Are Bearded Dragons Harmful To Humans?

Small animals that can cause harm to humans have to be venomous or at least poisonous. Many people do not know that there is a difference between the two. Poisonous animals are those that, when eaten or ingested, can cause the introduction of toxins into the body system. These animals mostly have their poison on their skin so that when they are eaten, they can cause death. Whereas in venomous animals, they release their toxin by biting their target. The venom acts according to the animal in question, some release this venom to weaken their prey or cause a quick kill. Their toxins are either contained in their fangs or in their pincers. How venomous an animal is, is classified by the toxicity index of the venom released by the animal. Bearded dragons are under the second category, where the animals bite the skin of their prey to cause harm. 

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Bearded dragons, even if not widely known, are mildly venomous. These calm animals are known to bite when angry or even hiss and puff out their beards. They can even go as far as hitting with their head. The behaviours they exhibit during their aggressive state are very similar to that of some species of snake. They are mildly venomous because the toxicity of their venom is relatively low. The toxin they expel is formulated to trap smaller creatures and make them motionless, so they would be able to eat them with ease. These toxins do not have the slightest potency to cause grave harm in humans. Although, just as with any other normal bites, they would need to be sterilized to avoid being the breeding place for various opportunistic infections. The bottom line is that bearded dragons are not harmful to humans. They would rarely even bite, except when they are handled wrongly, stressed, or mistake your hands for a treat. Even when they bite, it doesn’t pose a life-threatening danger.

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Why Does My Bearded Dragon Attack Me?

Bearded dragons do not have an aggressive disposition. When they attack, there is always an underlying factor or reason that made them behave that way. Bearded dragons love their peace and quiet because of their detached nature. This is why when they are handled all the time, and in a very rough way, they might attack viciously. There are many reasons this animal might attack their owner. Another reason why they might attack is because of the change of environment. 

When a bearded dragon is changed from the place it usually is kept to another place which its very strange to it; it can cause it to have a fit of rage. Sometimes when it’s adopted newly from the pet store, it might attack because it has not gotten familiar with staying at your house. If attacked because it has just been adopted, it shouldn’t cause lots of concern because once it gets accustomed to you as its owner or accustomed to your house as its new home, it will become calm and solitary as it usually is. Also, a bearded dragon would be on full attack mode if it’s stressed or sick. It would basically hit its head around the vivarium and hit itself on you. It would seem as though it’s attacking, but you should check out for stress marks on its beards to know if it’s stressed, or discoloration in its skin color, to a darker shade due to sickness. If a bearded dragon attacks, you should check for underlying causes that would make this calm lizard attack. 

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Do bearded dragons have teeth?

Bearded dragons eat like other lizards; they eat a range from bugs to other tiny crawling insects and also different kinds of worms. They are omnivores, eating literally almost everything they are given. Omnivores can be cannibalistic or herbivores if they want to be. To be able to eat, you have to have a set of dentitions. Even if the dentition is not complete, at least there have to be either molars and premolars for the organism to be able to eat. This is how bearded dragons are able to eat because they have a dentition that allows them to eat the little things they eat. Their teeth are sharp and flat to enable them to chomp on worms, even though they are still alive. The type of teeth they have is different from the type of teeth mammals have. 

The teeth in mammals have blood supply by arteries, veins, and capillaries, supplying the teeth with calcium for strength. Also, the outer layer of the teeth is joined with the gum, which has nerve supply from the nervous system. This nerve supplying the outer layer allows for the pain to be felt when teeth fall out. On the other hand, bearded dragons and lizards as a whole do not have this. The outer layer of their teeth has no nerve supply. The implication of this is that their teeth can fall out at any time, either when they are on the run or when they are playing or exploring, without them feeling any pain of any sort. Although the outer part of their teeth has no nerve supply or even blood supply, the inner part of their teeth does. This means they are not completely void of pain. Bearded dragons have acrodont teeth located close to the surface and topped up with their elongated and large jaws. With all that has been said, bearded dragons have teeth, and they use them mostly to eat.

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Do Bearded Dragons Have Venom?

Over time, when we hear about animals that have venom in them or inflict venom on their victim, we consider only the very scary animals. Animals like venomous snakes, spiders, and scorpions, are the only things that ring a bell in our mind whenever venom is talked about. Through the years, several types of research have been made concerning the venomocity of animals. It was discovered that not just these three animals constitute the venomous animals in this world. Other reptiles are considered venomous, but the toxicity of the venom depends on the organism. The study has shown that almost all reptiles, if not all reptiles, are venomous. Some produce their venom in small quantities; others produce it in large quantities to trap larger prey. 

