Do you feel like you’re being watched by your bearded dragon? Why does my bearded dragon stare at me? Do bearded dragons stare for any specific reason?
Imagine you are walking through the house, maybe doing chores, or possibly singing your favorite song at the top of your lungs when suddenly you feel prying eyes upon you.
You know you’re alone but then you notice your beardie, her little, green-rimmed eyes are staring at you intently, and suddenly you want to know: Why does my bearded dragon stare at me?
Don’t worry, your beardie isn’t plotting ways to take over the world or even use Jedi mind tricks to turn you into a submissive minion.
Bearded dragons stare because they are naturally curious creatures, and they like to watch moving objects and people. In the wild, these reptiles stare to take in their environment, search for food, assess situations, and look out for threats such as predators.
Let’s dive deeper into the experience and learn more about bearded dragon behavior.
Table of Contents
- Possible Reasons
- Movement
- Curiousity
- Assessing Threats
- Hunting
- Boredom
- Seeking Attention or Comfort
- Wants to Get Out
- Passing the Time
- Conclusion
Why Do Bearded Dragons Stare?
Bearded dragons are quirky little pets full of cute and oddly satisfying behaviors, and if you are a new owner, you might have questions like why is he constantly staring at me? There could be several reasons your little scaly friend won’t take his eyes off you such as:
- Beardies like to watch movement.
- They are naturally curious
- They are assessing for threats
- He’s looking for something to eat
- She’s bored
- Your beardie wants some attention or comfort
- It wants out of the enclosure
- Passing the time
1. Beardies Like to Watch Movement
Bearded dragons are curious little creatures and movements outside or inside of their enclosure attract their wandering little reptile eyes. They can get entertainment from watching people move around.
Some owners swear their bearded dragons love to sit with them while watching their favorite shows on the television.
Imagine you are sitting outside on the porch relaxing, and then you catch movement out of the corner of your eye. You turn and see something interesting like a doe and baby fawns, a brilliantly bright bird after an insect, or maybe a pair of squirrels chasing each other across the yard.
You’ll start watching these antics, much the same way your beardie does as it watches you. Our eyes are drawn to movement.
2. They are Naturally Curious
Bearded dragons like to explore, move around, taste things—they are naturally curious animals. When something is moving, they want to see what it is. If that means watching you while moving about the house doing the things you do, then expect an audience with your beardie.
Don’t take it personally, or be offended, your bearded dragon is simply curious.
3. They are Assessing for Threats
In the wild, bearded dragons have many predators, and have to be wary of anything that is similar sized or larger than they are. They could be staring at you to assess their next move.
He is attempting to figure out if he needs to run and hide, or if he can remain in that warm spot as he absorbs the rays from the bulb overhead.
For most prey animals, when they see something larger than themselves, their first instinct is to remain absolutely motionless and watch very carefully for the next movement. They may be safe if they don’t move, or they might have to take off like a shot to the comfort and safety of their home.
Your bearded dragon may be assessing for threats the same way.
4. She’s Looking for Food
Alternative to assessing for threats, your beardie could be looking for food. They watch for movement from the insects you drop into their enclosure before eating them, so it’s safe to assume she’s looking for food.
I’ll feed my beardie crickets, or when I can find them, dubia roaches. When I drop them into his enclosure he will watch for the slightest movements, then pounce when he sees one move.
It could also be that your beardie has associated you with food and is looking for the next plate of goodies you are going to drop inside the enclosure. Mine definitely knows the difference between the food bowl full of fruits and veggies, and the insect containers.
Yours could be staring at you to see what new delicious munchies you’re bringing.
5. He Could be Bored
I personally can’t stand sitting in a waiting room while staring at a boring wall, or the same picture of dogs playing poker for the millionth time. Imagine what your bearded dragon feels while sitting in its enclosure waiting for someone to come play with him or drop in a bowl of food.
If he is staring hard all the time, he’s probably bored and needs some enrichment via play, or toys.
There are many different ways to stimulate your bearded dragon and prevent boredom. You can bring out different kinds of toys to play with your beardie, give him a bath, take him outside if the weather is nice, sunny, and warm, or let him explore on his own or watch television with you.
A bored beardie is an unhealthy beardie, so if your dragon is constantly staring at you a lot, then it might be a plea for some time together and enrichment. Take her out of the enclosure to give her some much-needed stimulation.
6. Your Beardie is Looking for Attention or Comfort
Sometimes when I get home from work my beardie will start climbing on the glass or follow me back and forth behind the enclosure while starting quite intently. He wants out to be held or to run around.
It’s the same with a cat or dog. If they are crated or kept in a room while you’re gone to work, they want to get out and be with their owners once you get home.
When it comes to bearded dragon care, love and affection are involved too.
Beardies can be the same. They don’t show affections the same as a dog or cat, but most do enjoy scratches, being held, or absorbing some of the body heat we give off.
Bearded dragons also, if handled often, will seek out the comfort of their owners. They feel safe, fed, taken care of, and want to feel that close comfort sometimes.
Maybe your beardie is staring at you because it wants some snuggles too.
7. Your Beardie Wants Out
Again, your bearded dragon probably spends a lot of time inside the glass wall of its enclosure. You do what you can to enrich the environment by giving him climbing branches, hiding places, maybe a bearded dragon hammock, but sometimes he wants to get out and stretch his legs.
Obviously, bearded dragons can’t speak to tell you what they are feeling, or what they want, so it’s up to us as owners to understand and try to anticipate their needs and wants. You should pay close attention to their actions and body language.
It could be your little beardie is staring at you while envying your freedom. Go ahead, reach into the enclosure, hold your little buddy for a while and let it get out for a few moments.
We all want to get out of the house on occasion to go hiking, explore the city, have a picnic, or do whatever we like to do. Your beardie does too, and the stare could be an expression to let it out for a change of scenery.
8. Passing the Time
Let’s say you’re a very attentive bearded dragon owner, and of course, we know you are, you’re here learning how best to care for your pets so that they are healthy, fed, get plenty of time outside of the enclosure with various methods of enrichment but your bearded dragon is still staring at you. What does that mean?
Bearded dragons are not extremely active animals, so you won’t see them running marathons around the enclosure like a Jack Russell Terrier on caffeine. They could only be staring as they pass the time.
If their needs are met, their bellies full, their hearts full of snuggles and it’s near bedtime yet your pet is still staring at you, don’t worry, that’s normal behavior and a way of saying ‘thank you for being a great pet owner.’
Look at this curious cutie here:
We Hope This Clarifies
We do hope this article has clarified some things and answered your questions. Bearded dragons will stare for several reasons. It’s an inherent, natural behavior they do as they assess whether you’re a threat, bringing food or comfort, or they just would like some kind of attention.
Whether you’re a newbie owner, or a veteran beardie lover, over time you will learn your dragon’s behaviors and understand exactly what she is saying when those tiny sparkling eyes are staring at you.
If you still have unanswered questions, please feel free to drop a comment or question below. We love hearing from our readers!
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