Bearded dragons, unlike other pets, are an animal with whom many people are unfamiliar. Surprisingly, “do bearded dragons bite?” is one of the most often asked questions. Many new and potential bearded dragon owners are concerned about a bearded dragon bite. We completely understand why. This is frequently the first lizard (or even reptile) that people contemplate acquiring and want to know what they’re getting into.
This is most likely owing to their archaic appearance and different disposition. So that’s what this tutorial will cover. You’ll discover if they bite (spoiler alert: they do), why they bite, and whether a nip from these reptiles is cause for concern.
Table of Contents
Do Bearded Dragons Bite?
Bearded Dragons can bite because they have teeth. The odds of a Bearded Dragon biting you are pretty low because they are typically calm reptiles raised with humans.
Why a Bearded Dragon Might Bite?
Bearded dragons bite for three primary reasons. They may feel frightened, hungry, or under-socialized.
All three of these problems may be avoided with regular and correct care and handling of your bearded Dragon. A properly cared for, fed and managed bearded Dragon will virtually never bite.
What Do Bearded Dragon’s Bites Feel Like?
A bite from a newborn or juvenile bearded dragon will usually not hurt because their jaws do not have that much force yet. Their bite will most likely not even break the skin. Babies and juveniles have considerably sharper teeth but not as much biting strength.
Adult or full-grown beardies have a distinctive bite; while their row of small, sharp teeth is duller from eating, they still have full biting strength from their jaws.
Their bite will most certainly tear your skin and hurt a little, but it will hurt more from the surprise or shock of being bitten than anything else.
Is a Beardy’s Bite Dangerous to Humans?
Bearded dragon bites are typically not harmful. One of the most hazardous characteristics is becoming sick due to the bearded dragons harboring many germs. Following a bearded dragon bite, the following are some probable outcomes:
- infection with swelling
- Excessive bleeding
- Salmonella
These symptoms are conceivable but uncommon; keep in mind that cat and dog bites are far worse than bearded dragon bites.
The most significant issue is the possibility of salmonella; bearded dragons’ lips can harbor salmonella germs. If bitten, these germs will spread to humans. Infection with this can cause significant digestive issues.
This is why it is vital to clean your hands and scrub them with antibacterial soap and water after handling the Dragon to avoid contracting this infection. Contact your vet if you have been bitten to the extent of drawing blood. Get a tetanus vaccine.
Are Bearded Dragon Bites Poisonous?
Bearded dragons do generate venom. However, the amount produced is minute and safe for most animals, including humans. However, do not stress over being poisoned by these bites.
What To Do If You Get Bitten
A bearded dragon bite is simply a tiny cut at worst. You’re not in any danger right now.
Your primary priority should be to clean the bitten site to remove any germs.
While the likelihood of you being ill is relatively minimal (their feces contains more bacteria), cleaning the wound area is necessary. If you want to be too cautious, you can apply alcohol or Neosporin to the wound.
How To Avoid Getting Bitten Again In The Future?
To avoid being bitten by a bearded dragon, it is necessary to understand the reason behind the bite. When you know why the bite occurred, it is pretty simple to avoid it from happening again in the future.
Did they bite you because you aided them incorrectly? If this is the case, employ a better handling approach and pay attention to the indications they give you. Is your finger mistakenly like a delicious worm? In such a case, use your palm to feed the Dragon.
The process of having a bearded dragon includes learning about these reptiles and how to keep them comfortable. It’s okay if you don’t know everything on the first day. Strive to improve every day!
How Do You Pick up a Bearded Dragon?
- To begin, you must avoid making any abrupt movements in order not to scare him away.
- Slide your hand carefully under their abdomen; with newborns, keep one finger under their chin; they will grab the finger.
- To effectively hold the back legs of bigger dragons, you may need to use two hands.
- Lift the bearded Dragon gently and rest the tail on your forearm.
- Allow them to run and do not squeeze or grab them hard. This just indicates that they are not yet ready to be picked up.
- Keep the bearded Dragon as near to your body as possible to avoid it falling out of your arms.
How Likely Is a Bearded Dragon to Bite?
Bearded Dragons quite rarely bite, and if you properly care for your Dragon, then it is doubtful something of this kind would happen. Bearded Dragons are naturally calm, peaceful, and gentle creatures.
Because of these traits, they are a good choice for anybody new to owning reptiles. Bearded Dragons are especially ideal for younger owners who are unfamiliar with pet care.
If your Bearded Dragon attempts to bite you, something is wrong. It is necessary to understand the cause so you can prevent it from happening again.
Are Bearded Dragons Dangerous To Babies?
Yes, bearded dragons may be hazardous to children.
