Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just curious.....has anyone ever been bitten by their beardie? Mine is about 9 months old. I know you all have said that they mellow out as they get older, it's just that sometimes I feel like she is going to lunge at my hand and bite it when I try to pick her up. I try not to appear nervous because I don't want her to pick up on that, so I talk to her and stuff when I am sticking my hand in there. She just seems so defensive. And if she does bite me, does anyone know if it hurts? It seems like they don't really have teeth, but I know they do!

The only time either of my dragons ever bit me, was accidently when i was hand feeding them, it didnt hurt, but it's definatly suprising when/if it happens.
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1.1.0 Bearded Dragons
Quebert & Isis
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Signature file edited; [phw 9/24/04]

I had a beardie that never realy tamed at all..... just a freak...LOL spazmastic guy. He hated being held and I payed the price one day. he bit a chunk out of the end of my finger. No, I'm not exagerating, they can and will take chunks if you piss them off...... I literally bled for like 2.5 hours. He got me with the sides of his jaw and just laid me open....LOL..... I showed him though.... I found a terrible pet store to buy him..... Bite the hand that feeds.... hmph...
LOL... JUST KIDDING.......... He was an adult when he bit me.

Later,
RObert
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A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,
adored by little statesmen, philosophers and divines.
Ralph Emerson

LoL which part are you kidding about though? LOL! Selling him? hehehe~

What made him bite you? I was nervous that mine was gonna bite me when I picked him up from out of the bun in my hair so I couldn't see him when I lifted him up.

The breeder I bought my beardie from said she had 1 beardie of the 8 or 10 beardies that she was selling that bit her a couple times. But she said it didn't hurt, especially because it was still a month or so old at the time (2 months before she started to sell them). She said it didn't hurt and she didn't bleed, but I don't know what an adult bite would feel like - LOL. ouch.
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0.0.1 Bearded Dragon (Cookie Monster)
1.0.0 Crested Gecko (Vas-D)
0.0.2 Fire Bellied Toads (Norman & Forman)
0.0.2 Goldfish (Lenny & Carl)
1.0.0 Black Lab / Pit Bull (Mikey)

I don't know why he hated being held so much.... I've never seen a beardie act that way other than him. He would absolutely attack my hand every time I put it in the cage from the time he was a baby. So needless to say he didn't get held much after a few months of trying to calm him down. I still liked him... he was so spastic.... I actually renamed him Chucky cause there was so much attitude from such a little creature..... if I could have just bred that same attitude into some pitbulls..... I'd have ruled the pits....LOL

Later
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A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,
adored by little statesmen, philosophers and divines.
Ralph Emerson

Bearded dragons can hurt when they bite you. It all depends on how old they are, how scared/angry and where they get you. I have been biten a few times by my bearded dragon. Most times it didn't hurt, one time I broke the skin because of where she got me. But it didn't hurt at all like a cat can hurt when they are in a real play mode and forget your fingers are not a playtoy.

You mentioned your dragon gets very defensive (hissing, gaping, biting etc) when you reach in to pick him up. Are you reaching down from above? If so, I suggest coming up from below instead. Dragons instinctively view anything coming down on them from above as dangerous (ie swooping bird, pouncing dingo). Also, approach slowly so your movement doesn't startle him.
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PHLdyPayne

Yes, I'm sorry to say it does hurt. Although they don't have teeth thay have ridges that serve as teeth. I wouldn't be too worried about it . It only hurts for a few seconds. They do get more tamed when they are older and sometimes it seems as though they are going to bite you but it is just defence and sometimes they don't do anything.

My adult male beardie Lenny sometimes thinks my finger is a nice juicy grape. He has never bit down hard enough to hurt me though. Just a test bite I guess. Good luck with your young one.
Lance