Behaviour

Brumation is the reptile version of hibernation. Brumation does not always occur with companion bearded dragons because they have consistent access to light, warmth, and food. However, some bearded dragons will still perform this natural behaviour.

If your dragon becomes less active, sleeps often, eats less, toilets less, etc., first rule out any kind of illness with a reptile veterinarian. If your dragon is healthy, ask your reptile veterinarian about how to help your dragon prepare for brumation, then let nature take its course!

Digging, hiding, and burrowing could be a sign that your bearded dragon is trying to prepare for brumation. They could also be trying to cool down or just wanting to hide away during the day. Sometimes hiding can be a symptom of illness so be sure to keep an eye on your dragon for any other signs.

Arm Waving

Though experts are not entirely sure of the exact reason, arm waving is understood to be a form of communication. Bearded dragons will slowly raise their arms in the air and put it back down again, like how people wave hello.

Head Bobbing

Head bobbing usually occurs between two bearded dragons to establish dominance. It can also happen if you have a single dragon. If this is happening often between dragons, they should be separated to reduce stress.

Beard Fluffing

The spiny pouch located under a bearded dragon’s chin is referred to as their beard, which is where the animal got their name. When a bearded dragon is showing aggression or excitement, they will fluff out their beard to make themselves look bigger. The beard will go dark in colour when they do this. This behaviour is normal, however, if a bearded dragon is displaying this behaviour for prolonged periods of time, then it may be worthwhile to find out if something is provoking them and ways to reduce this.

Open Mouth

If your bearded dragon is keeping their mouth open for long periods while basking, it often means that they are trying to regulate their body temperature. 

Providing your bearded dragon with an enclosure that replicates their natural habitat as closely as possible is the best way to encourage the expression of normal behaviours. Natural behavior for bearded dragons includes climbing, hiding, digging, drinking, eating, basking, and sleeping. Providing an environment for your dragon to carry out these activities is vital for their mental and physical well-being.

Some items that you can add to their enclosure to promote these behaviours are:

• Non-toxic branches
• Rocks
• Safe, non-toxic plants
• Hay
• Food and water dishes (with varied food at meal times!)
• Hide outs
• Reptile hammock

Bearded dragons need an enclosure where they are provided different temperature ranges so that they can perform natural behaviours. Basking under a UV light is important behaviour for bearded dragon health, however, it is also important to make sure your enclosure has other areas that your dragon can move to when they are done basking.

It’s also a good idea to occasionally change their environments so they do not get bored. Your bearded dragon may temporarily show new behaviours when you change up their environment, so make sure they also can still eat, bask, soak, and hide as they did before any changes.

Supervised exercise is a great way to keep your bearded dragon physically stimulated. Letting them out in a safe area to chase a ball or giving them the opportunity to have a swim in the bathtub is ideal for their health. Remember to make sure they don’t overdo it though – just like people, dragons get tired too!

Ask for an adult to help and never leave your bearded dragon unattended while they are out of their enclosure.