How far can bearded dragons fall?

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BigDaddyK

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I have a bearded dragon about 8-9 inches long. I haven't really taken it out of the cage much yet because I'm concerned it will jump off the table and get hurt. How far can they fall without getting injured? All of my floors are hardwood by the way, not sure if that makes any difference. Thanks in advance.
 

RandyMarsh

Sub-Adult Member
I couldn't tell you but they're a lot more sturdy than you'd think at first. Mine has death-dropped off my shoulder before onto the ground and thats about 5.9 feet or so?
 

tgolden

Sub-Adult Member
Pretty sure there is not a set height. Mine has bailed off everything from my shoulder to off the kitchen table. This got me thinking so I put her up on some higher things around the house like the fridge, my kids bunk bed etc. She seems to know her own levels of what is safe to suicide jump off of and what is not. These are not helpless animals, in the wild we are not there to keep them from jumping of stuff lol.
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Dragons can and are easily harmed , sometimes breaking bones, from falling or jumping. There are threads about such accidents, so it is wise not to carry them around , especially new dragons, up high or set them on tables, etc. If you factor in the problem that some dragons are not even supplemented properly, having weak bones from calcium deficiency a possible bone break is just a jump away, especially if they are generally flighty or get startled. Always use caution.
 

MrD

Member
mine just jumped off the bed the other day, it freaked the S**T out of me. she only fell a few feet onto carpet but i stayed up most of the night checking to see if she was alive and breathing ok. the next morning she seemed fine and walking around with no problems and no trouble breathing. you always need to be careful carrying your beardie and putting them on high places. it would be best to put blankets or pillows wherever they can fall, even short distances. even a short fall can break bones or hurt internal organs if they land wrong. if your beardie falls keep eye on how they are walking and breathing and if they continually have black beard and/or tail as this could be sign of injury and take to vet to get xray.
 

tgolden

Sub-Adult Member
wow how did these little guys ever survive without us before they became a domesticated reptile lol. Not to take away from the above posters good advice but my dragon must be tough as a pine knot then. She runs and jumps all over the place.
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Yes, beardies are hardy, but they die in the wild, too. No one there in the wild to keep them from eating a large prey item and causing impaction, or other types of injury that we prevent. They may climb trees. etc, but have claws to help them hang on. Rocks have crevices, too, but I'm sure some may still have accidents.
 

randommonks

Sub-Adult Member
tgolden":7fyv5w02 said:
wow how did these little guys ever survive without us before they became a domesticated reptile lol. Not to take away from the above posters good advice but my dragon must be tough as a pine knot then. She runs and jumps all over the place.

You can use yourself as an example. You can fall from fairly tall heights and if you land correctly, do little damage to yourself. If you do happen to fall in an awkward manner or hit a vital organ while landing, especially against a weird corner, it can do enough damage to hurt, even kill.

Bearded dragons live 3-5 years in the wild, with predators and without hovering caretakers, but can live up to 10+ years in captivity with good care. Darwin has taken some flying leaps from 4+ feet, and while he was fine after each of them, I watched him very closely for broken bones or signs of injury after those failed flights.
 

sweetiepie9

BD.org Sicko
Retired Moderator
Sweetie, my 5 yr old female, fell off my shoulder by accident. I caught her at my hip & thought I was careful, but she broke both of her upper arms. Then she developed pneumonia two weeks later & is still in a 95F tank all the time. She also was used to falling, so breaking both arms sure took me by surprise. Better to put them on the floor & play with them there. That's what I've been doing & it works better. If they fall, it's only a foot down from the top of the ramp my hubby built for them. And none of them are real climbers, so we can keep them in the living room area & they get outside the tank time. It's just safer.
 

tgolden

Sub-Adult Member
randommonks":nggno6qc said:
tgolden":nggno6qc said:
wow how did these little guys ever survive without us before they became a domesticated reptile lol. Not to take away from the above posters good advice but my dragon must be tough as a pine knot then. She runs and jumps all over the place.

You can use yourself as an example. You can fall from fairly tall heights and if you land correctly, do little damage to yourself. If you do happen to fall in an awkward manner or hit a vital organ while landing, especially against a weird corner, it can do enough damage to hurt, even kill.

Bearded dragons live 3-5 years in the wild, with predators and without hovering caretakers, but can live up to 10+ years in captivity with good care. Darwin has taken some flying leaps from 4+ feet, and while he was fine after each of them, I watched him very closely for broken bones or signs of injury after those failed flights.

Don't get me wrong i don't want my dragon to get hurt. I'm a fireman i understand all about falling and body mechanics because i fall from stuff all the time lol but some folks can take it a little far with their dragons. They are reptiles not eggs man.
 

MrD

Member
my advise is better safe than sorry. i would hate for some careless accident to happen and have a huge vet bill. i would rather consider my reptile to be an egg :D
 

saden99

Member
I just dropped some crickets into his cage and Rupert bellyflopped onto the stone tile from a tree about a foot high then quickly scampered to the crickets. I thought it was hilarious and I'm glad there's nothing sharp in his cage.
 
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