Behavior
The bearded dragon is one of the rare reptiles that are not frightened from humans. It is therefore very easy to carry them and they like to stay in your hand for a while. Most of pogona vitticeps do not refuse to be fed by hand. The Pogona Vitticeps are quite curious by nature, and are not very shy. As their sense of sight is well developed, it is not uncommon that they sometimes observe some scenes of the everyday life that take place near their terrarium. Personally, I have several cats and I often see an interaction between my dragons and my cats. The maintenance in captivity is easy, it makes them a perfect reptile for those wishing to start in terrariophily, for children, or a pet for people allergic to animal hair.
These agamas have a well developed sense of hierarchy and territoriality. I strongly advise not to put more than one male in a terrarium. They will not hesitate to fight to death! You will recognise the dominant animal as he will seek the heights and be near the heat. It is therefore important to arrange the terrarium so that all animals can benefit from the heat and the UV.
The bearded dragons have a body language. Hereafter are the basic gestures and their meanings:
The body and the beard (coloured in black) are flared (and sometimes the mouth open): the bearded dragon adopts a defensive attitude because he feels threatened. The source of the threat may come from inside the terrarium (one of its congeners), or outside the terrarium (another animal, a human being). Personally, I have several bearded dragons, reptiles, cats, and people visiting me. I handle my dragons daily, and I have never seen this type of behaviour. It is important to distinguish it from the mating parade that I will describe later.
The male shakes his head repeatedly vertically (eventually colours his neck in black): it means that the male wants to mate. The female will wave with one of her front legs as a sign of acceptance. He will then move quickly towards her, climb on her back, bite her neck, move aside, and introduce the hemipenis closest to the female’s cloaca to mate.
Head bobbing: the pogona vitticeps indicates he is the dominant. I have never been attacked in one of these moments when touching him.
Leg waving: the bearded dragon accepts to be dominated. Done by a female, as part of the mating parade, it means she is ready to mate.
The female flattens down: this means that she doesn’t want to mate.
Yabo-concept