You’ve contemplated, researched, read, joined communities, participated in discussions, maybe even purchased supplies.
Whatever steps you’ve taken towards owning a Bearded Dragon, you now feel prepared to make the final leap and buy your new pet!
Congratulations on making it this far, but your work isn’t over just yet…
In your quest for knowledge, you may have discovered that it’s generally NOT recommended to purchase your new Bearded Dragon from a big box pet store or some stranger that posted a classified ad.
These animals often come with a host of health issues, from parasitic mites to MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease) caused by improper husbandry to genetic health issues!
The easiest way to avoid that mess? Purchase your new Bearded Dragon from an ethical, trustworthy, reputable breeder.
But how do you find such a unicorn?
It can take a lot of work and time, digging deep into BOI (Buyer of Interest) forums, Facebook reviews, and message board posts.
While you should always look into any buyer that you’re interested in purchasing from, we’ve started the work for you and come up with a list of 5 reputable Bearded Dragon breeders.
Simply keep reading to discover who you can trust.
In This Article
Best Bearded Dragon Breeders for 2022
Unfortunately, things in the reptile world change a lot on a year-to-year basis. Most small business owners breed Bearded Dragons as a hobby, and life happens.
Every year, old bearded dragon breeders shut down their business while new well-meaning breeders pop up.
We’ve done our research on who did well during the previous 2020 breeding season.
These breeders are your BEST bet when it comes to purchasing any remaining babies, adults that they’re phasing out of their collection, or 2022 hatchlings in the coming year.
#1: Fire and Ice Dragons
It’s hard to beat Fire and Ice Dragons in terms of professionalism and quality.
The owner and operator, Terri Sommella, was a co-author of the popular Bearded Dragon care guide, “The Bearded Dragon Manual: Expert Advice for Keeping and Caring For a Healthy Bearded Dragon.”
Terri’s articles have also been featured in Reptiles Magazine, Reptile Care, Animal Chatter, and The Keeper.
They also began the FIRST Reptile Pedigree Program in the world, and all of the animals you purchase from them come with a pedigree.
Their website gallery includes photos of their entire breeding facility, from incubators to adult enclosures.
Regarding their level of care, they really do go above and beyond, feeding their young Bearded Dragons a whopping THREE times per day and offering organic greens.
The Fire and Ice Dragons website also features an in-depth, accurate care sheet – in case you were looking for even more information about proper care requirements!
They have almost 20 years of experience raising Bearded Dragons and promise to provide on-going support for any dragon you purchase from them.
On their website, you’ll find a list of their breeding projects for the upcoming season under “Pricing & Breeders.”
Their prices include a live arrival guarantee, satisfaction guarantee, lifetime support, and a 14-day health guarantee.
They offer replacements, but not refunds, except for exceptional circumstances.
#2: Dachiu Bearded Dragons
Dachiu Bearded Dragons is a small husband and wife team of hobby breeders that have cared for this personable species since 1996, giving them over 20 years of experience.
They’re based in Pennsylvania, but, like most breeders, they offer shipping across the country.
They’ve listed animals on their website and their social media platforms throughout the 2020 year, so you can bet they’ll have new babies available in 2022, as well!
In case you’re still not sure what Bearded Dragon morph you’re interested in, they have a full gallery of all of their adult breeding stock!
In fact, they go above and beyond any other Bearded Dragon breeder we checked on – they share photos of their ENTIRE breeding facility, from egg incubators to breeder enclosures.
Dachiu Bearded Dragons offer a standard live arrival guarantee, as well as an INCREDIBLY generous 6-week health guarantee. Based on the average age that they sell their hatchlings, after the 6-week guarantee, your little dragon will be 10 weeks old, 8 inches long, and well on its way to a long, healthy life.
Finally, Dachiu Bearded Dragons stands out once again with its Happiness Guarantee.
If you’re not happy with your Bearded Dragon when it arrives, for any reason, they will allow you to return the animal for a refund.
#3: Phantom Dragons
Phantom Dragons is one of the longest-operating breeders of Bearded Dragons that are still producing Bearded Dragons in 2020.
Phantom Dragons has been breeding Bearded Dragons for over 20 years! They selectively breed for good health and genetics.
If your interest lies in more than Bearded Dragons, they also breed crested geckos, chahoua geckos, and other small projects that interest them.
Phantom Dragons has their available animals organized by morph on their website, in addition to listing their stock on popular reptile classified websites.
If you want to see the type of animals they’ve produced and sold in the past, they also have a page dedicated to their sold animals.
They utilize individual photos of each animal instead of stock photos, so you know exactly who you are purchasing!
Like most reputable breeders, Phantom Dragons offers a live arrival guarantee when they ship your new pet – speaking of which, the cost of shipping is included in the price of most of their animals! They also offer a 14-day health guarantee.
The only drawback to purchasing a Bearded Dragon from Phantom Dragons? Their notoriously high prices.
However, these prices reflect the time and effort they’ve put into producing gorgeous, healthy animals!
#4: FairyTail Dragons
FairyTail Dragons is a small family breeder that has been working with Bearded Dragons for over 15 years. They’re currently based in Orlando, Florida.
