I'd have to say that beardies do have different personalities..and therefore can show 'emotions' of sorts..My Reptar is a little nutcase..But he is by far the most calm animal I've ever had,besides my first dog that recently passed a year ago. I can take him anywhere with me and he will just cling to my shoulder and allow strangers to pet him. He's had kids hold him for there mothers' to take pictures,he has been my example to people who ask how to take care of them (of in which I suggest they come to this website of course :wink: ) He is the best pet ever! He has never once black bearded at anyone,including my puppy,never bitten..And he loves to snuggle with me at night. If anyone is holding him for a while,he will automatically try to find me to be back on my shoulder. That's my boy! I agree that beardies are in the groups with dogs and the like!
(very hard to quote you with just a "rolling eye" smilie)
-Ok, tgolden, lets try a new idea. Capitalizing on instinctually behavior. :wink: For instance, when Myah messes in her viv, she runs away from the mess. The beardie stink eye would translate to us as though she is disgusted. Really, it may be as simple as beardies are not in a confined area with their messes in the wild as they just move on. This may also be a natural way to prevent parasites. (don't stay around feces) Myah allows me to pick her up and place her in her tub, everyother day to prevent a viv mess. She is capitalizing on my instinct to nurture in an effort to not have a mess in her "home." Yes beardies are smart, yes beardies are curious, yes they do enjoy our cuddles but it never hurts to ask why. I want to believe that Myah loves me, as much as I truely love her, but it is more likely that I'm seen as a provider. A bridge, if you will, to obtain what is required.
-Myah cuddling with me is an absolute joy. Myah, however may just feel as though I'm a source of warmth, am not a threat, and there fore, she can do what all beardies do and take a nap on something warm, and non threatening.
-When Myah shows what translates to us as fear and runs to me. I want to think that she sees me as a source of comfort. It is more likely however, that she sees me as something big that could intimidate what ever she was scared of.
Bearded dragons have emotions and "Personalities" but I do think that they are rooted by instinct. And really, why not question their behavior? The more questions we ask the closer we get to understanding all aspects of this amazing animal.
Great topic.
Ive owned reps my entire life. A lot of them. And no lizard or snake was anything like my dragon. I was in shock when my dragon "bonded to me". He licks my face sometimes. And he leaps off of people to get into my lap. He jerks himself around to see me if someone else is holding him. It has shocked my entire family as a matter of fact. There has been only one other reptile that has "recognized" its owner, and that is a blood python with my son. I swear everything else didn't quite know the difference between people.
I feel like my dragon shows his emotions with his colors. His colors change radically!!!!!!! And not just from temperature or stress. Before the blood python and this dragon, yeah I would never have believed someone (truly) that their dragon "knows" who they are or prefers them, etc. My dragon knows me just by sight. Its mind boggling to me because thats not what I learned about reptiles.
So I am not the only one who notices that their beardies love to sit and look them in the eyes. I love when they do that! And they do definetely recognize and follow the voices of their humans.
Beardies are AMAZING!