There are several types of bearded dragon poop! And, being a pet owner it is essential to know which types are healthy bearded dragon poop and which types indicate ill health.
Monitoring how often is your bearded dragon pooping and the texture and color of the feces are all vital to understanding your pet’s health.
Keep reading to learn more about bearded dragon poop, including what healthy bearded dragon poop looks like, what the different colors and textures of poop indicate to your pet’s health, and some tips on what to do if your beardie is not defecating at all.
Table of Contents
Healthy Bearded Dragon Poop
A healthy bearded dragon poop will be:
- Firm in its consistency
- Log-shaped
- Brown with white or yellow urate at the end
Since bearded dragons do not pee, they pass urate, which is a uric acid paste.
This urate will usually be at the sides or end of the brown part of the feces.
Urate should have a soft consistency and not emit any foul odor.
By secreting this uric acid paste, a bearded dragon can remove excess nitrogen from its body without losing too much water.
You will always see both poop and urate together, as a bearded dragon passes them at the same time.
And if you would like to learn more about bearded dragon pee or urate we have another post linked here you might like.
It is common for a healthy bearded dragon poop to darken in color over the day, so this is no cause for alarm.
However, if you notice any of the following changes in texture, color, and frequency of your beardie’s bowel movements, you should seek a veterinary consult as soon as possible to rule out any disease or injury.
These changes are especially a cause for concern if there are other symptoms such as loss of appetite or lethargy.
Unhealthy Bearded Dragon Poop
Changes in the texture, color, or frequency of your bearded dragon’s bowel movements may indicate a health issue with your pet.
Runny poop, or diarrhea, is a particular cause for concern because your beardie will quickly become dehydrated if the issue is not resolved as soon as possible.
In addition to these symptoms, your bearded dragon may also become lethargic, have a loss of appetite, and lose weight.
If you’re dealing with pet diarrhea check out our post on treating bearded dragon diarrhea.
In this section, we will provide details for the causes of runny bearded dragon poop, the symptoms of parasites, and what different colors of poop mean for your pet.
Runny & Watery Bearded Dragon Poop
If your bearded dragon poops runny or watery stools, it is very important to pinpoint the cause and implement a cure before severe dehydration sets in.
Your beardie’s diet has a lot to do with the firmness of its stool.
When you abruptly change your bearded dragon’s diet, it may cause your lizard’s poop to be runny for a couple of days.
This is normal, and your pet’s feces will become firm again in a day or two.
Giving your bearded dragon too many high-fiber foods such as apple, pumpkin, and broccoli will also cause runny or watery poop.
Reducing high-fiber foods in your beardie’s diet very slowly will fix this problem.
Since vegetables make up 75% of a bearded dragon’s diet, runny stools are a very common issue.
Some fruits and leafy greens have a high water content, which will cause your lizard to become too hydrated.
A parasitic infection may also cause runny stools.
Bearded Dragon Parasite Poop
The most common way for a bearded dragon to get a parasitic infection is by ingesting infected insects.
Parasites are especially common in wild insects, which is why you should always purchase live feeder insects from a pet store or other reputable source rather than catching them in your garden.
These parasites are easily passed on to your bearded dragon, and it is important to know the symptoms in your pet to avoid possible death from severe illness.
Symptoms of a parasitic infection in bearded dragons include:
- Lack of appetite
- Weight loss
- Lethargy
- Runny poop
The runny and watery stools may also contain traces of mucus or blood and exhibit a more foul odor than what is normal.
The most common parasites in bearded dragons are pinworms and coccidia.
While it is normal for a low level of parasites to be present in a reptile’s system, too many parasites will cause severe illness.
You will not be able to see these parasites in your beardie’s stool, and the only way to reach a diagnosis is by taking your pet to a veterinarian.
The vet will collect a stool sample from your reptile and test it for the presence of parasites.
If parasites are found, the veterinarian will give your bearded dragon one or two doses of deworming medication, depending on the severity of the infection.
This medication will clear the parasites from your pet’s body.
It is also wise for you to give your beardie a probiotic supplement during this time to reduce any side effects of the dewormer.
Bearded Dragon Poop Colors
In addition to the change in texture, any change in your bearded dragon’s poop color may indicate illness.
These colors include yellow, red, green, white, and black, and each color corresponds with a specific area of ailments.
These stool colors provide valuable clues which help diagnose illness.
