Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So are Mountain Horned Dragons anything like Bearded Dragons in their behavior and stuff?

>>So are Mountain Horned Dragons anything like Bearded Dragons in their behavior and stuff?

They are probably less active but are similar in that some will hang out on your shoulder for hours and are very tame animals.

They are different in that:
1 they do not eat the veggies, just insects and nightcrawlers.
2 they are not desert/arid habitat, they are arboreal and need cool mountain fog forest.
3 instead of a long, low breeder tank they need a tall tank that allows for climbing.
-----
Marcia - FroggieB Dragons
www.froggieb.com/MHDHome.html

_____

Signature file edited. [phw 9/13/04]

Same family, agamidae, but that's about it for similarities.
Beardies are primarily terrestrial and enjoy very hot, arid, conditions. MHD's on the other hand are exclusively arboreal and thrive in temperate, humid conditions.

On the whole, I would say that the two species are far more different than they are similar. Beardies are likely to bit a bit more calm and tolerant of handling than a Mountain Horned Dragon would be.

Are you in the research phase of thinking about obtaining a reptile? It's great that you are asking rather than just jumping in - however, if you have already made the leap and own a dragon, the folks here will be happy to help.

Im looking for some kind of reptile not sure which yet and doing a bunch of research on ones that look interesting to me and I saw some MHDs at a petstore and they seemed interesting to me and so I wanted to find out more about them and Ive already done a bunch of research on beardies and since they were both agamas I wasnt sure if they vety different or not. and thanks for the info so far.

Some input on based on your answer; bearded dragons aren't being imported and therefore are probably farm bred, born, and raised. MHDs on the other hand are not being bred in any great quantities yet. I think I am probably the largest producer and I don't produce more than 150 in a given year. So, needless to say, when you see a MHD in a pet shop it is most likely wild caught import.

The difference this makes:

1. the bearded dragon has a better chance of being in good health. You should probably have a fecal done on either just to be safe but with the MHD you should really have a thorough vet check.

2. bearded dragons have been bred in this country for a few years now so most vets are familiar with them and how to treat them. MHDs are less common animals for a vet to have studied so often the vet is giving a best guess based on other reptiles he has treated. It isn't uncommon for them to not treat when they should or to even on occasion to give a medication that can actually kill the MHD.

Many pet stores will tell you there animals are vet checked but that really doesn't mean much most of the time. Often this means a vet comes to the store and takes a quick look at the cages to see if any of the animals look ill. Since most reptiles don't look ill until they're half-dead this isn't much to go on. Some pet shops do treat all reptiles for parasites but so few do that it just isn't worth the risk of not taking them to the vet yourself.

I don't mean to scare you off from MHDs here but I appreciate the fact that you are doing your research first and want you to have adequate information so that you can know what will be involved with the animal you do choose.

The bearded dragons will cost more but will have fewer health issues initially. The MHD will cost less but you will have to put out some up front vet fees to make sure he will be healthy.

Once settled in either can make a nice pet. Whichever you choose I wish you the best.
-----
Marcia - FroggieB Dragons
www.froggieb.com/MHDHome.html

_____

Signature file edited. [phw 9/13/04]

Oh, forgot, if you want to read more about MHDs follow the link to my caresheet under my signature!
-----
Marcia - FroggieB Dragons
www.froggieb.com/MHDHome.html

_____

Signature file edited. [phw 9/13/04]

.

As someone who works in a pet store, I can attest to the beardies being more likely tobe healthy. However, I have seen 4 baby FARM RAISED MHDs in the store in the past several months, which is very exciting. If you're looking at adults, they are likely WC, like Marcia said. However, in a chain store ( petsmart, at least), you can say "has that dragon had a fecal test. It looks abnormally yellow, and feels heavy!" Then give them your phone # and tell them to call you when she's been treated. And check back often. Just a tip to get them to cover the med bills. Most dragons in pet stores are also female, around 70%. No idea why.
-----
April
1.0 Mali Uromastyx- Embrodak,
0.1 Saharan Uromastyx- Scheherazade
2.1 Mountain Horned Dragon- Beren, Luthien and Tinuviel
3.0.5 Hermit Crabs- Violet, Polly, Jennifer, Trogdor, Hedwig, Penelope and Sinistra
1.1 Five lined Skink- Leela and Fry
1.0 Bettas-Nuala