Because babies have a weakened immune system, a bearded dragon is more prone to transfer salmonella, other diseases, or parasites to the infant.
Do not allow your infant to touch or be near a bearded dragon. If you have already felt the bearded Dragon, always wash your hands before touching your infant.
Are Bearded Dragons Dangerous To Dogs?
Bearded dragons can have salmonella and parasites that can be passed on to dogs.
Puppies and ill dogs are more susceptible to these diseases. A bearded dragon is unlikely to infect healthy canines with any illnesses.
Are Bearded Dragons Dangerous To Cats?
Bearded dragons are equally deadly to cats and dogs.
They can spread salmonella, other germs, and parasites to cats, but healthy adult cats have nothing to worry about from beardies. Sick cats and kittens are more prone to become ill as a result of them.
Are Wild Bearded Dragons Dangerous?
Although wild bearded dragons are not very dangerous, they are more prone to exhibit protective behavior than bearded dragons kept as pets.
Because wild bearded dragons are unfamiliar with people, they are more protective.
Treatment For Bites From Bearded Dragons
It is pretty straightforward to treat a bearded dragon bite. The mouth of a bearded dragon, like that of other reptiles, is full of germs. Therefore the essential thing you can do is quickly cleanse the wound with hot water and antibacterial soap.
You may also use an antiseptic wipe or spray to disinfect the wound. It is advised that you get a tetanus vaccine if the bite breaks the skin (unless you have brought one within the last ten years).
Complications With Bearded Dragon Bites
In severe circumstances, a bearded dragon bite can result in illnesses such as salmonella.
Symptoms include bloody stools, diarrhea, cramps, vomiting, fever, and chills, and they can last from 2 to 7 days.
How to Tame a Bearded Dragon?
The time a lizard takes to get tamed depends on its surroundings, signals, and keeper.
Taming bearded dragons generally produces results within a week, but it takes much longer to form a solid relationship.
When taming a bearded dragon, it will become stressed. The bearded Dragon will be pushed a little out of its comfort zone. Stress causes sickness, so avoid prolonged periods of stress.
Do bearded dragons have teeth and bite?
Bearded dragons have small pairs of teeth that allow them to devour insects such as mantises, crickets, and any other creature that is small enough to be consumed by the Bearded Dragon.
Bearded dragons are generally calm and friendly creatures that rarely bite humans. However, if they believe their safety is in threat, they may bite. In addition, bearded dragons have sharp teeth that allow them to chew with great force.
As a result, a bite from a Bearded dragon is likely to be painful. Always maintain your calm when approaching a bearded dragon. It is generally known that animals can detect various vibrations from people, and it is assumed that bearded dragons are no exception.
Animals’ survival needs them to be aware of what is approaching them, gauging the amount of threat, and deciding how to respond. When confronted with danger, bearded dragons have three options: fight, flee or freeze.
Bearded dragons may employ all three in a single taming session, depending on the animal and the occasion. Use your best strategies for staying calm, and don’t respond negatively.
Whistle or hum a song to help you focus before beginning taming procedures. Because this is one of their natural presentations, black hues on you may be linked with aggressive intents.
Do bearded dragons bite hurt?
It’s debatable if a bearded dragon’s bite truly hurts when you’re the one who gets bitten. A large portion of the weight of this response is subjective and has to do with your pain tolerance and what you consider to be “painful.”
No, a typical bearded dragon will not injure someone with solid pain tolerance. On the other hand, a good beardie bite may cause discomfort in someone with lower pain tolerance.
For many individuals whose bearded Dragon has bitten, the bite is more frightening or unsettling than painful because you usually do not expect the approaching bite.
Do bearded dragons bite humans?
Bearded dragons are generally gentle animals that will not bite unless threatened or mistake your fingers for food. The better they get along with people, the less probable it is that they will bite someone.
This is not to say that beardies who are accustomed to humans will never bite them. However, with a bit of training, your beardie’s chances of biting you are pretty minimal.
Why do bearded dragons bite?
Bearded dragons will often bite for one of three reasons. They are, after all, wild animals and will instinctively protect themselves or bite if they feel threatened.
Feeling threatened is one of the most common reasons bearded dragons bite, coupled with improper handling, hunger, or if the bearded Dragon was not properly socialized from an early age.
Do baby bearded dragons bite?
The answer to this question is Yes! Baby bearded dragons do bite, but their biting forces are insufficient.
It will most likely not break your skin, but it will not hurt that much because they are still in their juvenile state. On the other hand, their bite is insignificant and is more likely to heal itself over time.
Do crickets bite bearded dragons?
Crickets are omnivorous animals. Therefore they have a working set of teeth that is used to prey on small insects. Furthermore, due to their high speed, they are challenging to catch. If the crickets have nothing to eat, they might attack the bearded dragons.
