Are you a new pet-owner wanting to take your bearded dragon out on an adventure? Maybe you’ve had a bearded dragon for a while, but you’ve never traveled long distances? In either case, you are not quite sure how to go about it. So how do you travel with a Bearded Dragon?
Maybe you want to do something as simple as take your beardie for a ride while you run errands. Possibly even something that requires a little more planning like bringing them to a family gathering at your local park, or something that will take a lot more planning and packing, like going on vacation. Whatever it may be, packing heavy or packing light I’ve got you covered in this article that will give you some helpful tips for traveling with a Bearded Dragon.
Tips for traveling with a Bearded Dragon
If you’re traveling light
Ok, let’s say you are traveling light. The good news you won’t need nearly as much! If you live in a warm climate or a location that’s at least warm half the year, you are pretty lucky. I would try to keep from traveling with your bearded dragon in the cold unless it’s necessary. But we all know that sometimes situations arise, and we have no choice.
Here I’ll give you tips for traveling with a beardie in warmer months and colder months.
1. Keep them warm
It’s always important to keep them warm. Reptiles are cold-blooded, which means they can’t regulate their body temperature the way we can. If they get too cold, they are going to want a way to warm up! You can do this in a couple of different ways.
Warming up your car is a great way to make sure they are warm. The little bit they are in the cold from inside to your car and the car back to inside they’ll be fine.
To make sure they stay toasty, you can also wrap them in a little blanket like a burrito and keep them tucked in your coat. Your body heat will help keep your little dragon warm.
You might have a dragon that’s not very still so, wrapping them up like a blanket won’t do it! What are you supposed to do then? Depending on how cold or how long they’ll be in the cold, you can buy an insulated blanket for emergencies. You can use any blanket you have or a couple. You will know best, depending on your location, what type of warmth you are going to need.
Take your blanket, whichever you choose, and wrap it around your carrier to hold in heat. If you want to spoil your dragon and make sure they are warm, toss it in the dryer and then wrap it around your carrier. Spoil your bearded dragon! He will feel the warmth and coziness fit for a king or queen.
2. Have a carrier
Have a carrier. There are plenty to choose from, carriers are perfect for toting your little guy or girl around. Chances are, there will be moments you won’t be able to hold them. Depending on how long you plan on being out or what you’ll be doing, a carrier is a must.
I have two separate carriers for my bearded dragons. I love them both for different reasons! Plus, if you have multiple dragons, you might want a couple of carriers to ensure no fights break out if you’ll be traveling with multiple. I found both of mine on amazon. Here’s a backpack beardie carrier that I use, and here’s the other carrier that I use for transporting my Bearded Dragons.
3. Invest in a playpen
I know you might be thinking of a playpen for my bearded dragon? Yes, I have two playpens for Bearded Dragons, and I love them! They are perfect for parks, family gatherings. I bring my beardies with me everywhere in the summertime, and playpens come in handy.
They come in convenient travel size carriers, and they easily fold up and down. When it’s warm, you don’t need to worry about heat or UVB lights, they get it all straight from the sun, and it’s the best kind because it’s all-natural! If they could thank you, they would!
Playpens are multi-purpose. They come in handy when you are cleaning their tanks and need somewhere for your little dragon to sit for the time being, or if you’ll be in your backyard gardening. There is nothing healthier than helping your little guy or girl soak up those rays. You will get your money’s worth!
I do like to keep a little bearded dragon chaise lounge(s) tucked inside my playpen carrier(s) to give them something to lay on, but it’s not necessary. I will link you to both on amazon:
4. Always have wet wipes
Wet wipes, baby wipes, wipes of any kind, on hand, all the time! When a bearded dragon poops, you are going to want an easy way to clean it up and dispose of it! I sometimes carry little store baggies with me if I won’t be close to any trash cans to help dispose of it for the time being. But you don’t want your bearded dragon smearing poop all over, and we all know how bad bearded dragon poop smells. I think it’s safe to say you probably won’t want to smell it.
5. Have a leash!
Leashes are great and a must! If you are out for a walk and your dragon decides to be a daredevil and jump from your shoulder, the leash will save him from falling. Want to let him enjoy exploring? A leash is perfect, and the best thing about leashes is you can buy them, but you can also make them! Bearded dragon leashes are easy and simple to make too.
Here’s a popular Bearded Dragon harness on Amazon, and it even has little wings on it!
Traveling light with a Bearded Dragon wrap up
I know, if this is the light list? What does heavy traveling look like?
If you will only be going to the vet and back, there’s no reason for playpens. If it’s warm, there’s no reason for blankets. Or if you have a bearded dragon who lays right with you, you may not even need a carrier for such a short trip! A leash, some wipes, and you can be on your way. But if you are like me and plan on bringing your bearded dragons out with you for an all-dayer, you now have an in-depth list of what to bring, where to find it, and why these items and tips are so helpful. Now to see what traveling heavy looks like.
If you’re traveling heavy
If you will be gone for a week, a month, or a couple of months, you are going to need a bit more, basically travel with everything I’ve already mentioned, plus a little more!
1. Bringing your tank or a tank
You’ll need to have a backup tank prepared for traveling, or you’ll need to prepare their current tank for travel. You can start this by clearing out all of your bearded dragons’ decorations. This way, they aren’t sliding all over the place on the way to your traveling destination. You won’t need to bring all their decor, either. Keeping it simple is fine if this isn’t a permanent trip. It will save you the hassle of adding more to your list.
2. Bring their lights
If you are going to be gone longer than a day, you’ll need their UVB and heating setups. These are always a must. You’ll need to make sure their bulbs are secured. Bulbs can be finicky as it is, you don’t want to get to where you are going and find your bulbs have blown! You can try placing them in the boxes they came in or wrap them up and their fixtures in blankets to keep them still.
3. Prepare enough food
You will want to either have enough money set aside to buy food while on your stay or invest in little tubs to carry your bearded dragon’s food with you. Depending on what your pet’s food needs, you may need to pack food for the food, and of course, bring a food and water dish.
Conclusion
Traveling with your bearded dragon, no matter how long you will be gone or how far you’ll be traveling, can be fun, but you’ll need to be prepared. It may seem like a lot, but once you get it all together, it won’t seem that bad. My beardies and I have traveled down, or short adventures anyways, and we love it.
Destiny is an exotic pet enthusiast who owns 19 different pets including Bearded Dragons, Corn Snakes, Sugar Gliders, Leopard Geckos, and Crested Geckos to name a few!