How to Hold a Bearded Dragon: 8 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow (2024)

FAQs

How do you hold your bearded dragon? ›

Do - Be as gentle as possible with your bearded dragon. Slowly reach your hand in their terrarium and lift up on their chin. This will usually prompt them to start climbing onto your hand/arm. If they don't climb, you can slowly place your hands around them and place them on your hand.

When you enter the room containing their enclosure, call them by name, but don't immediately feed them. Your dragon should come running, and then you can feed them as a reward. Some dragons take a little longer to pick it up, while others learn to respond to their name quickly.

Commonly, bearded dragons like being petted in a few places. One such spot is directly between the eyes and on top of the head. Another is scratching their beards, or rubbing the spikes behind their eyes.

Bearded Dragons are the only known reptile to show affection for their human companions, which is why they make great exotic pets if a reptile is the kind of animal you are looking for.

For most captive–bred reptiles—like bearded dragons, lizards, snakes, geckos, monitors, and iguanas—the answer to those questions is likely yes. While you know your pet best, and it is ultimately up to your personal discretion, these pets can likely tolerate wearing a simple costume for Halloween.

Bearded dragons usually tolerate handling better than other lizards. Regular handling helps bearded dragons get used to people, so you should handle your beardie daily. Doing so also minimizes stress during regular care, such as bathing or tank cleaning. They are generally gentle and easy to hold.

Beardies recognize and respond to their owners' voices and touch and are usually even-tempered. They can be great pets for someone who wants a reptile who likes to be held and taken out of his cage.

Can Bearded Dragons Recognize Their Name? Whether or not a bearded dragon can recognize their name is a subject of much debate. However, it has been observed that a bearded dragon can learn to respond to their name, if they associate it with something that benefits them i.e. food.

Don't kiss or snuggle your bearded dragon, and don't eat or drink around it. This can spread Salmonella germs to your mouth and make you sick. Keep your bearded dragon out of your kitchen and other areas where you eat, store, or prepare food.

Their eyes close when they're near you

It's a safety instinct in all prey animals, and is why it isn't recommended to stare directly at them if trying to make them feel at ease. If your Bearded Dragon closes their eyes around you, that's a sign of deep trust and safety when around you.

Do Beardies like baths? ›

Many beardies don't like drinking from bowls, but will happily slurp up their bathwater. Baths are of course also important for hygiene. Plus, they help with shedding and constipation. Last but not least, many lizards simply enjoy a good soak!

Many reptiles do cry, including bearded dragons, but they do this because the flow of tears helps to clean out and protect their eyes, not because they are unhappy.

Can Reptiles Recognize Their Name? Reptiles cannot necessarily recognize their name as a spoken word in the way that a dog or cat can. You may notice a lizard coming toward you when you call their name, but there's a greater chance this is because the lizard associates your presence with things they want, such as food.

In the wild, Bearded Dragons mainly eat animals, they make up about 75% of their diet and can include crickets, co*ckroaches, worms and even small creatures such as mice however mice aren't fed to bearded dragons kept as pets. Greens, vegetables and limited fruit make up the other 20% to 25% of their diet.

Bearded dragons are capable of swimming! They can hold their breath for up to two minutes at a time. Bearded dragons have amazing vision and hearing—they can see in color, and can even see things that are moving behind them by using their “parietal eye” (a small gap in their skull).

A warm bath (85-92 F) will relax your beardie, as well as giving them a chance to clean and hydrate themselves. Offer food daily. Alongside their normal greens, offer food daily, even if they are disinterested. This will help the beardie to positively associate with you.

A: While beardies can withstand a wide variety of temperatures, here is what I always tell owners. The focal basking hot spot should be between 100 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. If your beardie is not sitting in the hot spot, gaping with its mouth open, then it probably isn't hot enough.

Sadly the answer is no, Bearded Dragons don't have the mental capacity to understand what a TV is. Sure they might detect movement on the screen and stare at it, but I assure you that they are not following along with the plot.

WHY DO BEARDED DRAGONS SMILE? The bearded dragon often sits with a gaping mouth, which makes it appear as if it is smiling. But the lizard actually opens its mouth to help it regulate its body temperature. Unlike people, the bearded dragon cannot sweat and so expels excess heat through its open mouth.

They can also see further into the spectrum of color than humans; humans use three cones for seeing color while beardies use four, which increases the number of colors that make up their vision.

Can bearded dragons feel love? ›

Yes, Bearded Dragons Feel!

Bearded dragons can become attached to their owners and perhaps other animals. Many pet owners tell stories of their bearded dragon's affection from seeking attention to cuddling up (article on bearded dragon cuddles).

Bearded dragons can swim. While they may not have many opportunities to swim in the wild, they are able to swim. They inhale air to float and then use their limbs to paddle through the water. They are not always the most graceful or smooth swimmers, but they can do it.

Yes, they can. Some beardies will eat raw meat such as minced beef, lean turkey, or chicken breast. However, whether they should or not is up for debate; they can eat small amounts of meat in the wild, but they also get more exercise in general in the wild.

He had a Masters of Science in Animal Behavior and Mentioned that Bearded Dragons are the only reptile who can use facial recognition and that they do remember who you are.

While not effusive and certainly not as emotional as dogs, cats, and other mammals, bearded dragons are known to show signs of affection to their owners. For example, they will remain calm when handled or sit still on their owner's lap. Bearded dragons are not social creatures by nature. In the wild, they live alone.

Bearded dragons spend a lot of time basking, some would even call them sun worshippers, so getting your heat and light sources correct is paramount for this species.

