Do Bearded dragons smell with their toungue?

[Nikitabanana]

My boyfriend says she is licking the spoon cause she is hungry, I say she is smelling it with her tongue because she doesn't know what it is. So do they smell with their tongue?

 

[NegativeCreep]

Nope, the def. smell with their noses. :wink:
They do tend to lick everything, though! It's quite funny. Its just a curiosity thing, and I think (some) grow out of it.

Just as a funny note though, mine is afraid of spoons.. don't know why, but I tried to feed her a few pw's from a spoon once and she freaked. Still doesn't like the spoons. (I must have mistakenly traumatized her by reflecting light or something.. don't know!)
Maybe I can get a baby spoon..

 

[Akeath]

They aren't smelling, persay. They are really tasting, but their sense of taste is so refined that they get more info out of it than they do from just smelling things. So yes, she is checking it out and seeing what it is with her tongue, and not doing it out of hunger.

 

[vickson420]

Moved topic to Behavior

 

[dolcedragon]

Actually, bearded dragons have scent receptors in their mouths. Their tongues are made to analyze their surroundings to help track down potential mates or food. Scientists are still exploring this but it is believed that whereas their nostrils smell things and tell where they are by moving around and the scent becomes stronger or weaker, the tongue provides stereo smell, letting them know the direction of something without moving towards or away from it. Very cool creatures, huh?

Perhaps we should try covering our beardies eyes and nostrils, surrounding them with worms, and see what happens? LOL

 

[Alex52686]

very interesting I was actually just going to post asking about Saphira's recent tendency to lick everything when outside her enclosure. Any references to where I can learn more about what they are able to process through these receptors?

 

[rarebit_vision]

reptiles have a organ in the top of their mouths called the jacobsons organ ...they stick their tongue out like that to force particles through this organ which is like smell/tasting.... this helps them identify objects they dont know...like if its edible or not