Bearded dragons can be quirky sometimes which can understandably worry some owners. For instance, they may sleep in unusual positions, adopt strange feeding habits, or lick certain surfaces in their environment. While it’s normal to display certain feeding and sleeping patterns, licking has a broader and more interesting backstory.
Bearded dragons often lick people out of familiarity or curiosity. However, this behavior can also indicate an underlying illness usually accompanied by lethargy, paleness, and unresponsiveness.
In this article, we’ll explore the reasons why your pet licks you and whether or not you should be concerned. Let get into it!
Should You Be Worried When Your Bearded Dragon Licks You?
Context is key when interpreting why your bearded dragon is licking you. A healthy bearded dragon may occasionally lick you, and this behavior is generally harmless, even if it happens unexpectedly.
Still, if your dragon is unwell and appears to lick you by accident, it could indicate a neurological issue which we will discuss later in this article. These situations are quite different, so it’s usually easy to determine when you should be concerned.
6 Reasons Why Your Bearded Dragon Licks You or Its Surrounding
While it may seem odd, it’s not unusual for your bearded dragon to lick you. Here are six reasons behind this behavior:
1. Symbol of Familiarity
Bearded dragons can get excited and may lick their owners, especially if they’ve built a strong bond. Your beardie might lick you when you pick it up or offer it food, and this is quite normal. Remember to wash your hands afterward, as beardies can carry salmonella, which is harmful to humans.
2. To Gather Information
Bearded dragons have sensitive tongues that help them explore their environment. Through licking, they can detect humidity and other chemical cues, which may indicate changes in their surroundings. If your pet is on a licking spree, it might be trying to gather more information, especially if you’ve changed certain parts of its enclosure or moved it to a new tank.
3. To Locate Food
In the wild, bearded dragons use their tongues to locate small prey by sensing chemical changes in their environment that signal the presence of food. If you notice your pet licking the floor or its enclosure, it could be searching for tasty fruits.
4. Sign of Hunger
If your beardie recognizes you as its caregiver, it may lick you to communicate its hunger, especially if it’s used to being hand-fed. However, avoid feeding your pet too many treats as it can lead to unhealthy weight gain.
5. Sign of Dehydration
In their natural habitat, bearded dragons lick surfaces such as rocks and leaves to obtain dew for hydration. If your pet is licking you, it could be signaling its need for water. Ensure it has access to water, either through a bowl or by soaking it in warm shallow water for a few minutes.
6. Environment Awareness
Bearded dragons often leave saliva on their favorite basking spots to mark their territory. If your pet licks you, it could be signaling to other beardies that you’re its favorite human, warding off competition.
The Unsettling Reasons Why Your Bearded Dragon Licks You
Bearded dragon licks may be adorable, but in some cases, they can be symptoms of a bad situation. Beardies also act on impulse when they’re in pain or confused, which could be a direct result of the following scenarios:
Neurological Disorders
Bearded dragons can develop neurological disorders due to factors such as genetics, blunt-force trauma to the head, vitamin or mineral deficiencies, and infections. Neurological disorders like ataxia are often associated with slack jaws and dysregulated head and body movements, which can lead to accidental or frequent licking.
The symptoms of neurological disorders are:
- Head tilting
- Wobbling
- Slack jaw
- Hanging tongue (which can then lead to licking)
- Aggressiveness
- Lethargy
- Loss of coordination
- Eyelid paralysis
- Loss of appetite
Metabolic Bone Disease
Bearded dragons with severe metabolic bone disease may struggle to align their jaws and thus, excessively lick their surroundings. MBD deforms the skeletal system, which disrupts mobility and posture. Symptoms of metabolic bone disease are:
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- Weakened jaw
- Limb deformities
- Difficulty breathing
- Stargazing
- Weight loss
- Overgrown scales
Is My Bearded Dragon’s Saliva Dangerous?
Bearded dragons’ saliva is mostly harmless. However, they can carry salmonella, which can be transmitted to humans if the saliva or feces of an infected bearded dragon is ingested. To prevent salmonella poisoning, thoroughly wash your hands after handling your bearded dragon to avoid transferring bacteria to your food.
How Do I Know My Beardie Has Salmonella?
Bearded dragons can carry salmonella without showing symptoms. Regardless, this is not to say they cannot fall sick from it. If your beardie is suffering from a salmonella infection, it may display symptoms like:
- Diarrhea
- Bloody or mucousy stool
- Loss of appetite
- Lethargy
- Weight loss
- Swollen eyelids
- Pale or rather dry look
If you notice these signs, ensure you practice strict hygiene and visit the veterinarian for appropriate treatment.
Do Bearded Dragons Lick Other Dragons?
Bearded dragons are not typically friendly toward one another. They tend to bond more closely with their caregivers than with other beardies, as they are competitive and territorial by nature.
However, in rare cases where the dragons become fond of each other, they may lick one another when they feel comfortable and secure. But this behavior is more about gathering information than forming friendships.
Do Bearded Dragons Lick Themselves?
It’s uncommon for bearded dragons to lick themselves, as they’re inflexible. Still, you might occasionally see your pet licking its forelimbs, which is normal. If you observe excessive grooming or picking at the nails, it might indicate stress or discomfort. If the enclosure is properly set up and meets your bearded dragon’s needs, consider consulting your veterinarian for a thorough evaluation.
