The Behavior of a Baby Bearded Dragon

Bearded dragons are medium-sized lizards that are very commonly kept as pets and are also known as a "beardie". Baby bearded dragons are only a few inches long and are sometimes kept in groups until they reach adulthood. Baby bearded dragons can exhibit a wide range of behaviors that are interesting and strange. Their behavior can be dependent on whether they are kept alone or in groups.

  1. Types

    • Baby bearded dragons can exhibit several types of behavior including flattening themselves out, changing colors, gaping their mouths, bobbing their heads, puffing their throats or waving their front legs. When kept in groups, baby bearded dragons will often stack up on top of one another.

    Function

    • Some baby bearded dragon behaviors are exhibited for the purpose of warming themselves up. For example, a bearded dragon may lay under a heat source while flattened out and holding its mouth open in order to absorb more heat.

      Other behaviors may be to show dominance or submission, such as dominant head bobbing and submissive front leg waving, but these behaviors are more commonly seen in both female and male adult dragons during mating. It is not unheard of for a bearded dragon to "mimic" a human bobbing his head by bobbing its own head right back.

      Some baby bearded dragons may soak in their water dishes regularly. This may be a sign they are dehydrated or constipated as the water will help them defecate. Otherwise, baby bearded dragons may just appear to enjoy a soak once in a while.

    Aggressive behavior

    • Bearded dragons possess the ability to puff out their spiky throats, almost giving the appearance of a beard, which is how they get their name. In some cases, this "beard" can change color to black, a sign of aggression warning predators to stay away.

    Group Behavior

    • Baby bearded dragons that are kept in groups are often seen stacked on top of each other. In adults, this behavior has been suggested to show the hierarchy of the dragons, with the more dominant dragons on top.

    Illness

    • Reptiles can be very good at hiding illness, but may behave differently if something is wrong. Baby bearded dragon behavior is no exception and they may stop eating or defecating, as well as act lethargic and move around less.