What Should The Humidity Be For A Bearded Dragon At Night? Aim for 30-40% bearded dragon night time humidity. Remember, bearded dragon humidity at night may fluctuate, due to many reasons. So, Let’s learn to prevent bearded dragon night humidity from getting too high/low and keep it constant.

Being a desert dweller, a bearded dragon requires a certain humidity level when kept inside. Therefore, if you are a proud bearded dragon owner, you might be looking for a specific guide that helps you achieve the ideal humidity for bearded dragons at night.

Here, we will discuss what the best-bearded dragon humidity is at night. Apart from the bearded dragon night humidity, there are also certain factors that you need to consider first. Before you learn ‘what the humidity should be for a bearded dragon at night,’ it’s important to know what influences the humidity level in the dark.

At night, people often witness bearded dragon nighttime humidity being higher than needed, directly affecting the pet’s health & well-being and causing respiratory issues. Not only that, ISPCA also suggests that bearded dragons need low humidity levels at night time to avoid skin & respiratory problems. So, it’s important to learn ‘what humidity levels bearded dragons need at night’ and maintain that ideal level constantly.

Hence, without wasting time, let’s learn how to set up bearded dragon humidity at night that promotes healthy growth, best health, and longevity.

Bearded Dragon Humidity At Night: 5 Steps For Proper Setup

Ideal Humidity For Bearded Dragon At Night

As you know, bearded dragons are genetically evolved to survive any arid environment, which makes it important to mimic the same when kept in a terrarium. If there is anything outside your pet’s comfort range, it’ll result in health issues in the long term. Firstly, you should turn off all the lights at night before setting up the ideal humidity for your pet. 

According to Pennsylvania State University, your Dragon requires 35-40% relative humidity at night, mimicking their natural habitat. Undoubtedly, it’s quite easy to achieve this by providing proper ventilation & moisture.

You must ensure that the water dish is always kept away from the basking spot during nighttime to prevent humidity from increasing. Also, ensure to never mist your pet’s terrarium before it gets dark because it can alleviate the humidity level beyond the desired range for bearded dragons.

Purchase Both Types of Humidity Gauge.

You must monitor the humidity level inside your pet’s terrarium for their well-being. That said, you should always choose the right humidity gauge to measure the level inside the tank.

I suggest you purchase both humidity gauges for accurate humidity measurement. Even though this can get quite expensive for a few fellows, trust me, it’s the best thing you can do for your pet’s health and security. Very often, people like to go with the digital ones that use a probe to measure the humidity inside the tank.

Also, people love digital ones because of its easy to read display. But this comes within cost, and digital gauges can get quite expensive. Also, it takes a lot of work to install. If we talk about the alternative, I suggest you go with the analog hygrometers, which are very cheap but cannot be as accurate as the digital ones. However, the analog ones are great at measuring moisture in my tank of beardies.

Also, experts suggest you always need two hygrometers for an accurate humidity reading. But, you also get the analog ones, meaning purchase 3. Hence, consider purchasing two digital ones with one analog hygrometer. Remember that one digital hygrometer will not be enough to measure RH from both sides of the tank because the reading may show normal ranges on one side but can be low or high on the others.

Install Hygrometer At the Right Places

Usually, experts suggest placing one humidity gauge on the cool side of your pet’s enclosure and the other on the hotter side for the most accurate reading possible. But before you do that, it’s important that you first set up the lighting and heat appropriately in advance. I have used one hygrometer on the back wall of my pet’s terrarium. However, remember to place it centrally for an accurate measurement of RH.

It is highly advisable to avoid putting the probe or gauge in live plants or over the water bowl as it may interfere with the measurement. Also, avoid keeping the cause near heat lamps or corners because excess water vapor will result in an inaccurate reading. You must be careful with the hygrometer probe and ensure it doesn’t dangle in the tank, especially for a curious beardie who may try to eat it.

Choose the Right Live Plants To Maintain Night Time Humidity

Instead of using artificial ones, many people love to decorate their bearded dragon tank with live plants, which can directly affect the humidity level inside of it. The same goes for water bowls. It would help to place it on the cooler side, far from the hotter zone or heat source, to avoid increasing moisture inside, which may raise RH.

Decorate Their Cage 

Once you have achieved the desired humidity level for your pet, it’s time to decorate the tank. Consider a rock or a basking log since your Dragon needs a large surface to bask on beneath the heating lamp. At night, especially at bedtime, you should consider providing your pet with a hide to promote the Instinct of burrowing.

Additionally, offer them things to climb on, like rocks, logs, or other fixtures that match your terrarium theme. However, leave enough room on the ground for your pet too. I have also installed a hammock in the corner of my tank, opposite the heat lamp, for my beardies because they love hanging out and lounging. Trust me, your beardies will thank you for offering a hammock.

Maintaining Bearded Dragon Night Humidity

You must always maintain bearded dragon nighttime humidity at a constant level. Yes, you might occasionally find humidity levels too high or too low, but it’s nothing to worry about as long as it’s not constant. According to West Toowoomba Veterinary Surgery, excessive humidity can harm your pet’s health, especially if it exceeds 40% inside their enclosure at night.

Use the Right Substrate Type

You should pay attention to the type of substrate you have used, as some can trap moisture and increase the RH. Also, avoid keeping unnecessary vegetation, especially the broad-leafed ones.

Talking about an ideal substrate that doesn’t interfere with the RH, there are plenty of options, and one popular is wooden chips. Although wooden chips are quite absorbent & easy to clean, I suggest you avoid them as they pose a risk of impaction and require you to be vigilant with the routine cleaning. It would help if you avoided softer & denser substrates at all costs because they may retain moisture, raising the RH in the bearded dragon tank. 

Clay is a very fun option, but it may require some extra effort and time to set it up. You can be very creative with clay. I have sculptured an exciting desert-like terrain with hills, hideaways, & burrows. However, cheaper options like newspapers also act as an ideal substrate and a great choice for baby bearded dragons because they often go to the bathroom.

In case, if you find humidity levels too high or too low in your pet tank at night, here is what you should do.

What Happens If a Bearded Dragon Is Too Humid?

FAQ

Conclusion

Be patient because achieving the right RH for bearded dragons at night may require effort and much trial & error. But it’s easy and even a piece of cake for many once learned. Just make sure to invest in a reliable hygrometer, as often, many cheaper ones do not produce accurate readings, which can be off by as much as 15 degrees. Too low/high RH is detrimental for bearded dragons’ health.

However, I’ve seen short periods of high or low humidity happening even to the best reptile owners. Thankfully, short periods of high or low humidity are unlikely to harm your pets if you’re being responsible and taking measures.

I hope you find this article helpful & fun to read. If this content was informative, consider sharing it with other beardies’ owners to help them achieve the right humidity level at night for their beardies. If you have any suggestions on bearded dragon humidity, comment below. Do check my other helpful guide on humidity for bearded dragons. See you in the next post, till then, take care and goodbye.