Bearded dragons may be trying to bite your clothes for a variety of reasons. One common reason is that they are trying to establish dominance.
Bearded dragons have a natural instinct to establish themselves as the alpha in their environment, and they may try to bite your clothes as a way of asserting their dominance.
Other possible reasons include wanting to explore their environment, trying to get your attention, or simply because they like the texture of the fabric.
Why Do Bearded Dragons Bite?
Bearded dragons may bite for a variety of reasons. They are territorial animals, so if they feel threatened, they may bite to defend their space.
They may also bite if they are startled or if they feel threatened in any way. If a bearded dragon is being held by a person, it may bite to try to escape.
Pain or illness can cause a bearded dragon to be aggressive and bite as well.
Biting is common among many types of lizards, including bearded dragons.
They generally do this out of fear or as a defensive response when they feel threatened or intimidated.
Some people mistakenly believe that their beardies are trying to play with them, but in reality, the animal isn’t feeling secure enough around its owner and is attempting to protect itself.
Bearded dragons can also show aggression if they don’t get enough attention from their owners, or if they become overly territorial over food or other items in the cage.
In some cases, there may even be medical issues such as mites or parasites that need treatment by a veterinarian before any behavioral changes will take place.
How To Stop A Bearded Dragon From Biting Clothes?
The best way to prevent bearded dragon bites is by providing ample stimulation and enrichment activities throughout the day.
Provide plenty of toys and substrates such as paper towels and boxes that allow them to engage in instinctive behaviors like digging and exploring without putting anyone at risk.
Try offering treats as rewards for good behavior whenever possible – something like sliced fruits or veggies will encourage positive reinforcement each time your beardie does not attempt to bite through any materials.
Lastly, train them regularly using clicker training methods which have been proven effective for modifying unwanted behaviors in animals over time.
What To Do If A Bearded Dragon Bites?
If a bearded dragon bites you, the first thing to do is to remain calm and avoid panicking. In most cases, the bearded dragon will let go of your finger or hand once it realizes what happened.
If the bite did not break the skin, simply wash your hands with soap and water as you always should after handling your bearded dragon.
If the bite broke the skin, wash and disinfect the bite with alcohol, peroxide, or Neosporin. If needed, apply a band-aid.
If the bearded dragon does not let go, you can place it on a stable surface and gently but firmly try to pry open its mouth.
Is It Normal For Bearded Dragons To Bite?
Biting is an instinctual behavior for many reptiles, including bearded dragons.
But how can you tell whether it’s normal or not?
To answer this question, let’s look at why a bearded dragon may bite and what kind of biting behaviors are normal.
- Beard Biting Normal: A beard-biting reflex is an instinctive reaction that some bearded dragons have when they feel threatened. It usually happens when the dragon feels scared or agitated, such as during handling or visits from unfamiliar people or animals. This type of biting doesn’t usually cause injury and shouldn’t last any longer than a few seconds.
- Dragon Biting Normal: Bearded dragons also sometimes exhibit predatory behaviors like chasing and biting their prey items in captivity; however, these bites tend to be more gentle and do not typically cause serious harm. As long as the food item being bitten is appropriately sized and safe for the dragon to consume (no feathers!), then this type of behavior should be considered normal.
Bearded dragon owners must always keep in mind that all lizards can still display aggressive behaviors based on stress levels, environment, genetics, etc., so it’s important to monitor them closely and take appropriate steps if necessary to ensure their safety and well-being.
5 Ways To Train Your Bearded Dragon Not To Bite Clothes
- Handle your bearded dragon regularly: It is important to get your bearded dragon used to being handled by you. This will help it to become more familiar with your presence, and less likely to bite you when you come close.
- Desensitize your bearded dragon to clothing: Let your bearded dragon explore the clothing before you put it on. This will help it to become familiar with the material, and less likely to bite it when you wear it.
- Give your bearded dragon its own toys: Providing your bearded dragon with its own toys is a great way to keep it occupied, and less likely to bite clothes.
- Distract your bearded dragon: If your bearded dragon is about to bite your clothing, distract it with a toy or treat. This will help it to focus on something else, rather than your clothing.
- Reward good behavior: When your bearded dragon does not bite your clothing, reward it with a treat or praise. This will help it to associate good behavior with a positive outcome.
The key to training a bearded dragon not to bite clothes lies in understanding why they do it in the first place.
Most often, it’s because of curiosity – they want to explore and investigate anything new that comes their way.
In order to stop this type of behavior, you need to provide positive reinforcement when your pet does something desirable instead of trying to punish them for doing something wrong.
