How Big Do Bearded Dragons Get?

Last Update:
Beardie Bungalow is reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn More.
bearded dragon size featured image

When we went to visit our rescue beardie, Bacardi, for the first time, there were several other bearded dragons there as well. Bacardi was sharing a small enclosure with another rather aggressive beardie. She was, and still is, very small for her age.

Across the room was Pancake. Pancake was a beast of a male bearded dragon with sole ownership of a much larger enclosure. It was hard to believe the Pancake and Bacardi were the same species!

This was my first exposure to the potential size ranges of bearded dragons. On the small side is our sweet little girl, Bacardi. She is stunted and will probably never get much bigger than the 11” head to tail that she measures now. On the large side was Pancake. Very close to 24” long and a plump 24” at that!

When people ask how big a bearded dragon can get, these two are good examples of the extremes.

Baby bearded dragon
Our sweet little girl, Bacardi!

How Big Will A Bearded Dragon Grow?

A bearded dragon in captivity will grow to 18-24 inches (46-61 cm) long and between .75-1.25 lbs. (340-550 g). Half of their length is made up of their tail. Gender, enclosure size, food quality, and stress can all impact their growth. Beardies will reach their full size at 12-18 months old.

There are outliers. The smallest breed of bearded dragon only grows to be 4-6 inches long, while the largest can grow to over 30 inches! These are both rare and are only found through special breeders. (source)

When do bearded dragons grow?

Beardies grow very fast in the first several months of their lives. The most common captive breed of bearded dragon will do most of its growing in the first 6 months of its life. (source)

This is why it is recommended that juvenile bearded dragons are fed feeder insects daily instead of the 3 times a week recommended for adults (see our full nutrition and feeding guide here). It’s also why basking temps should be higher for younger dragons than older (see our full guide on basking temperatures here).

How Fast Do Bearded Dragons Grow?

Bearded Dragon Growth Chart

If you have the most common breed of beardie (pogona vitticeps), here is a good guideline to average size by age. Keep in mind that this chart assumes a healthy bearded dragon who is receiving ample food and is well-kept in a proper size enclosure.

Ageincm
1 month47.5
2 months923
3 months1128
4 months1230
5 months1640
6 months1846
7 months1948
8 months2051
1 year2256
(source)

*These are averages and not hard and fast rules. There are a lot of factors (see below) that can impact the size of your bearded dragon. Don’t panic if your beardie deviates from this chart!

Factors that impact bearded dragon size

There are many factors that will determine just how big your bearded dragon will get. Some are within our control, like food and habitat. Others are out of our control, like the specific species your dragon is. Here is a rundown of the major factors that can affect bearded dragon size.

Species and breed

There are 8 different species of bearded dragons. Within those species, creative breeders have bred many different variants. These subtle genetic differences have a big impact on potential size.

Most bearded dragons in captivity are classified as pogona vitticeps. There is a high likelihood that this is what your beardie is. The other 7 are much rarer and together, they make up only a fraction of all of the bearded dragons being kept as pets.

That said, here’s what you can expect for size potential based on the specific species of beardie you may have:

Size of parents

A major genetic factor in beardie size will be the size of their parents. An overly large breeding pair will create overly large offspring. A smaller than usual will, you guessed it, create smaller than usual babies.

This refers mostly to length, not weight. If given room to be active, a healthy diet, and proper light, a bearded dragon will naturally regulate to a healthy weight. If kept in a vivarium that is too small and hand-fed too many fatty worms, beardies can grow to be overweight and lazy.

It’s the length that parents pass on, not the overweight and lazy part.

Environment

Speaking of vivariums, simply being in captivity will cause them not to grow to their fullest potential. There just isn’t any substitute for real sunlight; unlimited room to roam, dig, and climb; and a widely varied, natural diet.

Bearded dragons in the wild will commonly grow to be at least 10% larger than their captive brethren.

The size of the vivarium you use can be a factor as well. While it’s a myth that your beardie will simply grow to the size of their enclosure, enclosure size does make a difference. See our full tutorial on picking the right enclosure size here!

Bearded Dragon Vivarium
Bacardi’s home takes up a small corner of our home office

A vivarium that is too small can impact the size of your beardie in two ways. First, if they can’t move around and get some exercise, they may easily become overweight. Second, if the space is too small, this could stress them out. This could potentially cause stunted growth.

Bacardi, our bearded dragon, is very small. She’s only 11 inches at 18 months old. This is, we think, due to stress. She was kept in a vivarium that was too small and had to share it with another more aggressive beardie. This constant stress probably kept her from growing as she should have.

Check out our absolute favorite beardie enclosure (what we use and is pictured above) here on Amazon!

Lighting

Proper lighting is critical to the health of your bearded dragon. Improper lighting setups can cause a myriad of problems, including stunted growth. (source)

If the basking area is not hot enough, your beardie cannot digest its food. If it cannot digest, it cannot grow. The younger your beardie, the more they eat and the hotter that basking area needs to be. Not sure what proper basking temps are? Click here and we’ve got you covered!

