Every pet owner who is thinking of getting bearded dragons wonder if they are active and if they are, how active are they? Some animals are more active than others and animals like the sloth aren’t active at all regardless of when. So, are bearded dragons active?
Bearded dragons are very active animals but only during the day. They spend all their time roaming around, digging, and climbing if their enclosure allows them to do so. Note that they spend a lot of time basking as well which has almost no activity.
When bringing a new pet into the household, one of the first questions that need to be answered is how active they are. This lets you know how active they are supposed to be and if you have the time to handle their activity. Exactly how active are bearded dragons?
How Active Are Bearded Dragons?
Bearded dragons are like dogs who love to play around all day if the chance presents itself. With that said, they aren’t active all the time as they need to bask from time to time as a means of survival.
Bearded dragons are cold-blooded animals that need the environment to manage their body temperature. This is why you will see them spend hours upon hours basking to increase their body temperatures to keep themselves healthy.
However, that doesn’t mean they aren’t active though. In fact, bearded dragons are very playful and active because they are naturally curious reptiles that like to wander and dig around during the day.
On top of that, they will also spend time climbing branches if there are any branches available to them. Unlike most other reptiles, bearded dragons love to be out of their enclosures to walk around and enjoy some fun activities.
They love to spend time playing with their owners as well. This is very unusual if you compare it to their fellow reptiles, chameleons, but it’s just how they are. Pet owners that are looking for an exotic animal that they can play around with like dogs can take in a bearded dragon.
You can even buy toys to play with your bearded dragons to keep things interesting between the both of you. Being active is very important to a bearded dragon, as I’ll explain why.
Why Is It Important to Keep Bearded Dragons Active?
Bearded dragons that are more active tend to be healthier and happier. Here are the main reasons why it’s important to keep your bearded dragon active.
Basic Instincts
Like us, bearded dragons need exercise to keep their bodies healthy and strong. They are used to the vigorous environment in the wild which forces them to stay active to survive.
You’ll find a wild bearded dragon scavenging for food or avoiding predators all the time. Since they won’t be able to roam as freely as they once would in the wild, they won’t feel as comfortable just sitting around doing nothing.
Hence why it is important to have an enclosure that is large enough for your bearded dragon to do most of everything they want unimpeded. Different bearded dragons at different stages will need different sized tanks.
Even if you manage to find them a massive tank to roam around in, it is still important for them to be able to roam outside of the tank. Anywhere between 20 to 30 minutes of daily outdoor activities will be enough to keep their cardiovascular health optimal.
Mental Process
Staying active also keeps a bearded dragon’s brain stimulated as well. You’d be bored if you don’t do anything the entire day right? The same goes for a bearded dragon if they just stay in the tank all day long.
Keep in mind that in the wild, they are always hunting prey and hiding from predators to stay alive. This basic instinct for survival keeps them occupied and gives them something to focus on for all their lives.
Since bearded dragons won’t be needing to hunt or hide in a domestic setting, it leaves them with little to no activity in their lives. This is why we should try our best to keep them mentally and physically stimulated throughout the day.
Why Isn’t My Bearded Dragon Active?
Sometimes, your bearded dragon might not feel as active and just laze around all day. It’s highly unlikely, but it does happen from time to time.
Note that there might be a bigger issue at hand if your bearded dragon appears to be lazy. Here are a few things that will make a bearded dragon inactive.
Wrong Diet
Bearded dragons need a good and balanced diet to keep themselves healthy and active throughout the day. It’s good to incorporate a balance of insect proteins, vegetables, and calcium supplements as any deficiencies in these will cause them to be less active.
Calcium is a very important part of a bearded dragon’s diet as they are very susceptible to Metabolic Bone Disease. It’s a disease that makes their bones very fragile or even rubber-like, being unable to support their weight.
Since they won’t be able to support their weight, they won’t be moving around a lot due to the pain and inconvenience.
Bad Lighting
Lighting is also an important factor when considering how active a bearded dragon is. Bearded dragons use the sun to decide the time of day when in the wild.
They stay very active as long as the sun is up and do nothing but sleep when the night comes. Suboptimal lightings may cause your bearded dragon to think that night is about to fall, hence why they will prepare themselves for sleep.
Not to mention the fact that the lighting in their enclosure replaces the sun for both light and heat. Bearded dragons need heat to maintain their body temperature because they are cold-blooded animals.
It also aids with digestion among other things. This is why suboptimal lightings will cause your bearded dragon to feel sluggish. UVB from lights is essential to them as well.
Without it, they cannot produce Vitamin D which is required for the body to absorb calcium. This leads them to develop Metabolic Bone Disease which has been previously discussed.
Small Tank Size
Bearded dragons can grow up to 2 feet long, which means they need a lot of space to move around. If the tank is too small, they won’t be able to explore freely and will get bored very soon.
It isn’t surprising that they will become depressed due to the lack of mental stimulation as well. Ensure that your bearded dragon is kept in the right tank so that it can be as curious as it wants to be.
Illness
The most common reason for the inactivity of a bearded dragon is, of course, illness. Most of the other explanations detailed above usually result in this one anyway.
Many illnesses can cause a bearded dragon to become idle including infections, pains, and common sicknesses. If you suspect that your bearded dragon is ill, bring it to a vet immediately.
They will have the tools and the expertise to deal with it and keep your bearded dragon happy and comfortable while they are being treated.
How Do I Make My Bearded Dragon More Active?
Assuming that your bearded dragon is just lazing around not due to any health or environmental issues, you can keep your bearded dragon active simply by giving it enough things to do throughout the day.
Bring your bearded dragon out for a walk around the house every day to keep its heart beating and mind working. The curious side inside of them will awaken and soon enough they will automatically be more active while they scour around discovering new things.
Moreover, you can also bring them toys to give them something to play with while you work on your relationship with them. Something as simple as a laser pen or a ball will do the trick to keep them occupied. After all, bearded dragons are somewhat like dogs and cats anyway.
Are Bearded Dragons Active At Night?
Not at all. Bearded dragons are diurnal creatures which means that they are only active during the day. You won’t find a bearded dragon doing much else other than sleep when the moon starts to rise.
This is because they can’t see in the dark well despite their ability to see color excellently. This is why it’s important to set up a day and night cycle for them in their tank. This allows bearded dragons to prepare themselves for sleep roughly around the same time each day.
Are Baby Bearded Dragons More Active Than Adult Ones?
Baby and juvenile bearded dragons tend to be more active than adult ones. This is because they are very new to this world, hence they are more curious about everything.
You will often find baby bearded dragons licking everything they see just to know what they taste like. However, it is also possible for a baby bearded dragon to be inactive if it’s brought into your home.
This is because they are new to the environment and will need weeks or even months to get comfortable. Moreover, it’s not surprising to find them hiding around their tanks as well.
Adult bearded dragons tend to be less active because of age. Since they are older, their energy levels will be much lesser when compared to babies. This doesn’t mean they aren’t active though, just that they are more active when younger.
Conclusion
Bearded dragons are very active animals unless they are basking. That is the only time when they choose to not do much and just sit around enjoying the heat.
Bearded dragons need to stay active to keep their physical and mental health in top shape. If your bearded dragon isn’t active, there are some things that you should look into to see if the problem lies there.
However, if they are just lazy, just give them a little motivation and spend more time with them to keep them moving. Younger bearded dragons tend to be more active than adults, but that doesn’t mean adult ones aren’t active at all though.
There are tons of things you can do with your bearded dragon that puts both of you on your feet.
