Bearded Dragon Bites: Why They Bite and How to Avoid?

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If you are searching to find out whether bearded dragon bite, chances are you have already bought them or are willing to buy. Good job on making this decision! And just to ensure you don’t waste your money on buying extra things for your bearded dragon, we have written an article that will tell you how to save money as a bearded dragon owner.

Now, as far as bearded dragon’s bites are concerned. Yes, bearded dragons do bite. How much it hurts depends on who bites. If a baby bearded dragon bites you, since their teeth aren’t that sharp at that time, it doesn’t hurt that much. But if an adult bearded dragon bites, then it will hurt more.

Moreover, an adult bearded dragon can have 80 teeth. So, just imagine how painful it would be when all these 80 small but sharp teeth are on your finger. But are their bites enough to break your finger? Well, no. A force of 1485 newtons is required to break a finger. But a typical bearded dragon bite has a force of 5 to 98 newtons. So, rest assured. Even if they bite you, they can’t break your finger.

Are Bearded Dragon’s Bites Dangerous?

Whether a bearded dragon bite is dangerous or not depends on the cause of their bite. If they bite you because they are hungry, then just give them food. But if they bite you because they are aggressive or not tamed, make sure you tame them. And yes, in this case their bites can be dangerous. This is because they are threatened. They will react the same way as they do with their predators – they will bite as hard as they can. Whenever you come in their presence, they will puff their beard as a sign of defense. They will try to bite you whenever you pick them. So, make sure you properly tame them.

Are Bearded Dragon Bites Venomous?

Yes, their bites are venomous. But don’t worry; it’s a mild venom that can’t hurt you a lot. Their venom is only for numbing their prey.

While researching bearded dragon venom, we found some fun facts:

1. The venom in bearded dragon and rattlesnake bites contains crotamine.
2. The venom of bearded dragons contains small molecules. Contrarily, snake venom is made of large molecules.

Are Bearded Dragon Bites Poisonous?

No, bearded dragon bites are not poisonous. They have venom. And even though both – venom and poison – are toxins, our body reacts differently to both poison and venom. And don’t worry though. Sometimes, they don’t bite, they just nip.

Types of Bearded Dragon’s Bite

Let’s face it. Bearded dragons don’t bite out of nowhere. Further, there are three types of bearded dragons’ bites.

1. Curious Bite – They bite you because they are curious. Their environment is keeping them busy.
2. Food Bite – This usually happens when you are feeding them.
3. Aggressive Bite – This bite is dangerous. The more aggressive your bearded dragon will be, the harder it will bite your finger.

What to Do If Bitten by a Bearded Dragon?

First of all, don’t panic. Don’t forcefully pull, shake, or yank your finger. This will make the situation worse. Either your bearded dragon will become stressed, or their teeth will grip your finger more. After all, you won’t get much hurt by their bites apart from sore fingers. Next, safely move to a bed or a flat surface where their body can be fully supported. If their body is hanging in the air, they might clamp down harder to feel supported.

Further, using your hand, gently open their mouth. Make sure your hand is visible to them. Don’t put your hand on their head; they have a third eye and might suspect you as a predator. Instead, move your hand to the front and then open their jaws.

If a baby bearded dragon has bitten you, no blood will be drawn. But if an adult bearded dragon has bitten you and there is blood, seek medical advice. If there’s no blood drawn, then treat your bitten finger by:

1. Washing the finger with warm water.
2. Washing again with antibacterial soap.
3. Drying your finger.
4. Disinfecting the finger with antiseptic solution – you can also use peroxide, but it’s said that peroxide can also kill healthy finger tissues.
5. Applying antibiotic ointment.
6. Covering the area by an adhesive bandage.

Why Bearded Dragon’s Bites Hurt?

Bearded dragon bites hurt because of their sharp teeth. An adult bearded dragon has 80 teeth in total – 40 teeth in the upper jaw and 40 in the lower jaw. A baby bearded dragon can have up to 20 teeth.

Is it bad if a bearded dragon bites you?

