Top 6 Best Reputable Bearded Dragon Breeders

Bearded Dragons are one of the best pet lizards for beginners.

However, their popularity can make it more difficult to buy a healthy hatchling. There are many unethical breeders that sell unhealthy, sick or wild beardies.

Thankfully there are many breeders out there that care about the dragons they raise.

Buying from a reputable source can help ensure your bearded dragon has the best start in life. There are often a lot of benefits like health guarantees, genetics and transparency.

Keep reading to learn who we believe are the best bearded dragon breeders around. We also share how to easily spot a credible one…

Bearded Dragon Breeders Near Me

Breeder	Morphs	Pros	Price
Atomic Lizard Ranch	Citrus, orange, dunner silkie, gala red, hypo melanistic and more.	Best reputation.	$125-$300
CB Reptile	Common morphs such as leatherback, witblit, hypo, yellow, hypo-trans and red.	Most popular.	$180-$800
Dachiu Bearded Dragons	Red, yellow, orange, translucent, dunner, witblits, paradox and more.	Best health guarantees.	$75-$800
Fire and Ice Dragons	Red, yellow, orange, hypomelanistic, translucent, dunner, witblits, paradox and more.	Reptile pedigree program.	$200-$500
LLL Reptile	Wild type, hypo, leatherback, straight striped and translucent.	Best for beginners.	$59-$249
Phantom Dragons	Phantom stripe, witblits, barbata hybrids, hypo, translucent and leather.	International shipping.	~$250

Best Bearded Dragon Breeders

1. CB Reptile

CB Reptile has made its way onto almost every “Top Reptile Breeder” list for good reason.

They are probably one of the most popular reptile breeders in the world! They sell bearded dragons of all ages and guarantee a captive bred, happy, calm and docile individual.

CB Reptile handle their reptiles daily, which means they will be more used to human contact by the time they arrive at your home and less likely to bite. This is perfect for beginner keepers who may be less confident handling their new pet.

They are also perfect for beginners that are looking for a common morph.

While not specialized in breeding bearded dragons, they do have a lot of morphs available like Citrus, Leatherback, Hypo, Yellow and Witblit. Those morphs that they do have are high quality and sold at a low price.

CB Reptile offer a 7-day health guarantee and ship overnight for only $39.95. They also have a biologist on site, which few other breeders have.

Many keepers believe that CB Reptile is one of the best larger breeding operations and we don’t disagree. They have low prices, great resources and extensive support. If you want a bearded dragon from a reputable source then CB reptile is the place for you:

Contact Information

• Breeder: Captive Bred Reptile
• Phone: (609) 705-7787
• Email: support@cbreptile.com

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2. LLL Reptile

LLL Reptile is a trusted and credible reptile business that sells a wide variety of exotic species and not just bearded dragons. Their low prices and great supply selection make them one of the best for beginners.

While this breeder may not have the widest variety of morphs, they do offer Wild-Types.

If you are new to reptile keeping and want a more common morph or wild-type bearded dragon then LLL Reptile is a great option.

LLL Reptile is also one of the best online supply companies in the reptile industry.

This is very convenient for beginners that may not know where to source their supplies or what they need for their tank setup. They sell everything you need in one place: enclosures, feeder animals, books, heat lamps, bowls, décor, incubators, and more.

One of the things that we really like about LLL Reptile is their price guarantee on all their supplies. They promise that if you find a lower price elsewhere, they will beat it by 5%. Though we do wish this extended to their bearded dragons too!

LLL Reptile’s Bearded Dragons are priced well at $59 for a hatchling and they guarantee live arrival and gender. Satisfaction is guaranteed for 24 hours after the arrival of your reptile and overnight shipping is from only $44.95.

Contact Information

• Breeder: LLL Reptile
• Address: 8450 W Sahara Ave #105, Las Vegas, NV 89117
• Phone: (760) 439-8492

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3. Atomic Lizard Ranch

Atomic Lizard Ranch has been breeding bearded dragons for over 30 years and is no doubt one of the most highly regarded breeders on this list.

They offer many different morphs including some that only they breed like the bright red, “Red Gala Phase”.

Atomic Lizard Ranch has videos of all their breeding adults, as well as information like hatch date, size and even personality on all of their bearded dragons for sale. The fact that they list the personality of each hatchling shows you how much work and attention they put into breeding.

One of the unique things that made us fall in love with this breeder is that they work with local bearded dragon rescues and offer adults for adoption too. This is a great option for an experienced keeper who wants an older individual.

Atomic Lizard Ranch has many glowing reviews and are proud of the many happy customers they have had over the years.

If we could change one thing about this breeder, it would be their guarantees. They don’t provide much information on their guarantees aside from the fact that they can’t guarantee the gender of younger bearded dragons.

If you want to buy or adopt a bearded dragon then Atomic Lizard Ranch is one of the most experienced breeders that has an unmatched reputation.

