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Traveling with your bearded dragon can be a fun and exciting experience. At the same time, if you and your beardie are new to traveling together it can be stressful.
Bearded dragons are popular pets. They can be fun and friendly, but they also require care and attention.
There is no way to know how your bearded dragon will react when traveling with you, so it’s important for owners to do their research before trying anything new.
Here are some tips on how to travel with your bearded dragon!
What to bring when traveling with your bearded dragon
Start by making sure that you have everything he or she needs while on the road, including food, water, a place to rest—and of course heat. You want them comfortable and safe in his or her carrier during the trip! Make sure that you check out the weather forecast where you’re going beforehand; then pack accordingly. If it’s too cold outside for your pet (especially if they can’t go out and wander around, like if they’re in a carrier), make sure you pack enough bedding and heating devices.
How To Handle Live Food For Bearded Dragon Travels
You most likely will not want to travel with your cricket farm, so I usually call ahead to pet stores in the area to make sure I have the ability to purchase food once I get to our destination.
Traveling with your bearded dragon can be stressful, but if you do your research beforehand, it doesn’t have to be!
Tips Before Traveling With Your Bearded Dragon
Below are some tips and recommendations I have found for myself that i want to share to make travel with your bearded dragon as stress free as possible.
Make Sure They’re Healthy
Before traveling with your bearded dragon—or taking him or her to any place outside of where he or she normally lives— you should make sure they’re healthy. If your bearded dragon isn’t eating and drinking like normal, it’s best to avoid traveling with him or her.
You can also be extra cautious and do a routine vet exam ahead of travel. For me this help alleviate worries and helps make me more comfortable with travel.
Make sure where you are staying is pet friendly, particularly reptile friendly
Although we love and know our beardies are great pets, some places may balk at you bringing in a 2 foot lizard to stay amongst other guests.
While traveling I recommend staying in a rented house or with with friends and family if possible as many hotels having lots of guests may turn into issue upon arrival.
If you do choose to stay with family, make sure to find out ahead of time about other pets in the home. This will help ensure everyone knows the routine ahead of time.
I know the first time I visited my aunt, she said bringing my beardie along was fine. She was not sure what it was and was picturing a small anole type reptile. The trip ended up working out fine as we would kennel her dog when my beardie was out but it would have been better if I had provided more details up front to ensure she knew what a bearded dragon is and that he would need some out of the tank time while visiting.
Types of Carriers to Bring When Traveling With Your Bearded Dragon
It doesn’t matter what kind of container you use, as long as it has a secure lid and good ventilation. This sort of carrier can get quite hot in direct sunshine, even in a car, making it unsuitable for a bearded dragon on a road trip.
I try to take a large enough enclosure that I can use for travel and for housing once we are at our destination. The key to this is not to take a 125 gallon tank that is going to take up half my car. I typically use a smaller 75 gallon tank which fits nicely in my car and is big enough to provide my beardie with room once at our destination.
This works well since he typically has more outside time with me while on vacation since I am not working.
What to do when you arrive
When you get home, you will want to take your bearded dragon out of his or her carrier and give him or her some time to adjust. Make sure to offer your bearded dragon some food and water, and allow him or her to explore his or her new surroundings.
Be sure to provide a basking area and plenty of hiding spots, as your bearded dragon will likely want to hide from the bright light and new people. Celebrate your successful trip with your bearded dragon!
Conclusion
Traveling with your bearded dragon can be stressful, but if you do your research beforehand, it doesn’t have to be! I have found for myself that planning ahead is the most important part of stress free bearded dragon travel. Do you have any bearded dragon tips you would like to share, let us know in the comments below.