Abnormal stool colors don’t always mean something is seriously wrong, however.
Sometimes, your bearded dragon’s stool will have a different color based on what you have fed your pet.
Before you become alarmed at the color of your beardie’s poop, review its diet for the week.
If a specific food you think is causing the color change, eliminate the food and see if the stool color returns to normal.
bearded Dragon Poop Chart
| Poop Color | Reason | Explanation |
| White | Dehydration | Give your bearded dragon a bath and make sure it drinks plenty of water |
| Green | From eating leafy green veggies | It’s normal if the diet contains leafy green veggies; however, if you notice a foul smell, it may be due to illness |
| Red | From eating red food, impaction, and parasites | If you see traces of blood, your beardie is not healthy |
| Orange | Too many multivitamins | Reduce multivitamins to once a week and lightly sprinkle them on food |
| Yellow | Too much calcium | Offer calcium in amount based on the bearded dragon’s age |
| Black | Too many insects and less veggies | Reduce insect intake to 25% and increase vegetables to 75% |
Bearded Dragon White Poop
A bearded dragon’s poop that is white, sometimes chalky, is usually a sign of dehydration.
You may also notice stringy saliva, which is also a symptom of dehydration.
To rehydrate your beardie, give it a bath for around 15 minutes.
This short bath will not only rehydrate your lizard but will moisten its skin.
To prevent dehydration, make sure your bearded dragon is drinking plenty of water, and never let the overall temperature of the enclosure go higher than 105° degrees Fahrenheit (40° C).
If you notice multiple white stools, you should take your beardie to a veterinarian right away, as dehydration will cause serious illness.
In the event your lizard’s feces only contain urate, this means your pet is overly hydrated or has not eaten enough food.
Offer your dragon some food, and if its stool does not return to normal, you will need to seek veterinary care.
Bearded Dragon Green Poop
Green poop is generally caused by the type of foods a bearded dragon has been eating.
Dark leafy greens and green food dyes will all cause your beardie’s stool to appear green.
If you only notice green poop occasionally and your lizard is acting normal otherwise, there is nothing to worry about.
However, if the feces are runny and foul-smelling in addition to being green, this may indicate a more severe illness.
This type of stool has been linked to liver disease, anorexia, and hemolytic anemia in rare cases, a condition where red blood cells burst.
If bearded dragons poop green, runny, foul-smelling feces, you should seek veterinary care right away to rule out any of these serious diseases.
Bearded Dragon Red Poop
Red poop is usually the result of something your bearded dragon has eaten, such as beets or raspberries.
If you have fed your lizard these or any other types of red foods, removing them from your pet’s diet should make their stool return to normal.
Red streaks in your bearded dragon’s stool indicate traces of blood, which is a sign of a more serious issue such as parasites or internal bleeding.
Parasites such as coccidia can rupture the wall of the intestine, causing internal bleeding.
Other symptoms of parasitic infection include lethargy and loss of appetite, and your beardie should be monitored for these signs.
Internal bleeding also occurs when foreign objects or bugs with sharp exoskeletons or limbs can puncture the intestine.
You should never ignore blood in your bearded dragon’s poop and instead seek veterinary care immediately.
It is also helpful to bring a fresh stool sample to your veterinarian for further diagnosis.
Bearded Dragon Orange Poop
If bearded dragons poop orange, it is not a typical color and is usually caused by too many multivitamin supplements in their diet.
It is best to provide a multivitamin supplement only once per week, and you should sprinkle it very lightly onto your beardie’s food.
It is also a possibility you don’t see orange feces at all. Infertile eggs often have an orange hue to them, and they may also be misshapen.
Even if a female bearded dragon has not mated with a male, she may still lay eggs if the conditions are right.
This is perfectly normal and will not cause any issues with your beardie unless she has difficulty laying the eggs, which is known as being “egg bound.”
To prevent egg-binding in your lizard, you will need to ensure she receives a balanced diet with a good calcium supplement.
Female bearded dragons are also able to store sperm in their bodies for up to one year, so this may result in an unexpected egg laying if she has been housed with a male during this period and you were unaware of it.
You can learn more about egg bound bearded dragons in our other post and its other causes and methods of treatment.
Bearded Dragon Yellow Poop
Yellow poop is caused by too much calcium in your bearded dragon’s body, either through dietary supplements or excess UVB light.
Calcium is essential for a bearded dragon’s growth and a preventative measure against metabolic bone disease.
