Reptile & Amphibian Forums

will a beardie puff up at any age, and is there a way to get them to for a picture without stressing them out, or anything mean...?
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1.0.1 leopard gecko
0.0.1 hypo red bearded dragon
0.0.1 schnieder's skink
0.0.1 white's dumpy treefrog
0.0.1 house gecko (currently missing)
1.0.0 rabbit
0.1.0 dogs
1.2.0 cats
2.0.0 goulian finchs

Most dragons will puff up if you put them in warm water so they can float around. However, most will also "unpuff" when you take them out. The male I have now puffs up and stays that way for extended periods even when he goes back into his enclosure. I've never seen one do that before though.
You'll just have to be quick with the pick when you pull it out of the water or take it while it's still in the water if it doesn't staay puffed up when you take it out.

Robert Wood

>>Most dragons will puff up if you put them in warm water so they can float around. However, most will also "unpuff" when you take them out. The male I have now puffs up and stays that way for extended periods even when he goes back into his enclosure. I've never seen one do that before though.
>> You'll just have to be quick with the pick when you pull it out of the water or take it while it's still in the water if it doesn't staay puffed up when you take it out.
>>
>>Robert Wood

and see if you get a defensive response. Or temporarily cool your basking spot, but not for very long, of course!
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Rob

I've never really seen a beardie puff their body up as a defensive gesture only when they were in water really. They puff their beards out and tend to flatten thire body don't they? Just curious. Maybe it's a reaction I haven't seen yet.
Was the original post about getting the beard to puff out or for the body to to puff up? Will they puff their beard out if the basking area is too low of temps? I wander why they do that? Strange.

Robert

>>I've never really seen a beardie puff their body up as a defensive gesture only when they were in water really. They puff their beards out and tend to flatten thire body don't they? Just curious. Maybe it's a reaction I haven't seen yet.
>> Was the original post about getting the beard to puff out or for the body to to puff up? Will they puff their beard out if the basking area is too low of temps? I wander why they do that? Strange.
>>
>>Robert

I think the original post was to get the body to puff up. I've seen my beardies puff their bodies up for two reasons. One, to increase the surface area of their skin to absorb more heat from a light source and two, to appear bigger to a rival. At least I think that's why they've done it.

I do know it is a common reaction in other animals to make themselves appear bigger in the face of danger or for displays of dominance.
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Rob