Contact Information

• Breeder: Atomic Lizard Ranch
• Address: 982 E. Beechcraft Blvd, Bisbee, AZ 85603
• Phone: (520) 432-9161
• Email: collette@atomiclizardranch.net

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4. Dachiu Bearded Dragons

Dachiu Bearded Dragons is a husband and wife team with over 15 years of experience. While they don’t often have standard wild-types for sale, they do sell morphs such as Witblits, Reds, Yellows and Paradoxes.

The bearded dragons they sell are more expensive than other breeders, however they offer some of the best quality hatchlings and fantastic health guarantees.

Their quality is one of the reasons they are very popular.

As a result of their quality they are frequently sold out. Thankfully new bearded dragons are posted weekly on their website, so keep an eye out for new listings.

Dachiu Bearded Dragons has photos of all their beardies for sale, as well as videos of their entire breeding facility. This helps customers get a behind the scenes look at the high-quality husbandry they provide.

They also allow refunds and returns if you are not satisfied upon arrival. This is a guarantee which we couldn’t find with many others.

Dachiu Bearded Dragons is so confident in the quality of their bearded dragons that they offer some of the best guarantees. They promise that your new pet will arrive alive and healthy for up to 6 weeks! This is by far the longest health guarantee of any breeder on our list.

If you want to buy a pet bearded dragon from a business who is confident in the health and quality of their hatchlings and don’t mind paying a bit more, Dachiu is a great choice.

Contact Information

• Breeder: Dachiu Bearded Dragons
• Address: Pennsylvania
• Phone: (570) 462-2196

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5. Fire and Ice Dragons

Fire and Ice Dragons is an extremely well-known bearded dragon breeder that specializes in intense, vivid color morphs. They sell most major colors as well as a variety of unique morphs. Their collection is absolutely stunning and you can’t help but be blown away by it.

This is a popular, well-known breeder with stunning morphs. They claim they were the first to breed a 100% citrus morph.

One of the things we like most about this business is the transparency they have within their operation.

They not only have pictures of all their breeder beardies, but they also have a gallery of pictures dedicated to their breeding rooms and enclosures.

Fire and Ice Dragons have 23 years of experience breeding and are founders of the first “Reptile Pedigree Program” in the world.

Each bearded dragon they sell has an incredible amount of information available including their age, parentage, weight, length and genetics.

Fire and Ice Dragons guarantees that you will receive a dragon that is healthy and eating well with a 14 day health guarantee. They overnight ship and also offer lifetime support.

Because of their beautiful dragons, great support, professionalism and transparency, they have our vote for the best breeder of specialty morphs.

Contact Information

• Breeder: Fire and Ice Dragons
• Phone: (717) 357-5231
• Email: terri@fireandicedragons.com

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6. Phantom Dragons

Phantom Dragons have been breeding Bearded Dragons for over 20 years and boast of “unparalleled health and genetics”. They focus on interesting morphs like Phantom Stripe, Barbata Hybrids and Translucent and do not sell standard wild-types.

They offer detailed information on each of their bearded dragons for sale, as well as a live arrival and 14-day health guarantee.

Phantom Dragons also has an entire page of past breeding projects that potential customers can see.

This breeder is probably the most expensive on the list, but they offer a lot of perks that others don’t.

We really like that Phantom Dragons includes the price of overnight UPS shipping in the price of their bearded dragons. This means that the price you see on the listing, is the price you will pay. This makes budgeting much easier and simpler.

If you live outside of the U.S., Phantom Dragons is great too because they are one of the few breeders that offers exports.

While Phantom Dragons may be a little pricier, the perks of included shipping, pedigree, and international shipping make their buying process very simple.

If you want buying a bearded dragon to be simple and easy, Phantom Dragons are one of the best.

Contact Information

• Breeder: Phantom Dragons
• Email: info@phantomdragonsinc.com

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What Makes A Good Breeder?

Choosing a reputable breeder may be one of the most important decisions you make when buying a beardie.

The first few weeks of getting a new reptile are always the hardest with tank setups and feeding schedules. This experience is only made harder if you purchase a sick or unhealthy hatchling.

Bearded Dragons that come from “reptile mills” are often plagued with a variety of health issues that will cost you time, money and heartache in the long run.

Their animals are usually kept in poor conditions and can often suffer from health issues like metabolic bone disease, shedding issues and tail rot. Their Beardies are also not handled frequently and can be fearful and aggressive.

Avoiding unethical sources is a very important skill you will need to learn.

Below we share how to identify credible breeders and questions you should consider asking them.

Knowledge

A good breeder should have a thorough and complete understanding of the species they are selling.

They should be able to go into detail about the species, history, husbandry, diet requirements and tank setups.

Many will know the scientific name for Bearded Dragons (Pogona Vitticeps), the different subspecies within the genus, their natural range and the environmental conditions they prefer.

If they seem unsure or redirect your questions, this could be a sign that they are not a high-quality breeder.

Husbandry

Reputable breeders are not shy about showing off their top tier husbandry.

They should be willing to show you behind the scenes pictures, videos and sometimes even in-person tours of their entire breeding operation.

Many great breeders will even have their own care sheets that details exactly how to make sure your new pet is set up for success. They should also be able list specific care needs like tank size, UVB lamp types, substrates, and temperature ranges.

