I call B.S. (beardies being none social)

[xp29]

Every source, every site, every pet store ..... everyone says beardies are not social and don't won't to socialize with each other than for mating.
Well I call bull chit! My two girls Sweet Pea and Ruby (both rescues) absolutely go out of there way to hang out together. When ever they can get near each other they always end up touching, their feet (looks like they are holding hands) their tails crossed, ones chin propped on the other, ect always something. When we have them out on their hammock, if we are holding one, she will try to get on the hammock or the one on the hammock will try to climb onto us. They seem to genuinely like each other.
Now I'm not saying all beardies are this way, I'm just saying they have the capabilities to befriend each other if it suits them.
I think there is still alot to know and learn about the social dynamics and intelligence of these little guys.
I'm going to post a pic or two, when we put them on the hammock I deliberately let quite a bit of space between them, within 5 minutes they ended up where you see them. This happens every time to.

 

[Axil]

I think to discourage cohabitation (which is a good goal) people might have gotten a bit overzealous and overstated what we know about Dragon social interactions. It's a big leap from "you can't safely keep two in an enclosure" to "They are entirely solidary animals that only meet to mate and overwise avoid each other at all costs."

A lot of animals are more social than we give them credit for. I was watching a documentary last year showing species of sharks thought to be totally solidary working together to hunt in certain circumstances.

 

[Groggyfroggie]

That’s the sweetest thing I’ve seen ❤ there’s so much to learn about beardies still! Makes you wonder what touching each other means to them outside of mating behaviors

 

[xp29]

I think to discourage cohabitation (which is a good goal) people might have gotten a bit overzealous and overstated what we know about Dragon social interactions. It's a big leap from "you can't safely keep two in an enclosure" to "They are entirely solidary animals that only meet to mate and overwise avoid each other at all costs."

A lot of animals are more social than we give them credit for. I was watching a documentary last year showing species of sharks thought to be totally solidary working together to hunt in certain circumstances.

Yeah thats kind of where my head was also, i think the nit co-habing them has caused some misconceptions about their behavior. The anti co-hab camp kind of makes it sould like they will fight to the death at every encounter, thats just not true.

 

[xp29]

That’s the sweetest thing I’ve seen ❤ there’s so much to learn about beardies still! Makes you wonder what touching each other means to them outside of mating behaviors

I love watching them interact, Snikers will sometimes snuggle in with them also, but it's hit or miss. Sinatra will snuggle in more often with them than Snickers will. I have to watch Snickers pretty close when she is near Sinatra though those two do not get along well, especially if Sinatra is on me, Snickers will go after him every time. (She can be pretty aggressive, she even trys to bully Zen and he literally out weights her 3 times over)

 

[Claudiusx]

As humans, we often anthropomorphize because that's the behavior that we understand. It's harder to look at something and realize that this behavior might not mean the same thing to another creature as it does to humans. But, it still might. That's the beauty of this hobby, there are still so many unanswered questions and things to learn.

For all we know, they might be social creatures with horrible tempers. Maybe they do like to be around other dragons but any little thing sets them off leading to fights and injury. Or maybe just like humans, they really only like to be around other dragons they get along with.. lol.

Their behavior truly is a mystery when you start diving deeper into it and try to look at it from a non-biased point of view. I could see them getting some amount of enrichment from short stints around other dragons, but I also think in the long term it's better for them to have their own spaces and territories.

If only they could talk..

-Brandon

 

[Groggyfroggie]

I love watching them interact, Snikers will sometimes snuggle in with them also, but it's hit or miss. Sinatra will snuggle in more often with them than Snickers will. I have to watch Snickers pretty close when she is near Sinatra though those two do not get along well, especially if Sinatra is on me, Snickers will go after him every time. (She can be pretty aggressive, she even trys to bully Zen and he literally out weights her 3 times over)

Sounds like Snickers jealous! She's for sure the sassiest one in your house lol

 

[xp29]

Sounds like Snickers jealous! She's for sure the sassiest one in your house lol

Oh hands down, she is my girl to the core. She rules the roost and she knows it to lol.

 

[xp29]

As humans, we often anthropomorphize because that's the behavior that we understand. It's harder to look at something and realize that this behavior might not mean the same thing to another creature as it does to humans. But, it still might. That's the beauty of this hobby, there are still so many unanswered questions and things to learn.

For all we know, they might be social creatures with horrible tempers. Maybe they do like to be around other dragons but any little thing sets them off leading to fights and injury. Or maybe just like humans, they really only like to be around other dragons they get along with.. lol.

Their behavior truly is a mystery when you start diving deeper into it and try to look at it from a non-biased point of view. I could see them getting some amount of enrichment from short stints around other dragons, but I also think in the long term it's better for them to have their own spaces and territories.

If only they could talk..

-Brandon

I do have them all 5 housed separately, but i also have them all out every evening. I just watch them really closely. Zen is ok with Snickers but don't really like the others so i keep him well away from them. Snickers i have to watch the closest, you can never really be sure how she is going to be at first. Oddly enough though however she acts when i first get her out is how she will behave the whole evening. Ruby and Sweet Pea are always pretty calm. My outside habitat has two levels in each section, it's warm enough and sunny enough now that I've started putting them out in the morning before work. If i put Sweet Pea and Ruby one on each level within a few minutes, they are piled right back up together. It's interesting to the extreme watching them. Like i mentioned in the start of this thread they are both rescues and were neglected really baddly, i can't help but wonder if that plays a role in why those two are so close. Consequently Zen and chomp were clutch mates and they were really good together, Zen nearly grieved himself to death when she passed. I honestly thought i was going to loose him as well.
Alot of sources say they are not capable of true emotions and understanding, i disagree.
But your right, it's an experience unlike other pets to have them, especially more than one of them, it is what makes the hobby so rewarding.

 

[Claudiusx]

Alot of sources say they are not capable of true emotions and understanding, i disagree.

+1

-Brandon

 

[xp29]

So i finally remembered to video my girls snuggling. This is what they do everytime i put them together.

 

[NickAVD]

Wow! It so cute!
I have never seen anything like it!

 

[xp29]

A couple of my other ones will occasionally snuggle in with those two, but thise two do that every time they are near one another. I'm 100% against cohabing but I do think there is more to their social interactions then we realize or understand.
In the video, you can see Ruby look to see who is there. If one of the others are between them, she will climb over to them to get next to Sweet Pea.

 

[NickAVD]

A couple of my other ones will occasionally snuggle in with those two, but thise two do that every time they are near one another. I'm 100% against cohabing but I do think there is more to their social interactions then we realize or understand.
In the video, you can see Ruby look to see who is there. If one of the others are between them, she will climb over to them to get next to Sweet Pea.

When did Ruby and Sweet Pea meet?
How old were they?
Is there an opinion that they will live together if they have known each other since birth, or is this also a myth?

 

[xp29]

We've had Ruby for a year and a half, we got Sweet Pea last November. They are both around 4 years old as far as i know. The one thing i keep considering is they are both rescues. Both were neglected pretty bad before we got them, both has slight mbd and Ruby had lost use of her back legs. I can't help but wonder if that plays a role in their behavior.
As far as living together a lot of people say it can be done, but I'm not personally willing to take a chance. It only takes 1 dust up and limbs or tails could be biten off or worse. I'll let them hang together outside their habitats but they ARE supervised.