If you own a bearded dragon, chances are that it has pooped on you at some point. Have you ever wondered why it did that?
Bearded dragons do not poop on their owners as a sign of dominance. However, they may poop on their owners as a fear or stress response. It can also happen with bearded dragons that have diarrhea, since they may not be able to control when and where they poop.
In this blog post, we will discuss the reasons that bearded dragons may poop on you and what it means. We will also provide tips on how to keep it from happening again.
Table of Contents
Why Is My Bearded Dragon Pooping On Me?
Let’s have a look at the reasons in detail!
Did My Bearded Dragon Poop On Me To Show Dominance
Some people might think that when a bearded dragon poops on them that their pet is trying to show dominance. This is not the case. Pooping is not a strategy that bearded dragons use to show dominance, either with you or with other bearded dragons.
You Just Have Good (Or Bad?) Timing
Your bearded dragon may simply have poor timing when it comes to pooping. Maybe you picked them up at an inopportune time, and they had no choice but to go then and there!
Was this a one-time occasion? If this is the case, it’s nothing to worry about as long as their poop looks normal. If it happens more often than that, then you need to investigate to find out what’s causing the problem.
Bearded Dragons Poop When They Are Stressed
Many animals poop more when they are stressed, especially when that stress is suddenly increased. If your bearded dragon is already stressed, handling it may increase that stress sharply which can result in them pooping on you.
Stress is bad for bearded dragons and can cause health problems if it’s not addressed. If your beardie poops on you when you handle it, you need to figure out if it is stressed and take steps to correct it.
We recommend reading our article on stress in bearded dragons to learn more.
Bearded Dragons Poop Out Of Fear
Another possible reason why your bearded dragon pooped on you could be due to fear. Many animals – not just bearded dragons – poop as a fear response.
This is part of the “fight or flight” response, which involves the body’s automatic nervous system. In other words, it is an evolutionary reaction to frightening stimuli.
It is possible that your bearded dragon pooped on you because it was afraid. Beardies who are not used to being handled, or not used to being handled by you, will naturally be afraid when you pick them up.
This article explains some of the more common things that make bearded dragons fearful.
Your Bearded Dragon Pooped Because It Was Comfortable.
On the flip side, it’s possible that your bearded dragon pooped because it was very comfortable with you. Again, they are like most other animals in this respect. Animals naturally poop when they are relaxed and comfortable.
If your bearded dragon pooped while it was calmly relaxing in your hand or while sitting on another part of your body, then it’s a sign that they feel safe and secure with you. This is a good thing!
Your Bearded Dragon Is Pooping More Often Than Normal
Are you noticing an uptick in your bearded dragon’s bowel movements? If so, then the chances are increased that pooping is going to happen when you handle it. Increased pooping frequency could be indicative of a health issue that needs to be addressed.
Bearded dragons poop more often when they have diarrhea. Diarrhea is poop that is very soft or even runny. The most common causes of diarrhea in bearded dragons are diet and parasites such as cryptosporidia, coccidia, and pinworms.
Bearded dragons that develop diarrhea are suffering from an underlying health problem and should always be checked out by a veterinarian.
We recommend reading our article on bearded dragon diarrhea to learn more about the causes and treatments.
How Do You Prevent A Bearded Dragon From Pooping On You?
The best way to prevent your bearded dragon from pooping on you is by understanding the causes of why they do it in the first place.
If everything else is normal and you just have bad timing, pay attention to their normal pooping habits. Your bearded dragon will tend to have a set schedule – you just need to make sure you are not handling it during the time of the day when it usually takes care of business.
If your beardie is pooping out of fear or stress, then make sure you are handling them correctly and not stressing them out too much. Give them lots of time to get comfortable with you and don’t handle them too often.
If your bearded dragon is pooping more than normal, then you need to figure out why and take steps to address it. Diarrhea can be a sign of an underlying health problem such as parasites or diet-related problems. If they have diarrhea, they should always be seen by a veterinarian.
Finally, if your bearded dragon is pooping because they are comfortable with you, then there’s not much to worry about! Just try not to handle them during the times when they usually poop.
Pooping Is A Natural Body Function Of Bearded Dragons
It goes without saying, everyone has to poop sometime! And that includes bearded dragons. It’s a normal bodily function. Before you start worrying about your beardie’s pooping habits, you need to understand what normal is.
How Often Should Bearded Dragons Poop
Younger bearded dragons poop more frequently than older ones. This is because they are growing rapidly and eating more often than an adult does
Bearded dragons under three months of age will usually poop 1-3 times a day. As they get older, this slowly decreases in frequency. They will slow down to pooping about every other day until they are fully grown at 18 months of age.
Fully mature bearded dragons can go as long as seven days without pooping, although the normal range is anywhere between every 1-7 days.
It’s important to pay attention to your bearded dragon’s poop schedule so that you can get an idea of what’s normal for them. Once you know what normal is, then you can be more certain when something abnormal is going on.
What Should Bearded Dragon Poop Look Like?
Normal bearded dragon poop is a mix of feces and urate. Feces is the solid waste portion that is formed in the intestine, while urate is the “urine”, or portion that is produced by the kidneys. Both of these empty into the cloaca, which is the main exit point.
In healthy bearded dragons, feces should be light to dark brown and formed (a “log” that is not too hard or runny, with a white or yellowish paste at one end which is the urate). There may be a bit of watery fluid present which is also part of the urate.
Conclusion
Addressing underlying sources of fear and stress, correcting any dietary problems, getting veterinary care for health issues, and understanding your beardie’s normal pooping routine will help you avoid being being pooped on again in the future.
Bearded dragons are happy to poop whenever and wherever they need to, even if that happens to be on you! But that doesn’t mean that you can’t take steps to prevent it from happening while they are in your care.
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