Basking lamp

UVB light plays a crucial role as well. Your bearded dragon needs a good source of UVB light to mimic the sun. This light is what allows their body to use the calcium you supplement their food with. Giving them supplemental vitamin D is no substitute for a proper UVB light source. (source)

If they can’t convert their calcium to a useable form, this means their bones can’t grow properly. This could result in a very common bearded dragon ailment, metabolic bone disease (MBD). This will directly impact their growth and overall health.

To see our free resource on bearded dragon supplementation, see our complete article here!

Stress

I mentioned Bacardi’s obnoxious roommate already, but any kind of stress could cause your bearded dragon not to grow.

Common, easily avoidable causes of bearded dragon stress:

Keeping your bearded dragon stress free is a good step towards allowing them to grow to its full potential.

Gender

While it’s generally true that males are larger than females, it is not a hard and fast rule. Females have been known to grow just as big as males. There are also many cases of males ending up on the smaller side.

Sex alone does not determine the size of a bearded dragon.

If you decide to get a certain sex, hoping that that will determine your dragon’s potential size, you could be in for a surprise. Be prepared for the girls to get just as big as the boys!

Diet

In order to grow, beardies need proper nutrition (see our complete nutrition guide here). There’s simply no way around that!

Younger beardies will need more protein than older beardies and that’s related directly to their growth curve. As your beardie moves from growing to maintaining their size, their diet should shift from more protein-rich to more veggie and green-centric. (source)

How big do bearded dragons get? It depends on how much they eat!
Bacardi really enjoys her daily salads!!!

Not feeding young beardies an appropriate amount of protein daily could result in them not growing as they should. Make sure that you are always giving your beardie the fuel they need to be happy, healthy, and growing members of your family!

Size isn’t everything

While it’s nice to know how big your bearded dragon might get, it’s not really all that important in the grand scheme of bearded dragon ownership. What’s far more important is keeping them healthy.

A healthy beardie will grow to its potential, whatever that potential happens to be. It’s up to us as responsible beardie parents to allow this to happen.

My best recommendation is to start with the proper size enclosure (see our explanation of vivarium size here) and go from there. If you prepare for a healthy and large adult bearded dragon, you have your bases covered no matter what happens.

Bacardi Update!

Well, it’s been almost a year since we wrote this article, and we are happy to report that our little girl, Bacardi, has grown quite nicely! It took a year of proper feeding, quite a bit of veterinary care (including a month of twice-a-day injections we had to do ourselves!), and a whole lot of love.

It was all worth it, though. We thought Bacardi would be stunted in size, yet she has grown to a very healthy 16 inches long! We aren’t sure she’ll reach the top-end range of 24″, but she sure is bigger than she used to be!

Measuring to see how big do bearded dragons grow

It just goes to show that proper care, habitat, and nutrition are the biggest factors when it comes to bearded dragon size.

Sources and Further Reading

General Husbandry and Captive Propagation of Bearded DragonsPogona vitticeps

Delineating the cause of a bearded dragon’s anorexia and weight loss.

Use of computed tomography to determine a species-specific formula for body surface area in bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps)

FAQ

My beardie isn’t growing. Should I take them to a vet?

First, make sure you’ve covered all the bases noted above. Then make sure they’ve had their regular vet visits like they are supposed to. If they don’t show any signs of being sick and are just a little small, there is no cause for alarm.

What’s the best type of food to help them grow?

We spent a ton of time putting together a complete bearded dragon nutrition guide you can see here! For a primary protein source, we strongly encourage you to feed your beardie Dubia roaches. They are far superior to crickets for many reasons (see our comparison here).

Is my beardie fat?

While there is no guideline for a “healthy weight” for bearded dragons, beardies can grow to be overweight. Consult your vet during your yearly checkup to see if this is the case for you.

If you liked that, you'll love the BeardieBungalow newsletter!

Get care tips, food recommendations, and lots more sent to your inbox regularly by signing up!

We promise we’ll never spam! Take a look at our Privacy Policy for more info.

Hey, Beardie Lover!

Join an amazing email community of fellow beardie lovers!

Here's what to expect when you sign up:

-Free guide to the 12 things most beardie owners get wrong but shouldn't.

-Free feeding guide and grocery list.

-Regular food and care tips sent directly to your inbox!

We promise we’ll never spam! Take a look at our Privacy Policy for more info.

Photo of author

AUTHOR

Tim Steward is a life long pet owner who is currently raising a beautiful little beardie named Bacardi along with two Australian cattle dogs named Anny & Beans. Bacardi is one in a long line of bearded dragons that Tim has rescued, rehabilitated, and rehomed. Through Beardie Bungalow, Tim has helped thousands of beardie parents give the best possible life to their pets.

Leave a Comment