Support

Support is very important for first time owners that may have questions and concerns.

The breeder should care about the health and welfare of the bearded dragons they sell, so they should also have support services available for their customers.

Asking a breeder “what support services do you offer?” is a great way to see if they are committed to the health of the reptiles they sell.

If you are concerned about a specific behavior or health issue, contacting your breeder can give you some answers without having to go straight to a vet.

Reviews

A reputable breeder is one that is well-established.

Most breeders will have a good idea of other reputable breeders and know most bloodlines and morphs available on the market.

Good breeders should be well-known and respected in the community for their high-quality bearded dragons.

This means that they should be able to show you testimonials from their happy customers.

Reviews enable you to see detailed feedback about the business from those with firsthand experience.

Breeding Log

The best bearded dragon breeders will have detailed information available for every hatchling they have listed for sale. This includes:

• Date of birth
• Age
• Gender
• Size
• Weight
• Genetics
• Feeding response
• Personality (in some cases)

All of this information is important for pedigree, genetics and a breeding program. It is also helpful when making buying decisions, and a good breeder should have nothing to hide.

Guarantees

Many of the more experienced breeders have 10-20 years of breeding experience, while hobbyists may only have a few seasons. Experience doesn’t always determine quality, but usually the more experienced operators have better guarantees.

Live arrival and health guarantees are common.

These guarantees can help you narrow down a good breeder from a hobbyist.

Some of the best will also have genetic and gender guarantees.

Breeders who are very confident in the quality of their hatchlings will also offer refunds and returns.

If your bearded dragon ends up sick, a different gender than you purchased, or just not what you were expecting, a refund or return policy can be very helpful.

Where To Buy A Bearded Dragon

Where you buy your bearded dragon from can have a big impact on their health and quality of life.

Buying from a reputable source will help to make sure that your hatchling has the best start in life with good genetics and bloodlines.

Before we talk about where you should buy a Bearded Dragon from, let’s discuss some places where you shouldn’t.

Generally pet stores are not a great place to buy reptiles from as they do not breed their own.

Pet stores often source their reptiles from unethical places. These unethical breeders keep their animals in sub-par conditions and focus on maximum production, over health and quality. Some pet stores also do not understand or meet the care needs of their bearded dragons.

Purchasing a bearded dragon from these types of stores not only supports unethical sources, but it can be hard for pet owners to watch their new reptile suffer.

Make sure you always research pet stores about where they source their reptiles from and do some research beforehand.

Craigslist can also be an option for adopting a bearded dragon from a previous owner that can no longer care for them. However you need to be extremely careful. You will often not be able to guarantee their health, genetics or age.

So where is the best place to buy a beardie? A private breeder.

There will be many reputable bearded dragon breeders near you. They can often be found through Facebook, Google and by attending nearby reptile expos.

Reptile expos are very popular events where breeders and reptile enthusiasts gather to promote their brands, sell their reptiles and socialize with other reptile lovers.

Make sure that whoever you meet, you use the tips in our article to identify a good breeder in person.

Buying Guide

Before buying a bearded dragon you will want to consider some factors like species, morph, age and gender.

Do you want a high color morph or a standard wild-type bearded dragon?

Most beginners start out with a standard captive bred, wild-type and not a rare morph. Color and morph will affect the price with unique morphs often reaching hundreds of dollars.

Are you looking for a hatchling, juvenile or adult?

Hatchlings and juveniles are more commonly available, and while hatchlings are cheaper, they are also less likely to survive than juveniles and adults. If you are a beginner, a juvenile that is established may be the best option.

Do you want a male or female?

Males will generally be larger and can be more aggressive than females. Some beginners prefer females as the aggression that some males display can be intimidating.

Would you prefer a rescue or to purchase one from a breeder?

Rescued beardies are more likely to have health or behavioral issues. Most beginners purchase their first from a breeder because they lack the skill and husbandry needed for sick individuals.

These are all questions you will need to ask yourself before you make your purchase.

Once you have made your decisions, you will need to know how to identify a healthy bearded dragon.

When picking a bearded dragon you should make sure they have no visible injuries.

If a bearded dragon is missing a tail tip or a toe, this could mean they are having issues with retained shed.

A hatchling should not be lethargic. If they seem uninterested or are closing their eyes for long periods of time it could be a sign of internal parasites. Their eyes should be clear and alert with no puss or runny tears.

If you see kinks in their tail combined with swollen limbs, this could be a sign of metabolic bone disease. Their skin and scales should not be damaged or show small black or red dots. These dots are usually indicators of a mite infestation.

Lastly a beginner should be looking for a more docile bearded dragon that doesn’t display lots of aggressive behaviors. Gaping the mouth, puffing their throats, hissing, and attacking are all examples of aggression.

Knowing what you are looking for before you buy can be extremely helpful!

Hopefully you are now able to identify what a healthy bearded dragon looks like, how much you should expect to pay for one and how to spot a reputable breeder.

Leave us a comment below and share your favorite breeders.