Are bearded dragons good pets? They are NOT “pets”

In their natural Australian desert habitat, bearded dragons love to climb, bask in the sun, cool off underground, and harvest vegetables. In contrast, in the pet trade, these reptiles are often shoved into trash cans, deprived of water, deprived of veterinary care, treated as breeding machines, and killed when they can no longer reproduce (sometimes by gas poisoning in plastic bags). Bearded dragons who make make it to pet stores alive and bought by people who often languish in too small enclosures, where their extremely complex (and costly to maintain) needs are left unmet.

Find out why the answer to the question “Are bearded dragons good pets?” it is “no” – they, like all other reptilesare not “pets” at all.

Bearded Dragon Facts

Did you know that even though Australia banned the export of wild bearded dragons, people started raising lizards in the United States for the pet trade in the 1990s? Or that they are cold-blooded animals that rely on external heat sources to raise their body temperature? In nature, this means they bask in the warm sun or hide underground to avoid extreme heat. In captivity, this means using UV lamps or other artificial heat sources that are difficult to regulate.

One PETA revelation revealed that reptiles – like this bearded dragon – in a PetSmart-affiliated nursery were deprived of even basic necessities, including heat and UV lamps.

Did you know that bearded dragons molt like snakes? Not having enough heat and light can negatively affect their ability to shed their skin properly, as can the lack of a sufficiently natural environment (with stones, twigs, etc.).

6 other facts about bearded dragons

• Bearded dragons eat crickets. As the guardian of the bearded dragon, your life will include many trips to the pet store to buy these crickets, which often run into your house and chirp all night.
• In Hawaii, it is forbidden to own a bearded dragon.
• Bearded dragons lay eggs – usually about 20 at a time.
• Many foods are toxic to bearded dragons. For example, the oxalic acid in avocados makes them potentially lethal to these reptiles.
• In nature, bearded dragons can be sociable, but in an unnatural setting such as a human home, they should not be housed together.
• Do bearded dragons hibernate? They infuriatein fact, it looks like, but brumation in captivity can be irregular and difficult.

The lifespan of a bearded dragon

In nature, bearded dragons can live up to 8 years of age, but it is estimated that in captivity, up to 75% of “domestic” reptiles die within the first year of life. Bearded dragons and other reptiles are not “pets” (imagine your son or daughter’s heart breaking when their new lizard friend dies less than a year later) – they are sensitive animals that can experience anxiety, stress, distress, excitement, fear, etc. frustration, pain and suffering, and which require specialized help.

A PETA investigator, who spent time at a large PetSmart supplier factory, was allowed to bring Esmeralda (pictured here) home – she suffers from a spinal deformity and was kept by factory employees as an unusual novelty.

Those who buy bearded dragons often do so on impulse and have little or no knowledge of their special needs for space, warmth, humidity, lighting, live prey, and so on.

Without proper care, bearded dragons’ pets that survive the year’s curse often suffer from serious and painful health problems, including metabolic bone disease due to calcium deficiency, mouth rot, respiratory ailments, abscesses, and ulcers.

PETA was thrilled when – after months of searching – we found Esmeralda a new home with a kind guardian from New York, whose rescued “beard” had recently passed away and who was willing to provide another lizard in need with a spacious, natural environment (and of course many TLC).

Bearded dragons for sale?

Undercover PETA investigations have exposed rampant abuse and neglect of businesses that transport and sell domesticated bearded dragons and other reptiles, including PETA’s 15-week eyewitness investigation at Reptiles by Mack, a reptile factory in Xenia, Ohio that breeds and sells bearded dragons and other animals at pet stores across the country, including PetSmart.

Hundreds of bearded
dr
agons at Reptiles by Mack were kept in filthy, fecal-filled tubs.

In Reptiles by Mack, some of the young female bearded dragons died after being placed in baths with large males (a practice that an observer described as “throwing small children there to be raped”).

At Reptiles by Mack, PETA researchers documented the deaths of more than 675 animals, including this bearded dragon that could not open its mouth or left eye, and the manager left him to suffer for hours before she was killed.

For many bearded dragons, the only source of “water” was shriveled green leafy vegetables. One PETA researcher documented how sluggish, dehydrated bearded dragons clamored for water and drank constantly – before four minutes – when he offered it to them.

Mack did not notice how Mack did not provide veterinary care to the lizards due to their severely injured, bleeding legs, which were left to rot.

One worker said he cut off a bearded dragon’s leg with wire cutters and “snapped”[ped]”Tear off their tails with your fingers.”

Under these circumstances, it is not unusual – at the time, the reptiles from Mack were sixth an animal dealer with links to major pet store chains that PETA has disclosed.

Do bearded dragons love being touched?

Have you ever wondered, “How to play with a bearded dragon?” or “Can bearded dragons harm you?” Because of the high risk of contracting potentially fatal salmonella, keeping “domestic” reptiles is dangerous – both agencies warn about it, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) note. Bearded dragons and other reptiles can carry Salmonella bacteria on their skin, and bacteria can even be found in animal enclosures – Salmonella can be transmitted by simply holding them, cleaning their enclosures in a sink, allowing them to walk on the floor or surface, or allowing children to touch them and then your mouth. In 2017, a newborn girl was hospitalized after contracting salmonella from a “house” bearded dragon – doctors reportedly told the child’s mother that her daughter “could have died.” In 2020, the CDC reportedly found that 13 cases of Salmonella infections in eight states were potentially linked to the handling of “domestic” hedgehogs and bearded dragons.

Capturing a bearded dragon of any size can cause it to struggle and toss in an attempt to escape, which makes them uneasy. If you live with other companion animals, such as a dog or cat, their presence can scare a bearded dragon too – in nature, bearded dragons hide underground to avoid predators, but in your home they cannot escape the possibly frightening interest of other animals …

How much do bearded dragons cost?

Ultimately, the purchase price of a bearded dragon is the very life of the reptile. If you feel prepared for the commitment, dedication, and patience required to become a pet guardian, consider adopting a dog, cat, or rabbit that can thrive if properly cared for in a person’s home. Click below to find out what you need to know before adopting a pet:

Frequently asked questions about animal shelter and adoption

You can also speak out for bearded dragons and other animals that suffer and die in the pet trade – tell PetSmart officials that you only plan to buy supplies from businesses that not sell animals like Target, Walgreens or online stores:

Encourage PetSmart to do better