5 Ways To Keep Bearded Dragons Warm Without Heat Lamps

Are you finding it difficult getting a heat lamp for your beardie and want to learn “Ways To Keep Bearded Dragons Warm Without Heat Lamps?” Look no further, you’re at the right place.

Keeping a bearded dragon warm is paramount. A high-quality heat source allows the beardies to regulate their body activities and temperature effectively.

Conversely, depriving your lizard of sufficient heat can cause them to become sickly and affects its digestive system. Some food may remain in the system undigested and is likely to cause impaction.

So then, you can see that heat isn’t something to strip off your bearded dragon. Sometimes getting a heat lamp can be difficult, or it’s unobtainable. Consequently, it will require you to find an alternative way to warm the lizard.

This article explains the best and beneficial ways to keep bearded dragons warm when you don’t have a heat lamp. Dive into the article and thank me later.

How Long Can Bearded Dragons Go Without Heating Source (Heat Lamps)?

Bearded dragons are comfortable living in warm terrariums, but temperatures below 65℉ make an unconducive home for these reptile lizards.

The beardies can recover from temps below 60℉, but such conditions may cause health issues.

A bearded dragon that continues to stay in extreme cold, below 65℉ for a long time, can get sick or die.

If the power goes off for a few hours, it’s not something to make you panic. A bearded dragon can survive without a heating source for 24 hours as long as temperatures remain above 65℉.

5 Ways To Keep Bearded Dragons Warm Without Heat Lamps

It is good to know the different possible options that will help keep a bearded dragon warm.

Sometimes, people depend on heat lamps as the only heat source for their beardies. Unfortunately, in case the lamp fails, or the power goes out, or you want to travel a short distance with your bearded dragon, etc., it can make you disoriented.

Knowing various ways to warm your lizard saves you from getting into such a problem. Primarily, heat is necessary for bearded dragons to digest foods, run from danger, move muscles, catch prey, etc.

The wild bearded dragons have just the right heat, which is taken care of by nature. However, the captivated species depend on us for their essentials.

You can keep your bearded dragon warm by using heat packs, a blanket or pillowcase, a hot water bottle, or your car’s heating. We dig more on each option below.

Put Your Bearded Dragon in A Blanket/Pillowcase and Have It Close to Your Body

Suppose power goes out, the bulb blows unexpectedly, or you temporarily don’t have a heat lamp for different reasons. In that case, it’s pretty possible to protect your reptile lizard from getting cold.

First of all, take notice of the temps inside the terrarium; the safe level is 65℉ and above. But anything below that requires your intervention.

A blanket or pillowcase is a recommendable thing to help warm up a bearded dragon. You don’t want your animal friend to continue staying in temperatures below average; it’s actually unsafe.

Gently wrap your reptile friend in a blanket or pillowcase, and have it close to your body. Be watchful on the lizard not to suffocate it. That way, the lizard will use your body heat to warm itself.

It will also be helpful to place a blanket over the terrarium when the power goes out. The blanket will help to retain heat. Use a thermometer regularly to ensure there’s adequate temperature.

Use Heat Packs

A cheaper alternative to keep your bearded dragon warm is using heat packs. Please avoid your dragon being in direct contact with the heat packs or any other material you use for warming up at all costs.

A heat pack, e.g., a rechargeable portable heat pad/pack (soft pink), does a wonderful job raising the beardie’s temps in the terrarium. The good thing with quality heat packs is their ability to emit heat for many hours.

Other heat packs to use are hand warmers and self-heating pads. Simply put a hand warmer inside a material like a sock to avoid burning your dragon.

The self-heating pads tend to hold and reflect the body’s own heat. Gently wrap your dragon in a self-heating pad or blanket, and then you may want to use an additional heat pack for extra warmth.

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Use Hot Water Bottles and Put Them Inside a Foam Box 

You can also consider using a hot water bottle to warm up your bearded dragon. Two bottles of hot water are enough for one terrarium.

Put the bottle(s) inside a foam box and then place it in the terrarium. The foam box maintains the temperature while the hot water bottle acts as a heating source.

You can also choose to place the bottles around the cage and keep them out of reach from the dragon to prevent direct contact.

Covering the bottles with a cloth or blanket before introducing them into the cage is also a viable option. It’s a great solution to help keep any bearded dragon warm.

Using grain pillows instead of the hot water bottle has also proven to be effective and reliable.

Get In the Car and Use Car’s Heating

You may also consider warming up your bearded dragon using the car’s heating. In this case, carefully wrap the dragon in a blanket first and have it warmed in the car if you have one.

You do it by turning the car’s heating on and then putting the lizard under it. The car provides sufficient warmth, and your dragon should get very warm.

However, some dragons don’t appreciate being wrapped or handled for a long time, and if that’s the case with your lizard, don’t depend on the car’s heating.

Our suggestion: YOU SHOULD GET A HEATING SOURCE

While all the tips we have discussed will help maintain the terrarium temps at their favorable level, sticking to using forever isn’t commended.

These are only viable options to choose to follow when you’re facing a heating emergency like bulb shortage, power outage, etc.

However, bearded dragons will thrive well when living under good conditions. It’s, therefore, necessary to get a heating source for any bearded dragon.

These lizards are desert inhabitants, and their cold-blooded nature requires them to live under hot external heat sources to stay warm. Henceforth, the best thing you can do for your dragon is set up heat lamps in the terrarium.

The heat lamp provides appropriate basking spots where bearded dragons receive heat and ultraviolet rays. Bulbs with high wattage emit a greater amount of heat.

Wrapping Up

Bearded dragons are desert reptile lizards that demand to stay in pretty warm places. The number one heating source to use in a dragon’s terrarium is a heat lamp that produces both heat and light.

Sometimes you may experience a power outage or any other heating emergency that will require you to adopt a different heating alternative.

The tips for keeping bearded dragons warm are numerous, including using a rechargeable heating pad, hot water bottle inside a foam box, and a car’s heating.

In case of a power failure but it is hot outside (80℉ and above), consider taking the lizard out from the cage to warm up and get natural sunlight.