Female bearded dragons lay clutches of 15-25 eggs. Hatchlings are 3.5 to 4.5 inches long. Hatchlings grow quickly and are usually 5 by the end of their first month. Most hatchling mortality occurs during this first month. By the end of the second month most hatchlings are 6 and are more robust and hardier.
Juveniles continue to grow rapidly and can reach adult size within a year.
As bearded dragons approach adult size, their sexual differences become more obvious, with the males developing much broader heads and a larger balck beard. Males also have a rapid head bobbing display, while females, in response to the male, will return a series of slower head bobs. Both sexes engage in stereotyped arm waving behavior to appease more dominant animals and this would also be characteristic of female behavior towards a dominant male. Young hatchlings can be housed in a 10 gallon aquarium with a 30-60 watt spotlight at one end above a basking rock. The wattage of the spotlight needs to be adjusted to allow the dragons to reach a body temperature of 100 degrees after basking under the light for an hour.