Rankin’s dragons are originally found in Queensland, Australia, where they live in the rocky, arid, warm scrublands. These incredible lizards make excellent pets not only because they are relatively easier to care for and can live longer for companionship.

The average lifespan of a Rankin’s dragon ranges from 6 to 10 years in captivity, but they live much longer in the wild. Some owners have recorded that they can surpass a decade and live up to 15 years. How long they live is determined by the quality of care. You should offer a protein-rich diet earlier in life, provide a suitable thermal gradient and offer UVB bulbs to increase their lifespans.

In this guide, we discuss in detail how long the Rankins dragon can live and how to increase their chances of survival. Who knows, with committed husbandry and a bit of luck, you could live with your lizard for more than a decade.

Factors that Affect a Rankins Dragon Lifespan

Genetics

A Rankin’s dragon lifespan will heavily depend on the quality of genes from its parents. For example, if a dragon has genes that make it resistant to disease or aging, those genes may help lengthen its lifespan. Unfortunately, you can’t change your genetics, so all you can do is try to provide a healthy environment and feed them the best food possible.

However, ensure you source your pets from reputed breeders to give them a head start to a longer life. Bloodlines with a higher degree of breeding can be more susceptible to genetic health issues. Most breeders will stop breeding any pair that appears to produce sickly offspring.

Husbandry

A common cause of premature death in Rankin’s dragons is improper husbandry. With that in check, most of them will be capable of living a longer, happy life.

Your dragon will need plenty of space to play and hide as well as an appropriate temperature range and light. If you do not provide these essentials, your dragon will likely become stressed, which reduces the chances of survival.

An important aspect is the diet you provide because it needs to contain the right profile of nutrients. For example, you need to provide lots of calcium in the diet to ensure a strong exoskeleton. Ensure you have the following in their environment:

• Hiding Places—Hides are necessary to reduce stress.
• A minimum 40-gallon vivarium provides plenty of room for adults.
• Adequate lighting – 12–14 hours per day of UVA and UVB exposure under adequate lighting
• Appropriate humidity – An optimal humidity level of between 30 and 40 percent to prevent respiratory problems.
• Nutrient-dense diet – ensure to offer gut-loaded feeder insects, fruits, vegetables, calcium, and vitamin supplements to make up a varied, balanced diet.
• Regular cleaning – daily spot cleaning and sporadic total substrate replacements are part of routine enclosure maintenance.
• A suitable temperature gradient – This includes the hotter side being 95–110 °F and the other being 65–80 °F.
• Appropriate substrate – a suitable medium for Rankin’s dragons, such as excavator clay, reptile carpet, or substrate tiles.

Diet and Obesity

A Rankin’s dragon’s diet will significantly affect its lifespan. Their diet should include some healthy foods, like insects, vegetables, and occasional fruits, in order to help them stay healthy and live longer.

Besides, you want to dust most of the food with a calcium supplement to keep their bones stronger.

Providing a poor diet composed of junk can make them obese and shorten their lifespan. A common diet-related health issue that Rankin’s dragons develop in captivity is Metabolic Bone Disease.

The illness is caused by chronic calcium deficiency. Once the levels of calcium drop critically low, the body starts utilizing the calcium in bones, leading to weakness. The condition is easily treatable in its early stages.

The signs of a poor diet in Rankin’s dragon include:

• Obesity – is brought on by overeating or consuming too many fatty insects and foods
• Runny poop- Feeding unsuitable meals like lettuce could result in runny poop.
• Emaciation – Resulting from inadequate nutrition or underfeeding
• Constipation – may be due to a shortage of fiber or a problem with particular meals’ digestion.
• Yellowish stools- This is a sign of too much calcium.
• Open mouth – One typical MBD symptom that is brought on by a calcium deficit is an open mouth.
• Yellow in poop – An indication of dehydration is urate, a component of excrement typically white, with a yellow tint.

A poor diet could result in nutrient deficiencies long-term and lead to killer conditions like MBD.

If your Rankin’s dragon shows any signs of nutritional inadequacies, reach out to a vet right away so that the cause can be dealt with quickly.

Infectious Diseases and Parasites

Infectious diseases are common among reptiles in captivity caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Let’s briefly look at the most common illnesses and parasites among Rankin’s dragons:

Parasites

Internal parasites are common in the gut, but too many of them can make the pet ill. Ways to check whether your Rankin’s dragon has a parasite problem, including diarrhea and weight loss.

Internal parasites are mostly pinworms that can be detected in feces. Your vet will conduct a fecal exam to determine these.

Parasites can also be external, consisting of mites and ticks. These can be transmitted from wild-caught creatures or other dragons in the enclosure. External parasites are also visible to the naked eye and can be easy to treat.

Mouth Rot

This common bacterial infection attacks the gums and may spread to the jaw bone if not treated.

Common symptoms may include discharge from the mouth, difficulty eating, loss of weight, or doesn’t appear to be eating at all; its eyes are sunken in; it isn’t active; its mouth looks crusty or red.

Like most infections, mouth rot is a sign of poor hygiene in their habitat. Make sure to spot clean any messes and remove food leftovers as soon as you notice them.

Also, provide regular baths, and don’t forget to clean the areas around the mouth. Treatment usually involves antibiotics, rest, and dietary changes as they recover.

Atadenovirus

Adenovirus is a respiratory virus that can cause many illnesses in humans and reptiles. The virus that infects Rankin’s dragons can be severe depending on the dragon’s age, health, and other factors.

