass surfing explained, and enrichment that works.
Arrival, eggs and the law
Choosing a healthy dragon and quarantine, sexing, eggs and egg binding, brumation, and where a bearded dragon is legal.
Owner tools
Setup checklist, emergency card, budget and shopping list, first 30 days, symptom reference, pet-sitter sheet, and the logs.
Every page, section by sectionThe package's own contents page, all 50 pages of it. Nothing here is a teaser for something sold separately.
Getting Started
- How to Use This Package
Profile
- Quick Profile & Cost Overview
- The Species, Morphs, Size & Lifespan
Housing & Environment
- Enclosure Size, Type & Where It Goes
- The Temperature Gradient & Heat
- Thermostats, Probes & Timers
- UVB: Tube, Strength & Mounting Distance
- UVB: Meter & Daylight Lamp
- Substrate, Furnishings & Bioactive Setups
- Cleaning & Hygiene
Feeding
- Diet by Age
- Feeder Insects & Gut-Loading
- Safe Greens & Vegetables
- Fruit, Treats & the Never-Feed List
- Supplements: Calcium, Vitamin D3 & Multivitamin
- Growth, Weight & Body Condition
Handling & Behavior
- Handling & Taming
- Body Language: Beard, Color, Arm-Wave & Glass Surfing
- Enrichment & Common Mistakes
Arrival & Life Stages
- Choosing a Dragon, Quarantine & the First Vet Visit
- Sexing & Females That Lay
- Egg Binding
- Brumation
The Law
- Is a Bearded Dragon Legal Where You Live?
Health & Common Issues
- Red Flags & Finding a Vet
- Metabolic Bone Disease
- Impaction, Dehydration & Prolapse
- Respiratory Infection, Atadenovirus & Yellow Fungus
- Parasites, Mouth Rot & Eye Problems
- Shedding, Tail and Toe Rot & Burns
- Reading Poop, Urates & Hydration
Quick Reference
- Setup Checklist & Targets
- Emergency & Quick Targets Card
Owner Tools
- Budget: Setup & Shopping List
- Budget: Monthly Costs
- First 30 Days
- Symptom Quick Reference
- Daily, Weekly & Seasonal Routine
- Power Outages, Heat Waves, Travel & Transport
- Pet-Sitter Sheet
- Owner Log
- Equipment & Vet Log
- Enrichment Checklist & Log
Reference
- Glossary, A to H
- Glossary, I to Z
- Sources
- Where the Sources Disagree
- Version History & About
Take a look inside
Bold Never rules, impossible to miss.
Click a page to see it at full size. The contents page is complete; the others fade out where the paid content starts.
The first 5 pages, free
Pages 1 to 5 as a PDF: the contents page and the opening pages before the care sections start, so you can see every page the full package covers.
Who this is for
- New bearded dragon owners setting up correctly the first time
- Keepers who want a single offline reference instead of scattered tabs
- Anyone who prefers clear checklists over long internet rabbit holes
What it's not
- Not a substitute for a reptile-experienced veterinarian
- Not a live website mirror, a clean printable package instead
- Not a subscription, one purchase and every corrected edition is free
What changed
This is edition 4.1.
Bought before? Re-download free from your library. State legal status as of October 2026.
- 4.1, Oct 2026. Now 50 pages. Safety: every perch and hide top kept at or below the UVB tube's chart distance; tube 10 to 14% to its own chart. Costs: every item priced and rounded to the nearest $5; setup $575 to $1,280, monthly $75 to $145, the budget now over two pages. Other changes are wording only.
- 4.0, Oct 2026. Rebuilt on the current outline, 48 pages. Safety: hatchlings under about 1 month fed 2 to 3 times daily, 1 to 4 months twice daily, juveniles to 18 months once daily with a fresh salad every day, adults insects a few times a week; plain calcium near-daily for juveniles; multivitamin 1 to 2 times a week; feeders gut-loaded 24 to 72 hours on calcium-rich foods; setup checklist UVB distance corrected to 16 to 18 in; stuck shed loosened with a 30-minute chin-deep soak; handling sessions built up to 10 to 15 minutes; egg binding is a vet visit after more than 24 to 48 hours of digging or straining. Legal: a new page on the law in all 52 jurisdictions. Other changes are wording only.
- 3.2, Oct 2026. Safety: first vet exam within 48 hours; Salmonella precautions for children under 5, adults 65 and older, anyone with a weakened immune system; calcium with D3 twice weekly for adults; outage floor 60°F (16°C); probe clipped, never taped; lamps 4 to 6 in above, basking surface under 122°F (50°C); UVB 16 to 18 in, 11 to 12 through mesh; yellow fungus, vet at the first patch. Costs: updated. Other changes are wording only.
- 3.1, Sep 2026. Safety: quarantine for a new reptile now 3 to 6 months; discolored urates no longer blamed on excess calcium. Other changes are wording only.
- 3.0, Sep 2026. Rebuilt, 34 pages. Safety: plain calcium daily, with D3 as a backup.
- 2.0, Aug 2026. Second edition, 22 pages. Replaced by 3.0.
Ready when you are
Bearded Dragon Care Package
50 pages. PDF. Print it or keep it open on your phone, tablet, or computer. Yours the moment you check out.
Edition 4.1, published October 3, 2026. Paid through Stripe. The download link arrives on the next page, and it stays in your library for as long as the package exists, always as the current edition. Not a substitute for a vet.
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The free bearded dragon guide is still free
This package is the same research as our bearded dragon care guide, reformatted into an offline manual with the checklists, logs, and triage tables the web pages do not carry. Read the free guide first and buy this only if you want it in your hands.