The Truth Behind Baby Bearded Dragon Behaviors
- Bearded Dragons Reptiles
Jade Messieh- 0
- 5 minutes read
Why do baby bearded dragons lay on top of one another?
Baby bearded dragons will display interesting behaviors. Stacking is a common behavior that is often mistaken for cuddling. Stacking and nipping are negative behaviors.
Tail Nipping
Tail nipping is one of the least favorable behaviors of baby bearded dragons. Competition for food will lead to tail nipping.
Too many bearded dragons are usually put in one tank at a time as well. When baby beardies are hungry, they will eat anything that they can fit into their mouths. A lot of times, that is another beardie’s tail.
If you have ever gone to the pet store you will often see that some of the beardies will have missing tails or parts of their tail missing. There is nothing wrong with that beardie. It just had a chunk taken off by one of the other hatchlings.
Tail nipping can be avoided if there are less beardies in one tank and if there is a lot of food available. When there is a scarcity of food, the competition to eat will be higher and they will start to go at one another’s tails. Food should be replaced twice daily if you have more than one baby beardie in a terrarium.
Stacking
Stacking is another negative behavior with baby bearded dragons. Normally you would think that the babies are cuddling. This is actually not the case. They stack to get closer to the heat lamp. This usually crushes the bearded dragon on the bottom and they won’t get as much heat as the other beardies.
The more beardies that stack up on each other, the less heat the bottom one will get. Not getting enough exposure to the heat lamp can lead to illness. Bearded dragons are cold blooded too. Their bodies are very little as well and need the temperatures to be over 100 degrees Fahrenheit to stay healthy.
A solution to avoid too much stacking is to have fewer bearded dragons in a tank and plenty of basking spots near the heat lamp.
Handling
Handling a baby bearded dragon can be difficult at first. Not all bearded dragons are the same either. Many baby bearded dragons will try to run away from your hand or try to scurry off of you at first.
Some beardies can take a long time, while others might not ever care in the beginning. They have their own personalities and preferences.
Hand feeding can also help you create a trusting bond with you and your baby beardie. Placing insects in their tanks to let them hunt is also recommended.
Baby bearded dragons have delicate limbs. When pulling them off of your clothes, be gentle because their nails will cling to threads. Carefully pluck the nails off your clothes so you don’t hurt their toes.
Shedding
Baby bearded dragons shed all the time. They will shed once every two to three weeks. Their shed will be full body sheds as well. They eat a lot of food every day and grow so fast. Their heads will start to become more broad and slowly become that famous triangular shape.
When bearded dragons shed, it is important that you do not try to peel it off of them. It is very tempting to want to peel the skin off, but it will hurt them a lot if you do this. Their new skin will be very sensitive and will still cling to the old skin because it is not ready to come off. They will scratch or eat their shed themselves. They eat their shed because the old skin has nutrients in it.
Keeping the humidity levels at 35%-40% and baths will help them shed faster. Baths also making shedding more comfortable.
Wrapping Up
If you are bringing home a baby bearded dragon, it is important to remember that they are little and it will take time for them to be comfortable with you picking them up. It is normal for them to shed frequently and eat their shed.
Hand feeding will help establish trust between you and your baby bearded dragon. Stacking is a normal behavior when a lot of babies are in a tank together, but it should be minimized as much as possible. Since their bodies are smaller, they need to have their terrarium heat up to around 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Baby bearded dragons are very cute and they make great pets.