Using bearded dragons as a case study, they have always been said to be non-venomous because of their popularity among pet owners. This changed when a study was done, and it was discovered that they produce venom. Their venom is produced in small quantities when compared to the venom of other venomous animals. The toxicity level of their venom is very similar to that in rattlesnakes. This is the reason why the venom they produce is considered. However, it is only produced in small quantities to trap small prey. Hence, it can do no harm to humans; the amount produced has to be increased for it to have the desired toxic effect on humans. In all clarity, bearded dragons have venom but in small quantities. This is why it is very popular among pet owners as an exotic pet. The only thing that can happen when you’re bitten by a bearded dragon is a little swelling or little injury, depending on how much or for how long it bit in.  The bite can be handled very well with common first aid treatment to clear out the infection and disinfect the place from becoming a breeding ground for infection.

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Does Bearded Dragon Bites Hurt?

As said earlier, bearded dragons have a very calm and collected nature. This is why many people, even the ones who own them as pets, have not experienced the bite of a bearded dragon. It would not bite just by you leaving it alone; there has to be an invasion of its private space. Even when its space is invaded, it still avoids confrontation and combats with anything. Still, if it is angry beyond just lashing out, it would bite. The hurt caused by the bite depends on how big the bearded dragon is. If the bite is from a newborn, or a very young one, it would only hurt a little, maybe it could cause a bruise, but that is all it could do. With a wash or swipe of a clean cloth dipped in warm water and application of disinfectant, it could be managed just fine. In the case where the bearded dragon that bit into the skin is an adult, the harm inflicted would depend on the duration of the bite. If it bit in for several minutes without removing its mouth, it could cause bleeding. Also, in the case where the adult bearded dragon bites in for a short while, it could cause minute bleeding because the teeth of the adult are far more developed than that of the young. Although there might be bleeding, it is not a medical emergency. With disinfecting and cleaning up with warm water, then topping it up with wound dressing, it is sure to get better in no time. 

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What Does The Bite Of A Bearded Dragon Feel Like?

Emphasis is put on the calmness and docile nature of these animals. They would not just want to wake up and harm anyone. They only harm when they are handled wrongly. If you are relatively new to bearded dragon affairs and would like to know what it feels like to be bitten by a bearded dragon, sit tight and continue reading. It would have been advised that you put your hand in its mouth if you’re really curious, but do not. The pain felt when you’re bitten by a bearded dragon depends on the age of the bearded dragon. If it is really young, it might be felt like a slight pinch that can almost not be felt. If the bearded dragon is an adult, then it might hurt but only as much as a needle or a lancet pricking your skin. This is relatively a harmless bite when it is compared to the ones inflicted by other animals. The bite hurts more like an injection penetrated into the skin and left for a long while, especially when you’re forcefully trying to pry its mouth away from your hand. This is why you should hold its mouth gently when trying to remove it. It is definitely nothing that would make you afraid; it’s just a small bite inflicted.

What Does A Bearded Dragon Eat?

As said earlier, bearded dragons are omnivores. Just like humans, they have both a carnivorous diet and a herbivorous diet at equal levels. This means they can eat an animal or insect that is still alive, and they can also eat plant produce. They get their protein from their carnivorous diet, from eating a wide range of insects and worms. They get other nutrients from their plant-based diet. Examples of their plant-based diet include; Asparagus, cabbage, bell peppers (green and red), Zucchini, squashes of different colors, carrots, celery, cucumber(must be peeled, so it is not too hard for them to bit into), kade, collard greens, and pumpkins. It should be served fresh from the grocery store, so they can be able to bite into it and enjoy their meals. They also have carnivorous diets, which many owners use as treats when they have been good beardies. Examples of the things that constitute their carnivorous diet are; crickets, different kinds of roaches, and different kinds of worms, including; butter worms, silkworms, mealworms, and earthworms. Whenever serving them their carnivorous diet, it’s important to make sure it’s alive and can move a little bit fast, so they can run after it to catch it. This stimulates their natural hunting instincts, making them active even as they eat, giving them a balanced way of living. 

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How To Pick Up A Bearded Dragon

A bearded dragon should not be carried forcefully out of its tank; it should be held by its stomach and put in the palm. If it’s adopted at infancy, it’s important to make it acquainted to being picked up often, so it can become tame and social. Also, when creating an outlet for its tank, it’s important not to create it above but by the side. Natural predators for bearded dragons are birds; this means when a treat or your hand is being put in the vivarium from up, it would mistake it for a bird and run for cover. This is why it should be created by the side so that the bearded dragon is not stressed because of fear. 

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Conclusion

In conclusion, the way a bearded dragon relates to humans depends on the way it has been brought up. If it has gotten acquainted with humans because of exposure or frequent handling, it has a tendency to be more calm and docile than one who has lived in isolation or in the wild. The bearded dragons that are not tamed will attack when handled wrongly or when their space has been invaded. The harm inflicted during the attack can easily be handled; this is why they are perfect reptile choice pets.