Different amounts of calcium are needed according to the age of the bearded dragon.
Hatchlings should be supplemented every day, young bearded dragons every other day, and adults at least once per week.
UVB light may also cause too much calcium to build up in a bearded dragon’s body due to its body processes UV rays into calcium, D3, and other vitamins.
For this reason, it is important to place the UVB light in such a way as to give your beardie the ability to move in and out of the light as needed.
The bulb should not cover the entire length of the enclosure.
Once again, if your beardie is a female, the yellow substance may be infertile eggs.
These eggs are often orange to yellow and may be mistaken for feces to the untrained eye.
If your bearded dragon is a male, the yellow substance may be a seminal plug with a stringy texture.
Seminal plugs happen when sperm builds up in a male beardie’s inverted hemipenes during mating season and forms a hard, waxy plug.
This is very common in bearded dragons and is not a cause for concern.
Check out our dedicated post on bearded dragon sperm plugs for more in depth details on this.
Bearded Dragon Black Poop
If bearded dragons poop black feces, it means their diet consists of too many insects and not enough vegetables.
As an adult, a beardie’s diet should have a ratio of 25% insects and 75% plant matter such as leafy greens, vegetables, and a small amount of fruit.
You will need to get your pet’s stool examined if they eat enough vegetables and still have black stools.
Black poop may also be a sign of impaction.
Impaction is usually caused by foreign objects such as sand or hard-to-digest insect exoskeletons blocking the intestines.
This results in a lack of bowel movements as well as tears in the intestine and internal bleeding.
If the black stool is also watery or has a foul odor, this may indicate parasites.
Black stool should always be examined by a veterinary professional who will run fecal tests to determine if there are parasites or internal bleeding.
Another thing to keep in mind, a bearded dragon’s stool will darken just a little if it has been in the enclosure for a few hours, although it won’t usually darken to black.
How Often A Healthy Bearded Dragon Should Poop
Many different factors determine how often a bearded dragon will poop.
These factors include:
- Age
- Diet
- Health
- Environment
- Stress
- Brumation
Monitoring the type and frequency of your bearded dragon’s bowel movements is an excellent way to stay on top of any health issues your pet might be experiencing.
This section will explore the different factors affecting how often your beardie defecates and how to ensure your pet stays stress-free and healthy.
Age
A baby bearded dragon poops more often than juveniles or adult bearded dragons.
Baby bearded dragons less than three months old, will poop at least once per day. Depending on diet and other factors, a baby beardie may defecate up to 3 times per day.
This is usually because their diet contains more protein to sustain their fast growth.
Juvenile bearded dragons between the ages of 4-18 months generally poop once every other day.
The closer they get to 18 months of age, they will decrease the number of times they defecate to just 2 or 3 times per week.
Adult bearded dragons have a broader range in frequency of bowel movements ranging anywhere from once to seven times a week.
This frequency often depends on many of the factors below.
Diet
Adult beardies who only eat crickets and vegetables will generally have a bowel movement one to three times per week.
An adult beardie who consumes a calcium-rich diet of silkworms, turnip greens, and Romaine lettuce is more likely to poop anywhere from once to multiple times a day.
Monitor your bearded dragon’s energy level and ensure they maintain a healthy appetite when determining if your pet is defecating with a regular frequency.
Environment
The schedule of a bearded dragon poop is also determined by the amount of UV rays exposed to and how warm the temperatures are inside the enclosure.
Bearded dragons rely on UVB light and warm temperatures to maintain a healthy digestive system.
Your bearded dragon should receive at least 12 hours of UVB light every day.
Any fluctuations in light levels will affect a beardie’s digestive system.
To avoid any inconsistencies in lighting, invest in a light timer, which will allow you to set when the lights come on and when they go off.
You should also provide your bearded dragon with a temperature gradient within its enclosure.
The temperature should range between 75-80° degrees Fahrenheit (27° C) for the cool side.
The warm central area should range from 88-93° degrees Fahrenheit (34° C).
Finally, the basking area needs to have a temperature range from 100-105° degrees Fahrenheit (40° C).
Investing in a quality digital thermometer is the best way to track the temperatures in your reptile’s enclosure.
Since bearded dragons rely on external temperatures for their body heat, it is best to give them a variety to cool down when they get too hot and vice versa.
The temperature should never go below 65° degrees Fahrenheit (18° C) for a prolonged period because this will cause the bearded dragon’s metabolism to drop too low levels and may cause health issues.
