Is there anyone here who's NEVER been bitten by their bearded dragon? Buying one for my son but i'd figure if he ever got bit, the little guy would be scared to death.
Not by any of my current ones. By some i've had in the past yes.
Once they get tamed though you don't need to worry really unless your finger gets in the way of them eating.
^ Thanks, why were you bit by the ones you've had in the past? Was it any mistake on your part? Or are some beardies just more aggressive in nature no matter how tamed they are?
Yeah, the mistake was continuing my advances to pick them up when they puff out and open their mouths lol.
I had a very tiny ferocious baby bite me once, might hurt (or scare) a kid, but it really just feels like a bit of a pinch or pressure.
Adult bites hurt more. They can draw blood pretty easily.
If i see the little guy hissing + puffing up is it best to just leave him be? I've read some people say to go ahead and forcefully pick them up anyway as they'll calm down once on your hand. ( Thanks for the quick responses by the way )
I've had plenty of bites from my beardies I've had over time. (Had one aggressive girl that no matter what you did, she would try to bite...She was just demonic to anyone and everyone.) The other bites (besides hers) were from me doing something to the dragon (whether it was intentional or unintentional) that made the dragon spook and get defensive.
If they're adults, they will be able to draw blood, but if they're babies, it feels more like a pinch.
If you want a baby dragon, then yes, you need to continue to pick him up while he's being "aggressive" with you. How else is he going to learn who's boss? If you back down every time he shows a bit of attitude, then he'll learn he's the master and not you.
Where are you looking? Fire and Ice dragons? They are really the only breeder I know who use this term.
Basically it just means that out of the group of eggs, this (these) dragons look to be the best out of the batch.
Sketchy IMO, and bad practice. But, a way to increase the price on a dragon I suppose...
Adults often look a lot different than they did as a baby. I think it's very misleading to label a baby as something like that.
I have only been bitten twice, by different dragons. Both times I stuck my finger in their mouths on purpose. Once to remove a small piece of bark, and again to help drain aspirated water. Otherwise, they have never even hinted at it.
I've only been bitten because I was trying to help my dragon with a piece of collard greens that was too big and was giving him trouble. I went to grab it as he went to eat it As soon as he realized that it was me and not greens he let go
I've had my juvenile beardie for a little over a month and trust me she's showed plenty of attitude but I've never backed down and I haven't been bitten (yet)... I'm sure the day will come.
As other's said once they get tame you'll probably rarely get bit. I've had my female iguana 9 years (they're definitely more aggressive) and have only two collective memories of her biting me... once cause she was young and mad and the other was my stupidity she got excited for some bananas I was hand feeding her (again my stupidity) and got my fingers... And I've had my crested geckos 6 years and never once been bitten...
Out of the 8 dragons total that I have had, and the 4 that I have now, none of them have bit me. My male Leo has spazzed and made a scene, and one of my females has puffed and hissed to be big and bad, but none have bit me as of yet. Leo has bit my husband though while he was spazzing and trying to make a run for it! I've been bit by our red tail boa though lol
We've had our female beardie Shayvele for over 2 years and she's never bitten either my wife or I, though when she was little she certainly would make a show of ferocity--puff up, gape and the lot. We persevered in handling her so that she didn't learn that she was the boss. Our male southern angle-headed dragon, on the other hand, has spent much of his life thinking he's a crocodile. When I stuck my head in their enclosure to see if his shed was going OK he jumped and tried to eat my head, which would be terrifying if his mouth weren't about 3 cm across. Our female angle-head has always been placid. So I think a lot depends on individual temperament and not letting them win the contest when they're going through beardie adolescence.