They have an active social media presence, where they share the lives and antics of their animals.
Being lucky enough to live in the sunshine state, they even offer their dragons outdoor habitats where they can enjoy the fresh air and natural sunshine.
FairyTail Dragons offers a standard live arrival guarantee and a 14-day health guarantee. For their pricier animals, they also offer 14-day payment plan options.
Their Facebook page and MorphMarket profiles feature dozens of 5-star testimonials, attesting to their professionalism and the quality of their animals.
If you’re also a Florida resident, they keep an updated listing of animals available for local pick-up during the Winter, when temperatures are too cold to ship in much of the United States.
While they primarily produce Bearded Dragons, a quick scroll through their profile hints that they may have other projects in the works – including monitor lizards, blue-tongued skinks, and crested geckos!
#5: Kids and Dragons
Kids and Dragons are another small family breeder located outside of San Antonio, Texas.
They specialize in tiger morph Bearded Dragons, but they produce most other morphs and leopard geckos, as well.
Their Facebook page showcases well over 100 5-star reviews from happy new Bearded Dragon owners. Their easy-to-navigate website includes a Bearded Dragon care sheet, a list of their available animals, and an outline of their terms and conditions.
When you purchase an animal from Kids and Dragons, they offer a standard live arrival guarantee and a 14-day health guarantee.
They also offer ongoing support and advice if your new Bearded Dragon begins to show any signs of illness or stress and urge you to contact them before things get bad so they can help.
Their prices are higher than other breeders that we have covered, but Kids and Dragons seem to produce some exceptionally striking and beautiful blue-bar Bearded Dragons.
Advice for Finding a Great Breeder
As we stated below, things in the reptile world are continually changing. New breeders pop up every year, while long-time breeders retire for various reasons.
Purchasing your Bearded Dragon from a long-time breeder offers the benefits of peace of mind in terms of professionalism and accountability, as well as receiving support from someone with years of experience.
On the other hand, new breeders shouldn’t necessarily be excluded from your search.
In fact, many breeders that are new to the scene may be willing to go above and beyond to prove their professionalism, trustworthiness, and level of care to you since they don’t necessarily have decades of experience and hundreds of testimonials to back them up right away.
If you’d like to consider a Bearded Dragon breeder that is not well-known, new to breeding, or didn’t make our list, here are some considerations and tips for determining if the person or business you’re thinking of doing business with is a “good breeder.”
Tip #1: Read Reviews and Testimonials
Check the seller’s Facebook page and MorphMarket page for positive customer reviews.
It’s impossible to please everyone, so don’t make your decision based on one or two unhappy customers. However, multiple negative reviews do raise red flags.
If you’re unable to find reviews or testimonials on those pages, try searching reptile forums and Facebook groups that are relevant to Bearded Dragons.
Try searching for the seller’s…
- Personal name
- Business name
- Phone number
- E-mail address
Some unreputable dealers have evaded association with negative anecdotes by slightly changing the spelling of their name or using a new business name – so be sure to check using all relevant contact information.
If none of the above results in any information, ask the breeder where you can find more information about their business and animals.
You can also inquire about previous buyers who have offered to speak for the breeder’s professionalism and quality of their animals.
Tip #2: Seller’s Personality
If you’re like most people, you’re probably able to gather a good impression of whether someone seems sincere or shady after one or two conversations.
Reach out to the breeder you’re interested in buying from via e-mail, text, phone call, or social media.
Most decent Bearded Dragon breeders can respond within 24 hours, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
A professional breeder will be happy to answer any questions you have about Bearded Dragon care, genetics, shipping, prices, and even provide additional photos if that’s what you want.
Tip #3: Quality of Care
Ask the breeder how they take care of their breeding animals and how they are raising their hatchlings. What is their diet like? How often are they handling them? What substrate do they use?
You could even ask to see photos of their enclosures or parents of the hatchling you are interested in purchasing.
However, not every breeder is willing to provide such an intimate look into their operation. It’s up to you, as the buyer, to decide if that’s important to you.
Their answers could potentially fulfill two purposes:
- Give you hints and ideas on how to take care of your own future Bearded Dragon.
- Allow you to compare the information that they offer you with information that you’ve seen elsewhere. For example, if every Bearded Dragon care guide you’ve seen instructs you to use UVB lighting, but this breeder claims UVB lighting isn’t a necessity, that should alert you that something isn’t quite right.
Conclusion
Choosing which breeder to buy your new pet from is a big step and the last step to take before you can call yourself a Bearded Dragon owner.
Just like every other step in the process, from husbandry research to habitat set-up, making your choice shouldn’t be done in a rush – take your time, get to know the breeder(s), and do your research.
Ask other people in the Bearded Dragon community if they’ve had good experiences with that breeder, read reviews, and search “Buyer of Interest” forums.
While it’s undoubtedly an important decision, try not to stress too much. Most Bearded Dragon breeders are passionate about their animals and just want you to be happy with your new family pet.
We hope this guide has given you a head start into choosing which breeder to buy from, whether you choose someone from our list or use the tips to screen a new breeder.