With proper care, domestic bearded dragons typically live 8-10 years. Their wild counterparts only live a fraction of that due to predation and lack of consistent food, water, and veterinary care. Bearded dragons reach maturity between 1 and 2 years old, although some may be sexually mature as early as 6 months of age.

Bearded dragon cuddles come in the form of snuggling into you or other pets. Cuddling into warm spots like your lap or neck seems to be a favourite for many. While many pet owners enjoy the bond that forms, not everyone gets to experience it. The bond is very dependent on you and your reptiles personalities.

If their terrarium is too cold, bearded dragons may attempt to regulate their body temperature by flattening out in order to absorb as much heat as possible. If you notice your dragon pancaking a lot in his tank, this is likely the cause.

How do you read a bearded dragons body language? ›

The tail curling gesture in bearded dragons signals alertness. Bearded dragons will curl their tails up when excited, chasing prey or running around for other reasons. They will also exhibit the tail curl as a reaction to warmth – when put in hot surroundings or in warm water.

A bearded dragon may turn black to let you know he is upset. Many factors can contribute to a bearded dragon's stress—shedding; a new terrarium; frightening decor; or noise such as loud traffic, music, or a blaring TV.

75-80% of an adult dragon's diet should be vegetables. If you're feeding a juvenile, a daily salad will suffice. Since bearded dragons are omnivores like humans, they need a variety.

Baby bearded dragons that are 3 months old or younger usually poop one to three times a day because their diet is rich in proteins. A young bearded dragon (4 to 18 months old) will have a bowel movement every day or so, while you can expect those older than 18 months to poop 1-7 times a week.

A clean tank is vitally important to the health and happiness of your bearded dragon. Not cleaning your dragon's enclosure regularly and not removing these daily can lead to health problems such as parasites, upper respiratory infections and also fungal growth.

Although bearded dragons are not generally aggressive by nature, they may become mad and show signs of aggressive behavior if they feel threatened, they may feel threatened should you mishandle them or if they interpret something as an act of aggression even when it isn't.

As a bearded dragon's skin is renewed, supplemented carotenoids will intensify the color of the beardie's skin color.

Many lizards use visual communication. Lizards that use visual communication gather information by observing various physical and behavioral characteristics of other lizards, somewhat like humans communicating using body language.

Most lizards can hear. The majority have their best hearing in the range of 400 to 1,500 hertz and possess a tympanum, a tympanic cavity, and a eustachian tube. The tympanum, usually exposed at the surface of the head or at the end of a short open tube, may be covered by scales or may be absent.

THE MONITOR LIZARD

And coming in at the most intelligent reptile on the earth is the Monitor Lizard. Monitor Lizards can grow to be over a metre long and weigh more than 10kg. Monitors belong to a family of carnivorous lizards called the Varanidae.

What makes a bearded dragon so special? ›

The bearded dragon lives up to its name: Like a dragon, it's equipped with armor of spiny reptilian scales, which include a “beard” of spikes under its chin that puffs up depending on its mood. There are eight species species of bearded dragons recognized today, all of which are affectionately called “beardies.”

Keeping your beardie's nails trimmed neatly or clipped is very important for comfortable and safe handling. Their nails grow fast, so regular clipping (once a month) is necessary to prevent scratching or them getting their nails caught on something and damaged.

The following list of insects, vegetables and fruits are good choices to include in your bearded dragon's diet: Dubia roaches, earthworms, crickets and superworms. Apples, blueberries, peaches, strawberries and watermelon. Cabbage, carrots, collard greens, kale, pumpkin and sweet potato.

You can hold your beardie dragons for as long as they tolerate it. For baby beardies, start by holding them for 15 minutes per day, then a couple times for 20-30 minutes a day until they get used to being handled. Take note of their mood, too as they'll show you signs that they want to be back to their habitats.

If you wish to snuggle your bearded dragon by holding him, make sure you do so in the correct manner. Put your hand under his belly, then carefully lift up his body. Once your adorable lizard relaxes in your hand, softly cradle his stomach.

Although bearded dragons are not generally aggressive by nature, they may become mad and show signs of aggressive behavior if they feel threatened, they may feel threatened should you mishandle them or if they interpret something as an act of aggression even when it isn't.

A bearded dragon that is shaking or moving in abnormal, jerky motions is exhibiting another sign of calcium or vitamin D deficiency. Not getting enough of these nutrients can lead to metabolic bone disease.

A warm bath (85-92 F) will relax your beardie, as well as giving them a chance to clean and hydrate themselves. Offer food daily. Alongside their normal greens, offer food daily, even if they are disinterested. This will help the beardie to positively associate with you.

Unlike lizards who are active at night, bearded dragons are awake during the day. They often like to climb branches and sit on logs to bask in the sun. As a result, they make great pets for people who want to interact with their pets during waking hours.

Should you kiss your bearded dragon? ›

Don't kiss or snuggle your bearded dragon, and don't eat or drink around it. This can spread Salmonella germs to your mouth and make you sick. Keep your bearded dragon out of your kitchen and other areas where you eat, store, or prepare food.

Many new owner reports suggest it takes up to three or four months for the bearded dragon to get comfortable. With time, the beardie will trust you and look forward to your petting. They can go for several days or even weeks alone. We recommend paying close attention every day.

Play safely: Don't kiss or snuggle your bearded dragon, and don't eat or drink around it.

It undergoes rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep. Then it cycles through a phase called slow-wave sleep. And it may even have dreams. The finding comes from a new study of Australian bearded dragons (not fire-breathing ones from fiction, unfortunately), published Thursday in the journal Science.