Rankin’s dragon with this viral infection may develop more serious symptoms like stargazing. Other symptoms may include loss of appetite, lethargy, and body swelling.

Unfortunately, this disease is not curable but can be managed with medications. Also, it’s highly contagious, so keepers must avoid housing infected dragons with healthy ones at all costs.

Yellow Fungus

Are you noticing yellow patches on your Rankin’s dragon’s skin? If so, there is a good chance that they are experiencing a fungal infection.

The most common symptom of yellow fungus is the presence of yellow patches on the surface of the Rankin’s dragon. These patches may be small or quite large and may exist on any body part.

Other symptoms may include lethargy, reduced appetite, dark pigmentation around the eyes and mouth, rapid breathing, and irregular heart rate.

Sometimes these symptoms are mild, but other times they can be quite severe. If you notice any of these symptoms in your Rankin’s dragon, it is important to take them to a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Metabolic Bone Disease (Mbd)

A lack of enough D3 and UV absorption leads to metabolic bone disease in Rankin’s dragons. A wrong basking temperature may also cause inadequate heat for digestion and improper gut-loaded feeders. Symptoms of MBD include shaking of the body, lethargy, and possible death.

The best way to address this problem is to prevent it in the first place. Provide enough UV light, dust insects with a calcium supplement, and offer D3 supplements regularly.

Also, allow the reptile to bask under the real sun during sunny summer days.

When you notice any symptoms of this disease, determine whether the issue is caused by inadequate UVB exposure or low calcium levels.

Proceed with urgency to consult a vet who should prescribe a potent supplement to nourish the bones. With the right husbandry, they may recover from MBD.

Veterinary Care

Like all other pets, it’s important to take your Rankin’s dragon to a vet’s checkup once in a while. Just ensure you have a reptile vet in your area.

The vet will take blood and fecal tests to diagnose any chronic conditions. Some of the illnesses may be detected early on before they pose a severe health risk.

Tips On How to Prolong a Rankin’s Dragon Life

Offer Adequate UVB and Heating

Rankin’s dragons need UVB in order to synthesize their own vitamin D3. A lack of UVB will result in lethargy, stunted growth, and increased susceptibility to infection. Rankin’s dragons need about 12 hours per day of UVB exposure for optimum health.

UVB bulbs lose quality over time, so you may need to change them every 6-12 months. Make sure you choose the best quality UVB light bulbs.

In addition, the cooler side of their enclosure should be kept at around 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit, while the warmer side should be set at around 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

Additionally, one should provide them with a basking spot that reaches around 90-95 degrees Fahrenheit. At night, the temperatures should drop to the 70s—place thermometers on both ends to track it.

Keep the lights on for about 10 hours a day. The enclosure should be dark at night for a distinct day-night cycle.

Provide adequate humidity

Providing a Rankin’s dragon with the appropriate humidity levels helps to prevent skin problems, such as fungus gnats and respiratory issues.

A healthy Rankin’s dragon will have a humidity level of around 30-40%. To provide your Rankin’s dragon with humidity, you can either mist their enclosure regularly or place a damp cloth in the enclosure. You can also buy an enclosure humidifier.

Keep their enclosure clean

Keeping your Rankin’s dragon’s enclosure clean is essential for their long-term health. You want to spot clean the messes as they occur and remove all the leftovers after feeding.

Deep cleaning involves scrubbing the walls and floors with a strong detoxicant soap and water mixture, rinsing off with fresh water, and letting the enclosure dry before adding any new substrate or plants.

Keeping the enclosure floor clean will help to prevent respiratory problems and other problems with maintaining good hygiene.

Provide a nutritious diet

Rankin’s dragons need a nutritious diet to help them live longer. A good starting diet for Rankin’s dragon enthusiasts includes three types of prey: insects, small rodents, or crickets.

Make sure to supplement their diet with fresh vegetables and fruits to help ensure a wide variety of vitamins and minerals.

It’s also vital that you provide supplementation of calcium and vitamin D3. Rankin’s dragons should also have access to a water dish for hydration.

Furthermore, avoid junk such as cookies, cakes, and other snacks, as well as fatty insects that would make your pet obese.

Provide stimulation

Providing enough stimulation and exercise is essential in keeping these lizards healthy and happy. To do this, you should offer plenty of climbing materials such as branches and rocks for them to explore. Do not forget to offer hiding places where the dragon can rest.

Offer plenty of space

Make sure the enclosures are large enough for your Rankin’s dragon to move around in and play. Rankin’s dragons should have a space of at least 50 gallons per adult.

A juvenile can be housed in a 10-gallon tank but be sure to increase the size as they grow. Because these lizards enjoy climbing, ensure you provide ample vertical space.

Conclusion

Rankin’s dragon can live for more than a decade with proper care. The diet, enclosure space, genetics, illnesses, and vet care can all determine a Rankin’s dragon’s lifespan. Rankin’s dragons should live longer in captivity because of the controlled diet and a lack of predators.

The other reason they need to live longer is a stress-free life in captivity where all their needs are met.

Keep an eye on any signs of illness such as weight loss, loss of appetite, discharge, swelling, and abnormal behavior. If you notice something amiss, we recommend you speak to your vet.

Now that you know how long they live and how you can prolong their lifespan, what else do you do to ensure your Rankin’s dragon lives longer and happier? Let us know in the comment section below.