They have the same blank stare on their face ALL the time. sure they may close their eyes if you pet them but other than that... no expression change lol
That nonsense you have to look at their eyes. I've only had Louie (first bearded dragon) for about a month and a half and just like people's eyes arch (when they're angry) his do to. when he's happy no arch looks like a little kid almost. Trust me if you look at their eyes you will begin to notice the subtle changes in their expressions.
I guess i got a dud of a dragon cause there is no expression there. It's funny...... she don't come when i call either or bark when someone knocks on the door. :? lol
I can definitely tell Custard's moods. When I fed him his medication today, he was NOT happy at all. I could tell when I was done giving it to him. His brow was arched downward and his usual "smile" changed to a very obvious frown. I kept apologizing to him and asking him to please not hate me lol.
For the most part, us saying look into their eyes is yet another issue of a human anthropomorphizing an animal. We don't actually have a clear way to tell what the reptile is thinking or feeling, as the expressions are truly alien to us, being a completely different species. I've noticed that the best way (or what I feel is the best way) to tell the reptiles mood is to watch their body language.
When mine is startled, his movements are abrupt and he keeps one eye fixed... I attribute that to being startled and cautious, though it could be something completely different. Closing their eyes could be them protecting their eyes from harm.
Either way, thats part of the fun... guessing what sort of primitive thoughts are going through their reptillian brain. So long as the Beardie has everything it needs to survive and be at peek health, I imagine it's quite content, and it does seem to learn when food is around, so it has some cognitive abilities.
For the most part, us saying look into their eyes is yet another issue of a human anthropomorphizing an animal. We don't actually have a clear way to tell what the reptile is thinking or feeling, as the expressions are truly alien to us, being a completely different species. I've noticed that the best way (or what I feel is the best way) to tell the reptiles mood is to watch their body language.
When mine is startled, his movements are abrupt and he keeps one eye fixed... I attribute that to being startled and cautious, though it could be something completely different. Closing their eyes could be them protecting their eyes from harm.
Either way, thats part of the fun... guessing what sort of primitive thoughts are going through their reptillian brain. So long as the Beardie has everything it needs to survive and be at peek health, I imagine it's quite content, and it does seem to learn when food is around, so it has some cognitive abilities.
I can always tell what type of person a customer is when they stroke the head of a lizard and the lizard closes their eyes. The response is either "oh, he must enjoy this!," or "oh, he mustn't want his eyes hurt - or - mustn't like it." In my opinion, its a toleration response while they can figure out how to escape the issue. You'll notice they usually keep one eye open as a result. Its all body language.
While 'reading their eyes' may help in concluding some of their body language, they are not 'expressive' like we tend to see and think by human and chimpanzee standards. On that note, I have never seen them 'narrow their brow or eye'. I think that this is just imaginative thinking =P
Well said glue stick! I usually watch how mine is acting rather then her " expression"
our little dragons just don't have the part of a brain that produces emotions. If I ever look down at saphira and she grins and winks at me I'll prolly shart myself and quit drinking. :shock: