Bearded dragons are an increasingly popular pet, but they need love too! As your bearded dragon gets older, you may be wondering if you can keep two or more adults together.
It is important to do your research and learn about the best housing techniques for adult bearded dragons. Can you actually keep adult bearded dragons together in the same cage?
In this article, we will look at the individual needs of adult bearded dragons and see if it is safe to keep them together in the same habitat. We’ll consider factors like the size of the enclosure, personality clashes, food requirements, and temperament to help us make a decision.
Can You Put Two Bearded Dragons Together?
Can you put two bearded dragons together? The short answer is, no. Although these lovable reptiles make great companions, they shouldn’t be housed together in the same enclosure. Bearded dragons are generally quite content with human companionship but not so much when it comes to other beardies.
When two or more beardies inhabit the same enclosure, they may become agitated and territorial – resulting in aggressive behavior like ramming and biting each other. They can even bring stress-related illnesses to one another through their body language and posture. In order to keep them as happy as possible, it’s best to avoid keeping multiple bearded dragons together in the same home.
Two or More Male Beardies Together
If you’re considering keeping two or more male beardies together, you might want to think twice. Not only is this a recipe for continual tension and fighting amongst the reptiles, but it could also lead to some very costly vet visits.
Male beardies tend to be territorial– they want to feel like they own their space. When two of them share the same living quarters, they will attempt to gain dominance over each other by engaging in fierce battles. Sadly, these fights often end with one or both of the reptiles being significantly injured.
For those who value harmony and don’t want their pocketbooks stretched too thin, it’s probably best to avoid keeping multiple males together in a single habitat.
Female and Female Together
Although male bearded dragons can be territorial and fight over one another, females typically don’t exhibit that aggressive behavior with each other. That’s why it’s possible for multiple female bearded dragons to live together in the same habitat – if supervised closely.
For their own safety, though, we highly recommend separate housing for them. Even if you have two female bearded dragons, plus a male beardie, there is no guarantee that fights won’t break out between the two females; because of this, having separate tanks for all three is still recommended.
Male and Female Together
Housing female and male bearded dragons together in the same tank can be a tricky endeavor. While it can work, it’s important to remember that these two will likely reproduce and produce more baby dragons than expected. Male beardies may become aggressive when looking to mate, and could even harm the female if they get too rambunctious.
Also, female dragons can lay around 20 eggs per clutch and have up to 3-4 clutches in a mating process. This means that your tank could easily become full of dozens of baby bearded dragons! Before housing a pair together, make sure the female is at least two years old as breeding before maturity can cause health issues down the road.
It’s also key not to house two male beardies with one female as they’ll fight over her affections and cause problems within the enclosure. If you do house them together, be prepared for babies — lots of them!
Consider Your Pets’ Sizes
When it comes to keeping bearded dragons, size matters. If two dragons differ significantly in size, such as an adult and a baby, it is not recommended for them to live together. The larger dragon may become aggressive and even potentially endanger the smaller one by injuring or even killing it. Additionally, the larger dragon may eat all of the food available, leaving the smaller one to starve. This can even occur between a mother and her young.
For these reasons, if you plan on having multiple bearded dragons living together in the same enclosure, ensure that they are of similar sizes and closely monitor their behavior. It’s important that you act quickly if you notice any signs of aggression or discomfort – bite marks, unhappiness, or lack of overall well-being – as this could be an indication that they need to be separated immediately.
How to Tell If a Bearded Dragon is Being Bullied
If you share an enclosure with two bearded dragons, it’s important to watch for signs of bullying. Bearded dragons always show their feelings and behaviors which may indicate that one is being intimidated by the other.
When a beardie is being bullied, they usually will display certain traits such as arm waving, appearing stressed, loss of appetite and slow head bobbing. The bully may also be displaying quick head bobbing, pinning down the other beardie, puffing its beard out, or standing tall and proud over them.
These are all signs that can help you identify if one bearded dragon is bullying the other so that you can intervene before they get hurt.
Can Bearded Dragons Live Together?
Can Bearded Dragons Live Together? It’s a tough question that doesn’t have an easy answer. The truth is, it really depends on the individuals and their set-up. If you’re willing to follow certain guidelines, there stands a better chance of these reptiles being able to live together.
These guidelines include selecting bearded dragons that are roughly the same size in order to avoid any domination tendencies. Furthermore, never put more than one male in a tank and keep females — who need to mature for two years before living with males — safe from smaller or unhealthy species.
Also, it’s important your enclosure for two or more bearded dragons is roomy enough: 125 gallons is the absolute minimum requirement here. Even if all these conditions are met, the results may not be as desired as every situation is unique and variable depending on the individuals involved.
Ultimately, separating them can also be necessary at times — especially during mating season when males tend to get too aggressive with females.
Why Shouldn’t Bearded Dragons Live Together? A Closer Look
It’s a common misconception that two or more Bearded Dragons can live in the same tank, but this is a huge gamble and not something most experts would ever recommend.
In their natural habitat, Bearded Dragons are solitary reptiles who hunt and live alone, so they expect to receive and experience the same type of living environment in captivity. When two or more Bearded Dragons are housed together, a variety of problems can arise—from territorial fighting to increased stress levels.
Allowing them to live together will also usually mean that food and/or resources become depleted which often leads to malnutrition or sickly dragons. Overall, it’s much better for everyone involved if you only house one Bearded Dragon per tank.
Bearded Dragons Living Together Can Cause a Fight For Dominance
Bearded Dragons living together can lead to a domination struggle between the two. This is because they are solitary animals, so if they’re forced to live with each other it may lead to aggression and dominance battles.
In these fights, males are more likely to fight for control due to their natural behavior, but females can also be involved in these competitions on rare occasions. Furthermore, if one Dragon is younger or smaller than the other, then it’s likely that it will be the one who winds up submitting to the older and more dominant specimen.
Unfortunately, this power struggle can be stressful and damaging for all Bearded Dragons involved, so proper shelter and food should always be provided when housing them together.
Bearded Dragons Living Together Can Cause Stress
Having multiple Bearded Dragons living together in the same enclosure can cause a lot of stress. This is because the dragons will fight for dominance to establish who’s at the top of the hierarchy, which can result in loss of appetite and other health issues.
The most important period of a Bearded Dragon’s life is its first 12 months – they do 90% of their growth in this time. So it’s critical to ensure that your pet is cannibalizing enough food during this period. Stress caused by a power struggle between Bearded Dragons living together can stop them from wanting to eat, leading to hindered growth and an unhealthy lifestyle.
The Fight For Food
When you have two or more Bearded Dragons living together, the fight for food can be tricky. One Dragon may take their fair share, leaving the other without enough food to get the vital nutrients they need. This can happen for two reasons: the more dominant Dragon may be faster and better at catching live feeders, or they may intimidate the weaker Dragon so that they don’t dare to take the food on offer.
In order to make sure your Bearded Dragons are getting an even share of the food, it may be necessary to hand-feed them both so that neither one is left behind in terms of nutrition. This way, your Dragons will get all of the essential vitamins and minerals they need to grow and stay healthy!
Keeping Hatchlings and Juveniles Together
Keeping hatchlings and juveniles together is a controversial topic among bearded dragon pet owners. While it is true that keeping juveniles together can be beneficial for individuals in terms of companionship and help keep each other warm, there can also be some serious consequences to consider.
Dominance between members of the same clutch often has to do with size – those that are larger may have the upper hand when claiming resources. In many cases, one juvenile will quickly outgrow their cage mate due to incorrect or insufficient nutrition, resulting in unfair competition for basking areas and food sources.
In extreme cases, attacks may occur between two individuals, even if they had been previously friendly toward each other. In fact, studies have found that asynchronous hatching (when clutches hatch at different times) increases the likelihood of aggressive behavior (Riley et al., 2017).
And while juveniles all start off at similar sizes, it’s possible for them to grow at a varying rate and one territory holder can become much larger than its cage mate, which has the potential to lead to injury or death if not monitored carefully by its owners.
The danger of aggression does not end with juvenile bearded dragons either – stress levels amongst adults kept together who do not get along can go particularly high due to incidents such as tail biting as seen in four hatchlings sharing a glass tank (Tiffany).
Therefore it’s important for owners to consider what happens as their dragons reach adulthood before making any decisions on whether they should be kept together or separated into single enclosures.
How To House Bearded Dragons Together?
When it comes to housing bearded dragons together, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First, make sure each bearded dragon has at least 50 gallons of space for itself. This means that if you have more than one dragon, they should have separate hiding spots and places to eat.
Second, each dragon needs its own basking spot. Ideally, these spots should be clearly separated – whether this is achieved through different heights or by using accessories like hides – and the highest basking spot will usually be used as the dominant dragon’s throne! Additionally, make sure to feed each dragon separately so that one doesn’t get more food than another which could lead to discrepancies in their size and growth rate.
Third, as far as gender goes it’s safest not to house males together or a male and female together (unless you want them to mate) as this can cause stress for the female who could end up getting injured due to the male’s pursuit. It is safer & better to get two adult females or male & female with just 1 male in a group only when you wish them to mate else avoid housing the same genders altogether. As for juveniles and babies, never try experimenting as they pose a high risk of leading to injuries (due to curiosity & hunger).
How To Introduce Bearded Dragons?
If you’re looking to introduce two bearded dragons, there are a few steps you need to take. First and foremost, it’s important to quarantine any new dragon for at least one month. Quarantining ensures that your dragon is healthy before allowing it to interact with any other dragons.
In addition, make sure the dragons are of similar size and age. Different-sized or aged dragons are more likely to be either disinterested in each other or overly aggressive.
It’s recommended that the new dragon be kept on paper towels and its poop monitored; sending the waste to the vet for a full checkup is important too! Finally, remember to always wash your hands after handling a new dragon. By following these steps, you can help ensure successful introductions between two bearded dragons!
How To Introduce Male And Female Bearded Dragons?
Introducing male and female bearded dragons is not a decision to make lightly. If you’ve determined the gender of your dragon (often around 6 months old and onwards) and wish to consider breeding, then it’s important to think carefully about introducing them.
It’s essential that your female is at least 2 years old and your male 18 months or older for successful breeding. Before any introduction take place, provide both the male and female with proper nutrition so they are in the best condition to mate successfully. Furthermore, keep the pair in separate tanks initially; this helps with both the physical and mental health of your dragons.
When ready to introduce them, only do it briefly each time – never keep them permanently together after Puberty when males can begin to display aggressive behavior such as chasing, biting, and constantly trying to breed with her.
During introductions, it is best done on a flat surface or another enclosed area where you can monitor their behaviors – typical signs like head bobbing, black beards, sudden movements, etc should be looked out for if they decide to mate at last!
Conclusion:
In conclusion, it’s not advisable to house adult bearded dragons together unless they have been familiarized since babyhood. Even then, it’s best to monitor the situation for signs of aggression and take action if needed.
Although cohabitation among older bearded dragons may be achieved with a little effort and patience, the process can be difficult and is often unsuccessful. It’s best to give each dragon its own enclosure so it can live comfortably without risk of injury or stress.
