The reproductive process of a bearded dragon is one of the things to consider when you get one. Bearded dragons are very much like other reptiles in their mode of reproduction. They lay eggs. Many wonders if bearded dragons care for their eggs. Or if they can lay eggs without mating. But one of the most recurring questions that beardie livers ask is how many eggs bearded dragons lay. It is important to read this post before you make 3fgorts to breed your dragon
A healthy female bearded dragon will lay four or five clutches of eggs year round. This could happen in two bursts, ten clutches or more. Some bearded dragons just lay continuously for months. There is no way to make it stop earlier or later. It is best to keep them well-fed and hydrated. Your female dragon will lay about twenty or thirty eggs in a cycle. Your bearded dragon will lay about six clutches at the end of a laying cycle.
Some people wonder what number of eggs dragons can lay. If dragons care for their eggs? Do humans need to intervene? I am going to answer all these questions in this post. I am going to discuss what to do to dragon egg. So sit back and relax. Read the whole article to get to the bottom of things.
At what age do dragons start laying eggs?
The average bearded dragons will not reproduce until they’re a minimum of one year old. But some lady dragons can become gravid at about ten months of age. Their eggs will be infertile at this point. Bearded dragons laying at this tender age is very rare though. The average dragon will not usually lay so fast. It is more common for female dragons to first become gravid at around two to four years old. However, Male dragons are ready to mate at one year old to one and a half.
When can I breed my dragon?
Imagine a child or teenager getting pregnant. That’s exactly how you should react to breeding bearded dragons too early. It is not safe to breed your female dragon anything earlier than two years of age. Male dragons can breed as early as one year. But you should wait till they are eighteen months old. It will help them reach sexual maturity properly. Your dragon could develop health problems If you breed them too early. This can be especially true for the lady dragons in their later years. She can lose calcium from her body and this can cause stunted growth. It can also cause bone malformations. It can even make her die way earlier than she would have.
Eggs without sex?
Yes. Dragons do not need to mate to be gravid. They can lay several clutches of eggs in their lives without the involvement of any male. The average female bearded dragons may not experience this. But it is normal if yours does.
She could lay a clutch in a day or over several days. There may then be a dry spell in between before they start laying again. This can happen in a few weeks or months. However, These eggs will be infertile. They can not hatch into bearded dragons because they are not fertilized. Your dragon needs to mate if you want to have fertilized eggs. Unfertilized eggs are useless. Dispose of them.
How Long Does It Take?
A few days. Maybe a few weeks. Perhaps months. It doesn’t matter. Just keep her well fed and hydrated and her body will do the rest.
Getting the eggs out.
Female bearded dragons dig floors before they lay their eggs. This is an instinct for them. They may however not dig if there is nothing to dig and may end up laying their eggs all over the cage. The eggs may be invisible if she has a place to dig for her eggs. She may take on a deflated appearance or seen thinner. That is how you will know she had been laying eggs. Look around for soil pull up in the enclosure. The eggs will be there.
How to handle the eggs
Bearded dragons lay in the soil when they’re in the wild. They leave the eggs to hatch on their own and never worry about the welfare of the infants. But dragons in captivity usually don’t have the sort of freedom and conditions of the wild. They are forced to rely on humans to take care of their eggs. Newly laid dragon eggs are usually easy to handle.
Dig them up with your hands as carefully as possible. The eggs will be in the corners of the tank if the dragon laid on the surface.
Put new eggs in clean and dry bowls. Handle the eggs carefully to prevent breaking and dents.
Some breeders mark the upper side of the egg with a pencil to prevent a change of position. Place them in the bowl with the marked side up. Do not apply pressure when you handle them. Do not touch them anymore as soon as embryo starts forming.
Incubation
Don’t place the eggs in the incubator directly. You can use Tupperware containers that are first filled with vermiculite. The Tupperware containers are what you then place in the incubator. Vermiculite is mica that has been expanded by hot temperature. Some people use it in gardening. It is good for incubation because it has a good resistance to mold. It also holds water well.
Other items that you could use in the place of vermiculite include perlite, damp soil, and even products that are designed for just the purpose. Vermiculite is however more widely accepted.
Method
Get a Tupperware bowl that has the cover with ventilation holes in it. Put the vermiculite in the bowl and mix it with water. The water should be enough in the vermiculite but not such that it drips when squeezed. Make sure that all the eggs are individually placed into the vermiculite. It should be buried halfway into the substance. The Bearded dragon eggs will get a bit bigger. Almost double its original size during incubation. Don’t place the eggs too close to each other.
Monitor the eggs regularly throughout incubation. Check the incubator temperature every day and Humidity levels twice a week. Condensed water on the lidos sign that that 5heres too much water. Remove the lid for about twenty four hours to restore the moisture to an acceptable level. Dimpled or collapsing eggs are however signs that the eggs do not have enough moisture. Add ordinary water to the vermiculite of it is too dry. Try not to get water on the eggs though.
What to expect
The bearded dragon eggs will become white as the incubation progresses. They will also grow bigger to nearly double their original size. This is a sign that the eggs are viable and will produce healthy lizards. Any other color other than white in eggs could indicate damaged or infertile eggs. You should not take them out however except if they father mold and are at risk of infecting other eggs. Remove the mold infected egg gently and watch the rest.
Hatching
Your bearded dragon eggs will hatch. The time it will hatch however depends on a number of factors such as temperature and humidity. Most dragons eggs take about sixty to eighty days to hatch though.
Signs of hatching
- The eggs may begin to deflate about one to two days before hatching. This is not the same thing as a symptom of insufficient humidity. This is instead a sign that the little dragons are on their way.
- The eggs will probably start “sweating”. Tiny drops of water may appear on the eggshell. This is normal and should be expected.
- Baby bearded dragons have a small egg tooth on the tip of their snout. They use it to slice open the eggshell. You will notice a small slit at this point.
- This may be followed by the dragons head and snout peeping out. The little dragons may decide to rest with only their heads and snouts out at this point. This is totally normal. Keep the incubator running. They don’t need anything at that moment. Just let them be.
What to do?
Nothing. Do not touch the lizards. This point is critical in their developmental stage. They need to get a feel of the environment. Maybe they also need to gather as much strength as possible before they emerge. You should prepare multiple enclosures or cages now. Do not keep multiple bearded dragon babies together. They may fight to the death. Get a gigantic enclosure if you absolutely have to keep multiples. This will ensure they have space and are not in each other’s way.
Leave the lizards to emerge on their own. Do not pull or prod a baby bearded dragon from its egg. Healthy dragons will make it out on their own within two or three days of the initial opening of the egg. Keep the Babies in the incubator for about one or two days after they step out completely. Keeping them like this will give them time.to get used t their new environment. It will also help them avoid temperature shock. It may sometimes even stimulate some unhatched babies to hatch.
Most dragons will come out from the shell completely within a day or two of each other. But some may stay in for longer. Allow a week to pass before you assume that none emerging dragons are dead in their shells.
Conclusion
Bearded dragons lay eggs but they cannot take care of the eggs by themselves. They usually lay them in holes and leave them there to hatch on their own. But the eggs need special care if their mother is in captivity.
However, they will be just fine if you follow the instructions above properly. Provide your dragon with enough food and keep them hydrated. Take the dragon to the vet immediately if you suspect that they are sick. A sick bearded dragon cannot produce healthy eggs. Make sure that the UV lights are top-notch. Provide enough heat but also a cool area. This is a critical time in your dragons life.
