Does Your Bearded Dragon Love You?

Anyone who owns a bearded dragon know how easy they are to love. They're cute and full of personality. They do funny things and are generally very interesting to care for. But does your dragon love you back?  The short answer to that is no.  Hear me out, though!  Although your dragon may not feel the same way that we feel about them, they do have feelings and they have the ability to express different emotions similar to how people and other animals do. 

We, as people, tend to project human emotions onto other species.  Love is a human feeling and is extremely complex.  Although other animals may feel this and show it in different ways. It is never the same as how people interpret it.  When we love something, we tend to show it by touching and holding the animal.  We offer them their favorite foods and ensure that they are getting the best care possible.  We feel a deep attachment to animals that we love and it can be physically painful for us to lose loved ones.  This just isn't something that bearded dragons are physically capable of feeling.

Don't get me wrong. Bearded dragons ARE capable of feeling.  They may feel excitement, anger, fear and pleasure.  Bearded dragons also get to know and recognize their owner by their look as well as their smell.  They may get excited when you enter the room and they likely trust you and associate you with food or even free range time. They feel pleasure when you feed them or allow them to run around your room (in a safe and secure environment).  They know that when you enter the room, something good is going to happen for them.  They may appear calm and light in color as they are not afraid of you.  They may also get excited and hyper as they are ready for what is to come.  On the other hand, they also show when they are unhappy or feeling threatened.  They will appear darker in color and their beards will become black.  This is also the case when they see a potential mate or are feeling territorial towards another animal.  Bearded dragons also don't love each other.

It is a common misconception that bearded dragons need a friend or a tank mate.  Bearded dragons are solitary animals and should never be housed with another dragon.  They really should never have the chance to come in contact with each other.  Even if it seems as though they get along, they turn quickly and one fight between two dragons can be deadly. You will often see dragons laying on top of each other.  This is sometimes viewed as affection as that is what we are used to seeing in mammals but this is far from love.  The more dominant dragon will sunbath on top of the other to absorb more sunlight and block his tank mate from getting the proper nourishment. Without the proper UVB, a bearded dragon is unable to digest its food properly and may stop eating entirely.  It is important to understand that your dragon does not experience loneliness like a person or dog might and there is no good reason for bearded dragons to be housed together.

With all of this being said,  it is very easy to assume that dragons are feeling the same way that we would in a similar situation.  That isn't necessarily a bad thing as long as these ideas are not putting your dragon at risk.  Although they may not love you in the common sense of the word, they appreciate all that you do for them! This should not discourage you from loving your pet or from continuing to spoil you pet even more.  Regardless of the facts, we will think that our dragons love us, maybe a little bit... To get 10% off all Retail live bugs use code LOVE10 - valid 2/14/2022 - 2/24/2022.