To combat inactivity in my bearded dragons, I contrive enriching experiences that encourage them to engage with their environment.
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An outdoor structure is a great way for your bearded dragon to stay safe from predators while getting a healthy dose of natural sunlight. Outdoor time will stimulate their attention as your bearded dragon scans the skies and watches over the backyard activity.
Bring this to life by building or modifying a pre-existing structure into something suitable for your reptiles to spend a little time in each day.
The possibilities are endless, use these models to spark inspiration.
Never leave your bearded dragon outside unattended, especially in an unsecured environment, and always provide them with water and a shady area for protection.
Thanks, Martha!1Stewart, Martha. “Cat Window Perch.” Martha Stewart Living, Sept. 2018, www.marthastewart.com/1531482/cat-window-perch.
This super cute window napper was designed with cats in mind, but I’ve got a penchant for modifying things meant for other animals, to fit the needs of my bearded dragons.
World-watching can be an immersive sensory experience for a little lizard that’s never left the house.
Grimm’s favorite activity in the world is spying on the comings and goings of our neighborhood from the comfort and safety of a second-story window.
Calming him down is as easy as plopping him on a pillow or blanket by a heavily trafficked window. How joyful it is to design a special seat where they can watch the cars drive past, the people walking by and the birds chasing each other through the sky.
When I came across this cat napper, I knew I needed it. To get this exact look you’ll need–a plywood ledge, leather, gold nails, gold-finish eye hooks, S-hooks, a plumbers’ safety chain, a cushion, and sheepskin.
Climbing stimulates the vestibular (motion, head position, and spatial orientation) and proprioceptive (self-movement and body position) systems.3 Purves D, Augustine GJ, Fitzpatrick D, et al., editors. Neuroscience. 2nd edition. Sunderland (MA): Sinauer Associates; 2001. Chapter 14, The Vestibular System. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10819/
Your bearded dragon is essentially exploring their environment while mastering motor control.
Providing your bearded dragon plenty of hides, rocks, and branches in their enclosure gives them the opportunity to climb, jump, and hide like their wild cousins.
Repurposing a cat tree for my bearded dragons has long been on my radar because my dragons seek out every opportunity to climb. Climbing all over a cat tree is an enriching activity for a bearded dragon’s senses.
Encouraging prey drive via tasks that rely on concentration and precision is beneficial to the physical and mental well-being of any pet.
DIY feeder cup – this is a great option. I just hold the cup above their heads because suction cups and/or Velcro have failed me in the past when it comes to bearded dragon DIY.
Drill the correct hole sizes or the worms will wiggle out too fast, making the activity fairly pointless. This is as close to hunting as it gets for them.
I made two cups for different-sized worms.
Slow-feeder dog bowls are another option. You can set the bowl down and they have to work through simple tasks to get their food.
Channel their prey drive and contrive opportunities for physical exercise, like chasing a ball of insects for half an hour. Cat toys keep making an appearance because they’re so versatile. Instead of cat treats, fill them with super worms and watch your dragon chase them down! Mix in a variety of worms to keep them interested.
The ball should be large enough that they can’t get their mouth around it, to avoid choking.
For a healthier and more enriching reward system, fill a dog toy with their favorite herbs and veggies. Dragons are notoriously picky, so don’t give up when they aren’t immediately interested. In the long term, this task will stimulate their prey drive and excite their senses, providing exercise and strengthening motor precision.
Additionally, spreading dried flowers and dried worms around their enclosure will stimulate the instinct to forage for a portion of their food.
Hear me out…you get a foot massage, they get a whole body massage.
In theory, a foot spa would serve to calm a stressed bearded dragon. It could be used for fun too, but a spa day will be unattractive to some dragons and their owners.
We live a Breakfast at Tiffany’s lifestyle here.
The sensation of being in a jetted tub is very intense. The reactions will land somewhere on a spectrum of hell yes, to hell no.
A Bearded dragon that is showing signs of restlessness -scratching, pacing, or glass surfing- can be dropping hints that they need a dig box, an enriching outlet that will expel excess energy and stop them from potentially self-injurious behavior. Dig boxes are typically used for female dragons laying eggs, but Norman loves his all year long.
Learn how to make a dig box here, it’s my favorite sensory activity for my bearded dragon.
Sources
1 Stewart, Martha. “Cat Window Perch.” Martha Stewart Living, Sept. 2018, www.marthastewart.com/1531482/cat-window-perch.
2 If anyone knows where I can give credit to the original owner of this photo please let me know, I found it here.
3 Purves D, Augustine GJ, Fitzpatrick D, et al., editors. Neuroscience. 2nd edition. Sunderland (MA): Sinauer Associates; 2001. Chapter 14, The Vestibular System. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10819/
4 Purchase the toy balls for lizards here
Well done page! The info was helpful, easy to read and looks great. I’ve been having a hard time finding info on some pages as they have so much fluff it makes it hard to read. Thank you for being to the point. Only suggestion is maybe more examples on the page rather than links?
Loving the info on this site, you have done outstanding job on the articles.