Well, yes to some extent. This is because by nature bearded dragon aren’t aggressive, they are docile. And part of the reason they are considered beginner friendly reptiles is because of their calm demeanor. When they trust you and are comfortable in your presence, there’s no reason for them to bite you. But if there’s something stressing them out but you don’t know why they are biting you then that’s bad. 

To help you, we have compiled a list that consists of all the reasons behind your bearded dragon’s bite.

Why Your Bearded Dragon is Biting you?

There are a variety of reasons due to which your bearded dragon is biting you. As mentioned before, bearded dragons don’t typically bite. It’s not in their natural behavior to bite humans. They may bite when something is amiss or wrong.

1. They are Stressed

By nature, bearded dragons are docile and calm reptiles. They don’t get stressed – provided that you are taking care of them properly. Caring is the keyword here. But if you don’t care whether they are sick or sad, then they can get stressed. Be ready to be bitten then.

2. They are Sick 

If your bearded dragon is happy, then it’s rare to find it biting off your finger. But when they’re sick or in pain, they behave differently. One of their unusual behaviors includes them biting your fingers.

3. They are not Tamed

Because of the previous bad owner or abuse in the past, bearded dragons tend to react harshly when they first interact with humans. That’s why it’s essential to tame your bearded dragon. A tamed bearded dragon has trust in you. They know that you are not a predator. You will keep them secure and fed. But when a beardie isn’t tamed, they will bite you.

4. They are Hungry

Hunger can make humans behave weirdly. So, it’s totally understandable if bearded dragons behave unusually, like biting you (hehehe). Furthermore, if you are moving your fingers in front of them, they can also consider your fingers as bugs and try to eat them. So, stop moving your fingers in front of them, unless you want to get bitten.

6. They are Excited

There’s a fine line between being happy and excited. Sometimes, our little scaly buddies get overexcited. Consequently, you can end up getting bitten by them.

7. They are Mishandled

Bearded dragons don’t feel love, that means they neither like nor dislike you handling them. But what they dislike is: you mishandling them. If you aren’t supporting their body properly, they will bite you to keep themselves secure.

8. They are in Pain

Bearded dragons are calm reptiles. They don’t bite until something wrong is going on with them. But yes, when they are in pain, like their tail is rotting, then they can behave weirdly. This sometimes also means them biting you.

9. They are Threatened

Every reptile has some way to protect itself. Turtles withdraw into their shells. But a bearded dragon bites when they are threatened. Also, keep in mind if there are other pets like cats and dogs in your house, then there’s a high chance that your bearded dragon is threatened because of them. So make sure you don’t let your purrfect buddies in front of them. Even better, make them friends.

How to Prevent Yourself From Getting Bitten in the Future?

Who likes getting bitten? At least we don’t. And we would like the same for you – don’t get bitten by them. Because your pet reptiles are like your friends. And friends don’t bite you, right?

But at times, our friends can get annoyed or angry at us because of some reasons. And just like you try to find out how to not do what makes your friends angry, it’s important you don’t do what makes your bearded dragon angry. So that you don’t get bitten by them in the future.

Socialize with Them

Bearded dragons are wild reptiles. They need to be comfortable in human presence. So, make sure you make them acclimated to you by spending at least 15 minutes with them every day. This way, they will start trusting you. And once this happens, believe us, it would be the best feeling ever – seeing your beardie comfortable with you.

Tame Them

If you have just bought your bearded dragon, make sure they are tamed. A tamed bearded dragon is comfortable in human presence. They don’t ever bite you – their master.

Don’t hand-feed them

It’s good to bond with your bearded dragon by hand-feeding them. But sometimes, this can backfire. So, make sure not to hand-feed them until the time they completely understand the difference between you and bugs. Even better, let them get familiarized with your scent. Add a piece of clothing with your scent in the tank.

Keep them happy

A happy beardie will never bite. Instead, they will be comfortable in your presence. Inadequate lighting and temperature make bearded dragons sad. In the worst case, it can also make your beardie sick. So, make sure you always make them happy.