Stress
Bearded dragons tend not to poop when they are overly stressed, so a great way to determine your pet’s stress level is by monitoring how often it defecates.
All reptiles will have a stress reaction when they move into a new home, and they may go for several weeks without a bowel movement.
Your bearded dragon may even have this type of stress reaction when they are moved into a new enclosure within the same home.
To keep your beardie’s stress to a minimum, avoid placing its enclosure in areas of high traffic or loud noise.
It is also advisable to keep other pets such as dogs and cats away from your lizard to avoid additional stress from feeling threatened.
Other signs of stress may include your beardie biting you during handling, losing its appetite, and darkening its skin.
Once any of these stressful situations are solved, your bearded dragon will resume its regular poop schedule.
Brumation
In the wild, bearded dragons go through a process known as brumation when the temperatures are colder during the winter.
They may also go through brumation in captivity.
Brumation is very similar to hibernation, except your beardie will need to drink water and have bowel movements.
Your reptile may eat less or stop eating altogether, but you should continue to offer food just in case it is hungry.
You will also need to provide fresh water every day, and you may even find it helpful to soak your bearded dragon for increments between 15-30 minutes per day to maintain proper hydration.
Eating and drinking less, combined with a lower activity level, also means fewer bowel movements during this time.
Brumation is instinctual to bearded dragons and will occur even if they are provided with plenty of warmth and light, and if you want more detailed information on bearded dragon brumation we have a dedicated post on the subject.
How To Make A Bearded Dragon Poop
As a bearded dragon gets older, their bowel movements become less frequent, which is nothing to worry about.
However, if your beardie stops pooping completely, this is a sign of a more serious problem, and you should find out why it is happening as soon as possible.
Stress, illness, dehydration, cold temperatures, and impaction are all possible causes for a decrease in bowel movements.
A lack of bowel movements is a huge concern, and it should be dealt with immediately to avoid further complications.
Luckily, there are several remedies to help your bearded dragon defecate, such as:
- Hydrating them
- Giving them a bath
- Checking the enclosure temperature and UVB lighting
- Giving them a homemade laxative
It is very important to note if these remedies do not work within five days, you should get your bearded dragon to a veterinarian immediately.
If this is your first time dealing with this issue, it is best to start by contacting a veterinarian and only resorting to these remedies if you are unable to get an appointment right away.
Check out our post on giving bearded dragons olive oil for a homemade solution to help your pet poop.
Hydrate Your Bearded Dragon
Bearded dragons are notorious for not drinking water as much as they should.
As a general rule, beardies will only drink from moving water, although they are known to drink still water when they are immersed for a soak.
If you notice chalky, white poop from your bearded dragon and you suspect it is dehydrated, place some drops of water onto your beardie’s snout for them to lick off.
Keep doing this to ensure your pet is well hydrated.
Bathe Your Bearded Dragon
A nice, warm bath is not only good for hydrating your bearded dragon, but it may also stimulate them to poop.
Your beardie must stay calm, so it will only make matters worse if bathing stresses them out.
The water in the bath should be warm, not hot, and should never be deeper than what will cover your beardie’s shoulders.
Soak your bearded dragon for 15 minutes a day until they have a bowel movement, and supervise your pet during this time.
And if you need tips for baths read our post on how to bathe your bearded dragon.
Check the Temperatures and Lighting in Your Bearded Dragon’s Enclosure
As previously stated, if your bearded dragon’s enclosure does not provide warm temperatures or proper UVB lighting, this will affect your reptile’s digestion.
Basking temperatures should be between 100 and 105° degrees Fahrenheit (40° C) for adult beardies and between 105 to 110° degrees Fahrenheit (43° C) for babies.
UVB lighting allows a bearded dragon to process essential vitamins and minerals for digestion, and it should be left on for 10-12 hours every day.
The UVB tube should not cover the entire enclosure to allow the bearded dragon to escape to the shade when it needs to.
Give Your Bearded Dragon a Homemade Laxative
Olive oil is a safe, natural laxative for bearded dragons.
Offer your beardie just 3-4 drops of olive oil per day until they have a bowel movement.
In addition to olive oil, baby food may be used as a laxative for your reptile.
Be sure the food does not contain any water, and dilute it with water if necessary.
You may give an adult bearded dragon one teaspoon every day, while a baby needs just half a teaspoon per day.
