Behaviour Archives - Lizard Pets

Why do bearded dragons bite? Are their bites dangerous? Do bearded dragon bites hurt? If you want the answers, keep reading as I discuss bearded dragon bites. Do Bearded Dragons Bite? Yes, bearded dragons do bite. But biting isn’t something that they should often be doing. Biting is an indicator that something isn’t right. In fact, a healthy and happy bearded dragon will very rarely bite. If your bearded dragon is frequently biting, it is important to try to get to the bottom of what's causing them to become fiery. Once you know the cause, you can then take the appropriate action. Stress will often cause your beardie to become nippy. So remedying the biting will not only save your fingers but also make your bearded dragon happier! Now let’s get into the causes and remedies of bearded dragon biting! 5 Reasons Bearded Dragons Bite And What You Should Do 1. Bearded Dragon Bites: Your Beardie Isn't Used To People Yet One of the most common reasons that your bearded dragon's biting is simply that they aren’t used to humans yet. Much like us, they can be frightened of new environments they aren’t accustomed to. It's normal for you to want to touch and interact with your bearded dragon. After all, you didn't get them just to look at! However, you need to be patient when you get a new beardie. Give them time to settle into their new home before you start playing with them. After a while, spend some time by their enclosure, so they can start to become comfortable around you. Slowly work your way up to touching and handling them. Over time they'll become comfortable in your presence and begin to enjoy your companionship. If you take your time and don't rush your beardie, it's highly unlikely they will bite you. 2. Bearded Dragon Bites: You're Keeping Multiple Bearded Dragons Together Most of the time, keeping two or more beardies together is going to create problems. Bearded dragons are solitary animals and don't enjoy having other beardies around them. Anti-social, I know but they are generally much happier alone! Biting is only one of the many issues that can arise when you keep multiple beardies together. If you are housing two bearded dragons together and there's a lot of biting happening, separating them will likely stop the biting. 3. Bearded Dragon Bites: They Feel Unsafe Your bearded dragon won’t hold back if they feel unsafe. It is in their DNA to survive and biting is one defence mechanism they use if they think they're in danger. There are a lot of reasons your beardie might feel unsafe. The main ones are: Other household pets are frightening your beardie. They don't have enough good places to hide. There are live insects in their tank, and they are too full to eat them. Loud noises are scaring your beardie. You are keeping two bearded dragons together, and one is being bullied. Could one of the above reasons be causing your bearded dragon to feel unsafe? If so you know why they have been biting. Stop whatever is causing your beardie to feel unsafe, and I bet the biting will stop. 4. Bearded Dragon Bites: They're Hungry Bearded dragons love mealtime! They can get so excited that they end up nipping your fingers! If you want to avoid these bites, I suggest you don't hand-feed your beardie. You're always going to get the occasional nip when hand-feeding, but as we'll see later, bearded dragon bites aren't terribly painful. The choice to hand-feed is yours, my job is to lets you know you're going to receive a bite or two in the process! But, bearded dragon bites aren't the worst things ever, so you'll be alright. 5. Bearded Dragon Bites: You're Beardie Is Sick Or Injured If you notice that your bearded dragon is biting you out of the blue, and none of the reasons mentioned above fit the bill, they could be unwell. A sick or injured beardie will likely be in pain and may try to tell you this by biting. Quite rude of them, I know! But they can't really send you a text! If your bearded dragon is acting strange and biting frequently, you should get them checked out by a vet. Do this as soon as possible. No one wants a sick beardie! If you'd like to learn more, read this article on how to tell if your bearded dragon is sick. Alternatively, give this simple youtube video a watch! Does A Bearded Dragon Bite Hurt? Another common question about bearded dragon bites is whether or not they hurt. Well, this can actually be pretty subjective depending on the size of the bearded dragon, how they bit you, and your pain tolerance. Although "does a bearded dragon bite hurt?" is a very subjective question, Typically, a bite from a bearded dragon isn’t too terrible. What To Do If You Get Bitten If you get bitten, try to stay calm. Remember that their bites are not too terrible or venomous in any way. You will be just fine. If you do end up being bitten, try to remain calm. When a bearded dragon bites, they may latch onto you. The most important thing is to NOT jerk your hand away as this will result in your beardie being flung across the room! Instead, gently open its mouth and unlatch your beardie. Once you get yourself free, clean the wound. Like any other animal, a beardie's mouth carries germs and bacteria, so be sure to wash the bitten area well. Apart from washing the wound thoroughly, there isn't a whole lot you need to do. Summarising Bearded Dragon Bites You now know what causes bearded dragons to bite as well as what you need to do to stop the biting. You found out that bearded dragon bites aren't too painful and what to do if you get bitten. Bearded dragon bites can often appear alongside black beards, to learn what causes beardies to turn their beard black check out Bearded Dragon Black Beard - 11 Reasons Why This Happens And What To Do.