Wow, thats interesting, I keep telling people they're smarter than given credit.Posting a question here out of curiosity.
I have two rescue dragons and the younger one who’s estimated to be about 5 and a half years old now does this a lot.
To begin with he wouldn’t eat greens at all but he now eats them fine (although he’s picky about what he likes) but I’ve noticed some interesting behaviour.
I’ll supply him fresh greens and occasionally some blueberries and he eats usually half of it fresh but leaves the rest of it to ‘cook’ under his light and heating setup.
I’ve watched him and every day he check this food he’s left to ‘cook’ and if he decides they’re not how he wants them he leaves them another day but if they’re ‘done’ when he checks again he’ll eat them then and there.
He always does it with blueberries and will do it most of the time with peas, corn and pieces of green bean specifically.
It’s really like he’s worked out if he leaves these things for a few days they get crunchy (in the case of the peas, corn and beans) or change taste (in the case of berries).
I’ve also seen him do it with other food items like he’s testing to see what ‘cooks well’ and what’s better eaten fresh.
From watching him it’s definitely consistent and intentional behaviour and I’m curious if anyone else has noticed their beardies doing this?
Definitely. Both my dragons actually bathroom trained themselves because they figured out that I give them outside time on the grass most days and going out there is better than going inside so it wasn’t even a month before they were both waiting until they’re outside to go and I find they both have their own very specific spot in the yard they like so they’ll go and search their spot out and only go there.Wow, thats interesting, I keep telling people they're smarter than given credit.
is also what I'm thinking often, but generally about pets and wild animals: What are their conceptions they have from us? E.g. for my bearded dragon: What does he think of me changing clothes and that it's not changing colors like he does? (He saw me putting on and off jackets for example.)Spider8ait1994 said:and it always makes me wonder just what goes on in their heads and how much they understand about things around them from piecing what they observe together.
Oh I can tell you they have their opinions on clothing. I live with family my mother has one specific shirt my eldest HATES. If he sees it he head bobs and acts like he wants to fight it.I can't give mine outside time on some grass (no grass here) but he also has bathroom-trained himself: Only poops at the front of the enclosure (and not only somewhere close to the front but in fact at one of two specific locations) where I can more easily remove the poo and also see the poo sooner.
His good memory: Can also agree on this. I guess having this kind of good memory is essential for their survival in the wild where one has to know good basking spots, hides, where do insects show up and plants grow and, I have no proof but could think of it, also when (during the day, during the year).
I agree: So many people think reptiles are dumb and emotionless (heard it often, e.g. people assume I got him as a "replacement" for a furry pet which might not have worked out, like, I might have preferred a cat but it wasn't possible - which is in fact not the case).
Very smart and observant: That's it. And tons of emotions! I always wonder why people think there isn't much of smarts and emotions with reptiles - how would they survive in the desert without? I for sure wouldn't say a bearded dragon communicates less emotions than e.g. a cat does.
And yes, this
is also what I'm thinking often, but generally about pets and wild animals: What are their conceptions they have from us? E.g. for my bearded dragon: What does he think of me changing clothes and that it's not changing colors like he does? (He saw me putting on and off jackets for example.)
What is he thinking about me doing things that resemble none of his habits - like, me reading a book or me doing some crafts?
How does he perceive me giving him food? Some animals/pets who are raised by their parents might see us as "parents" or "hunting partners", but as a bearded dragon, he never had parents caring for him and feeding him, so that a being bigger than him giving him food must be a rather artificial concept*.
Also how other pets and animals perceive us? What are their misconceptions about us?
I also see their adaption to living with a human and thus overcoming many instincts (including that: learning to take food from a human, where no being in the wild would share with them, learning that being picked up is a good thing, where in the wild there would never be anything good in this (other with an animal who is raised by their parents who might pick them up)) as how their smarts show.
*For fun, I call myself w.r.t. him his "wormgiver"
We're here in the Atacama desert (the city is Antofagasta), and there is just no grass, or forest, meadow, garden with soil instead of keeping everything in pots, as it's just not surviving.I used that for my younger dragon initially because he wasn’t too sure about grass touching him at first so I used the artificial turf mat to gradually introduce him to grass touching him
Regarding the color red: Once my husband was wearing a red t-shirt when we went to the reptile store. It's obvious what happenedOh I can tell you they have their opinions on clothing. I live with family my mother has one specific shirt my eldest HATES. If he sees it he head bobs and acts like he wants to fight it.
He does the same with my fathers shoes (crocs).
I’ve also noticed a similar thing in wild water dragons here. Just last year I walked through an area where there was a lot of those around and I happened to be wearing a shirt with a red logo on the chest. One of the males I came across started challenging me as they would a rival male because with this species males show red coloration on the chest for courting purposes and will challenge each other particularly during breeding season.
I have facial hair as well and my hair color is dark so I did find they had opinions on that too. They don’t like it shaves because they don’t like the prickly feeling and they don’t like it long because it tickles them when they cuddle up but if I keep it trimmed to just the right length where it’s not prickly but not overly long they don’t mind it.
As for your lack of grass I wonder if you got a bit of artificial turf (astroturf) and laid that down?
I used that for my younger dragon initially because he wasn’t too sure about grass touching him at first so I used the artificial turf mat to gradually introduce him to grass touching him
They're just taking a salad bath, that's allThor here doesn't like fresh greens either. I try to put fresh ones in before he wakes up, and hopefully they're to his liking by the time he's warmed up enough to eat. I don't normally leave his dish in overnight. I take it out so he won't eat anything too close to when his lights turn off, but sometimes I forget.
View attachment 88464
If you’re having trouble getting him to eat his greens and you haven’t tried any of these before they may be worth a go since some of these seem to be popular with dragons and some I’ve had success with when it comes to my younger dragon who’s picky about his greens.Thor here doesn't like fresh greens either. I try to put fresh ones in before he wakes up, and hopefully they're to his liking by the time he's warmed up enough to eat. I don't normally leave his dish in overnight. I take it out so he won't eat anything too close to when his lights turn off, but sometimes I forget.
View attachment 88464
I have tried beans, carrots, Apple, banana, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, 5 different types of squashes, 4 different types of peppers, Pumpkin, bok choy, watermelon, and probably another 10 things.If you’re having trouble getting him to eat his greens and you haven’t tried any of these before they may be worth a go since some of these seem to be popular with dragons and some I’ve had success with when it comes to my younger dragon who’s picky about his greens.
Bok choy and Pak choy cut into thin strips.
Raw grated carrot.
Rocket leaves (though it looks like that might be what you have in the photo there based on the shape of the leaves)
Steamed pumpkin.
Cooked peas (the first vegetable my younger dragon decided to eat all on his own).
Cooked corn.
Raw green bean (try offering whole and holding it so he can bite pieces off or cut it up into small pieces).
Could also try different preparation methods since I’ve found some prefer things certain ways. For example my dragons love pumpkin steamed but won’t touch it if I bake it.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?