Typically, body parts such as the tail, toes, and eyelids could jeopardize bearded dragons’ health; therefore, avoid feeding crickets to juvenile Bearded Dragons as they could develop a fear of insects.
Do mealworms bite bearded dragons?
Mealworms have a high fat and phosphorus content but a negligible protein and calcium content. Thus, they should not be ingested in big quantities.
Mealworms do not bite in general; however, if they are provoked, they may bite, but this has little effect on the adult Bearded Dragon.
However, extreme caution is required when feeding your baby Beaded Dragons mealworms because juvenile dragons are much less robust and hefty than adult dragons.
However, if a Bearded dragon bites the mealworm first, it will die rapidly and become benign. Adult Bearded Dragons are more likely not to feel anything, and they will keep eating them.
In some cases, Bearded Dragons get so used to mealworms that they refuse anything to eat other than mealworms.
Check out our article on Can bearded Dragons eat eggs?
Do mealworms bite baby bearded dragons?
In general, mealworms do not bite, but if they are triggered, they might start biting, but it would not affect the adult Bearded Dragon.
However, serious precautions must be taken when feeding your baby Beaded Dragons mealworms, as juvenile dragons are much less robust and stout than adult dragons.
But, if a Bearded dragon bites the mealworm first, it would be dead quickly, and thus it becomes innocuous.
Moreover, they contain high fat and phosphorus content, but protein and calcium content are negligible; therefore, they should not be consumed in enormous amounts.
Do Dubia roaches bite bearded dragons?
The Dubai roaches are docile and probably will not attack the Bearded Dragons. Moreover, they are high in nutrition and vitamins, which the Bearded dragons need.
Therefore, the only thing they could do was disturb the Bearded Dragon’s sleep by crawling up to them. Thus, make sure that uneaten Dubia roaches have been removed from the Bearded Dragon’s cage.
Furthermore, Dubia roaches do not carry parasites like Crickets or Hornworms, which is splendid for Bearded Dragons.
Do super worms bite bearded dragons?
Fish, reptiles, and birds consume super worms. They carry a small pin placed on their back from where they could attack, similar to a scorpion. Therefore, one should be concerned when feeding small animals with Super Worms.
Super Worms do bite Bearded Dragons, as they are usually very aggressive and have a reputation for biting the animals in the mouth while being eaten. Thus, make sure your Bearded Dragon’s eye is secured and protected.
Do locusts bite bearded dragons?
Locusts or short-horned grasshoppers could bite Bearded Dragons as well as humans too.
Therefore, removing all the uneaten locusts or short-horned grasshoppers from the Bearded Dragons cage becomes necessary as they might bite it. In addition, locusts are known for destroying agricultural products.
As compared to crickets, they are slow and thus could be easily consumed by the Bearded Dragon. But, if the number of Locusts present in the cage is more, then Locusts may cause a few cuts or wounds on the Bearded dragons, which should be treated immediately.
Do Hornworms bite bearded dragons?
Hornworms are usually soft and contain mostly water content which helps in keeping the reptiles hydrated.
Moreover, the caterpillar does not sting or bite. In addition, Hornworms are considered the best food source for reptiles and your beardie as they are super easy to digest.
To get the best out of Hornworms, incorporate them with other insects into the diet of Bearded Dragon. If there is any doubt about Hornworms biting the Bearded Dragons, make sure to hand feed them.
Bigger Hornworms could harm the juvenile Bearded Dragons, therefore giving young Bearded Dragons small hornworms; on top of that, wild Hormworms should be avoided as they may contain various toxic, poisonous materials.
Avoid feeding large Hormworms to miniature Bearded Dragons to prevent any choking hazard.
Conclusion
While bearded dragon bites can be unpleasant, they are typically harmless. Handwashing and wound care can significantly minimize the probability of an infection developing. You may avoid a bearded dragon bite by learning how to handle them properly and monitoring for signals of hostility before approaching your bearded Dragon.
FAQs
Do bearded dragons turn black when they’re mad?
A bearded dragon’s beard will frequently turn black in situations when they are angry or upset, similar to how a young child’s face may swell up and turn red with rage.
How do I know if my bearded dragon wants to mate?
A sexually mature male’s beard darkens when he is ready to procreate. To attract the attention of a female, he will bob his head and stomp his front feet. He may begin following her around the cage, biting the base of the female’s neck in an attempt to position himself for breeding.
What do bearded dragons do when they feel threatened?
When attacked or terrified, bearded dragons hiss. In the wild, they hiss at predators to make themselves appear more dangerous. Stop what you’re doing if your beardie hisses at you. Hissing is an indication of aggressiveness and is a precursor to biting.
