Pogona vitticeps
Bearded dragon
A long enclosure around 120 × 60 × 60 cm for an adult, with a real basking site.
Legal status
- Check local rules
Pogona vitticeps is not listed in the CITES Appendices in force from 5 March 2026. No EU wildlife-trade annex was verified for it, so none is recorded. It is not on the EU list of invasive alien species and it is not venomous. The Dutch Besluit huis- en hobbydierenlijst (BWBR0049611) lists mammals only; a reptile positive list is not in force. Wet dieren still requires proper care. Wallonia’s positive list (arrêté of 10 December 2020) includes Pogona vitticeps. Flanders has its own positive list — check that list before you treat a Walloon entry as valid in Flanders. Check local rules before you keep, move, or rehome an animal. This record is not a permit and not legal advice.
Official sourceNot legal advice. Rules differ by country, and sometimes by region. Check the law that applies to you.
- Temperature
- 24–40°C
- Basking
- 38–42°C
- UVB
- Ferguson zone 3. About 1.0–2.6 at the basking site, with shade
- Humidity
- 30–40%
- Minimum enclosure
- About 120 × 60 × 60 cm for one adult
- Adult size
- About 40–60 cm including the tail.
- Lifespan
- Often 10–15 years.
- Difficulty
- intermediate
Diet and feeding
Juveniles eat mostly insects. Adults shift toward leafy greens, with calcium dusting and UVB. Juveniles insects once or twice a day, plus greens. Adults greens daily and insects several times a week.
Substrate
Slate, paper, or a firm mix. Loose sand is a poor juvenile substrate.
Health
Metabolic bone disease, yellow fungus disease (Nannizziopsis), parasites, and impaction.
Handling
Support the body and the tail. Wash your hands.
Husbandry ranges are general guidance for captive care, not a veterinary prescription or a permit. Confirm the gradient with your own thermometers. UV zones follow Baines et al., Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 4(1), 2016, https://www.jzar.org/jzar/article/view/150. Legal fields use the source link on this species and stay empty when an annex was not verified.