How to Identify Male Bearded Dragons
The most important thing in Breeding Bearded Dragons, and it may sound silly, but you need to have a definite pair. Many people wait years then find out they have 2 males or 2 females. Male bearded dragons generally have large heads and a thicker base on the tail. The width of the tail is because of the two hemipenile bulges that are there. Quite often during the breeding season, the male will develop are black beard and also, they have raised bumps on the inside of their back legs.
Breeding Season of the Lizards
Males quickly establish territories and engage in active nodding demonstrations after emerging from their winter period of inactivity. Most of the mating activity takes place in the spring, from mid-August to September. Sexual maturity can be reached in the first year, and keepers should attempt to breed females in their second year. Dragons kept indoors will benefit from a 6 to 8-week winter cooldown period if breeding is planned.
This cooling period should be done slowly over 6 to 8 weeks and may be associated with reduced daylight hours and gradually reduced heat. Once you notice that your Lizards become less active, you may want to consider turning off the heat and lights entirely. Once the cooldown period is complete, the reverse can be implemented until the heating and lighting hours have returned to normal. Once normal heating and lighting are restored, this should stimulate breeding activity.
Building Nest for Laying Female Bearded Dragons
You will often notice an increase in the size of the female bearded dragon, and egg lumps can be seen on the abdomen during the later stages of development. The female bearded dragon will need a nest box if kept indoors, and this can be built with a large plastic container with a large hole in the lid; it can be filled with sand or coir or a 50/50 mix of both sand/coir mix. The nesting material should be slightly moistened and not wet. Female bearded dragons are kept in outdoor enclosures and will dig relatively deep nest burrows that can extend up to 1 metre in length.
Female Bearded Dragons are capable of multiple hatchlings, and due to a large number of eggs, all meals must be supplemented with calcium powder during the breeding season and ensure adequate UV light. Bearded dragons generally lay a large number of eggs typically between 7 to 20 eggs per clutch. Large, well-fed female bearded dragons are known to lay more than 30 eggs in a single clutch.
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