Are Bearded Dragons Bothered By Noise? (The Facts)

Bearded Dragons have great hearing and use this to their advantage in many situations but are Bearded Dragons actually bothered by noise and many of the sounds they are exposed to in captivity?

As a Bearded Dragons enthusiast, this is something that I’ve been wanting to research and answer for a while now so I’ve decided to knuckle down and write this post to bring you all the answers you need as an owner.

So are Bearded Dragons bothered by noise? Extremely loud and unfamiliar sounds can easily bother or even scare your Bearded Dragon. Any noise or sound that is associated with a predator can also cause them to become defensive or intimidated. 

Read on to find out exactly what noises Bearded Dragons are bothered by, how noise actually affects them, if noise stops them getting to sleep and more.

Are Bearded Dragons Bothered By Noise? (A Closer Look)

Bearded Dragons are known for being reptiles that have their own individual personalities.

While some will be outgoing and dominant, others will be submissive and often timid.

These different personality types can also cause some Bearded Dragons to be easily bothered and scared by noise around the home while their counterparts will be unfazed and carry on as normal.

A Bearded Dragon is most likely to be bothered or intimidated by extremely loud noise or a sound that is projected out of the blue, having said this, quieter noise that is associated with a predator can be even more intimidating.

The best thing you can do as an owner is understanding your Dragons personality and don’t consistently put them in situations where load sounds and noise is likely to intimidate them, especially if they have shown discomfort to those sounds in the past for example loud music or hair dryers.

What Noises Are Bearded Dragons Bothered By?

Bearded Dragons can be bothered and intimidated by lots of different noises and situations around the house.

Some of the noises may not seem obvious at first. Let’s take a look at the common noises and sounds that can bother and scare a Bearded Dragon in captivity.

Music

If you play loud music in your home then there is a chance that it will cause some sort of distress to your Bearded Dragon, however, this largely depends on how loud the music is and the bass vibrations.

It will also depend on other factors such as

• How close they are to the source of the music
• How comfortable they are in their surroundings
• Their personality (how likely they are to be scared by loud noises)

If your Dragon’s tank is close to the source of music then you might want to consider either moving their tank or the music player.

Bearded Dragons have a great sense of hearing (you can find all you need to know about their hearing in this detailed post here)

Their hearing is more sensitive than ours and what may seem like a reasonable level of sound to me or you can be overwhelming to a Bearded Dragon.

Placing the source of music too close to your Dragon especially if it’s loud can easily cause them to feel unsure or intimidated and even feel stressed.

You should always play music with consideration and watch your Dragons behaviour. If they look like they are stressed then you really need to think about playing the music in another room or turning it down to a level that isn’t going to cause them any stress.

Television

It’s common to have the television on in the same room as your Bearded Dragon and for the most part, this is fine.

Normally Bearded Dragons won’t be bothered by the sounds that come from the TV, however, certain movies or shows with large amounts of actions scenes can startle your Dragon.

If you notice them hiding when you are watching movies then it could be that the movie is too loud, they are too close to the television or certain sounds are making them feel stressed.

For example, if your Dragon hears a noise that sounds like a predator then they are likely to feel intimidated.

It’s important to create a habitat inside your Bearded Dragons tank that will allow them to feel comfortable and safe.

You should always give them lots of places to hide with natural-looking decor so if they even feel unsure about any situation they can easily retreat to their hiding place until they feel more comfortable.

Here’s I list my recommended hides, rocks, branches and plants you should add to your Bearded Dragons tank to allow them to feel both safe and happy.

Outside Noise

It’s a great idea to give your Bearded Dragons some much-needed exercise and mental stimulation by taking them outside in the garden for an hour.

Having said this, the outside world can be a scary place to a Bearded Dragon that is bred in captivity.

Loud noise from car horns, dogs or birds can be enough to cause your Dragon to become scared and even feel the need to hide.

I would always recommend taking your Dragon for a walk in the garden but before you do It’s a good idea to read this post here that shares how to avoid all the potential dangers so you can be sure your Bearded Dragon is safe and loves the outdoors.

It’s always a good idea to use a harness for the first few times that you take your Dragon in the garden so if they get startled or scared they can’t shoot off and hide under a shed or somewhere else that’s near impossible to recover them from.

It’s actually possible to train your Bearded Dragon to come to you when you call their name so if you even find yourself in the in this situation outside or in the home then you can simply call their name and they will come running.

I’ve detailed the whole process in a step by step format along with other methods of training your Bearded Dragon. You can see the whole step by step process here – How to Train Your Bearded Dragon

When taking your Bearded Dragon outside, the bottom line is, you should never be scared to do it as it has many positive benefits but you should always respect the situation and realise that unfamiliar sounds or noise from predators can be intimidating especially until they are comfortable with their surroundings.

Household Pets

Household pets such as cats, dogs and birds can actually create noise that bothers your Bearded Dragon.

Remember that these animals can easily be seen as predators by your Dragon and loud barks etc can cause your Dragon some degree of stress.

It can sometimes be a good idea to try and allow your Bearded Dragon and other pets to become comfortable with each other over a period of time so your Dragon understands that no harm will come to them.

If you have a dog then I strongly recommend you check out this post that shows you how your dog and Bearded Dragon can become comfortable with each other and even play with each other. 

Once your Bearded Dragon is comfortable with the pets you have in your home you should find that any loud sounds should become less and less intimidating over time.

Hoovers & Hairdryers

Loud noise from common household machines such as hoovers and hair dryers can cause your Bearded Dragon to be alarmed and intimidated as the sounds are unfamiliar.

Because things like hoovering the house are necessities, there isn’t a great deal you can do to stop this situation from occurring. 

The main thing you can do is provide your Dragon with a good quality hide that covers their whole body so they feel safe until you have finished using the hoover or whatever you are using at the time.

This post shares the hides and other tank decor I recommend so your Bearded Dragon will always feel both safe and happy in their tank.

How Does Noise Affect Bearded Dragons?

While noise has little to no effect on some Bearded Dragons, it can have quite an impact on others.

The most common and obvious impact is intimidation and stress. If your Bearded Dragon hears a noise that is associated with a predator or they hear a loud sound that in unfamiliar then it can be extremely intimidating.

If the noise or sound is constant over a period of a few minutes or happens consistently over the course day or weeks then it can even start to cause them stress.

Let’s take a look at some other ways that noise can affect a Bearded Dragon.

Hiding

When a Bearded Dragon feels intimidated or is unsure of a situation then usually the first thing they will do is hide until they can further assess the situation.

Providing a hide in your Dragons tank is essential so they always have a place to retreat to when they feel insecure.

Here’s the kind of hide I recommend as it will cover the whole of your Dragon body and allow them to feel safe.

This is a very common and natural behaviour for a Bearded Dragon and if they don’t have a place to hide in their tank then they can often get stressed or display other behaviours that can be both submissive or aggressive.

If your Dragon hears an intimidating noise when they are outside of their tank, for example, on the living room floor then they may try to find a secure hiding place somewhere in the room.

This could be under a chair or bookshelf, for this reason, it’s a good idea to always keep an eye on your Dragon and block any potential entrances to small hides so your Dragon isn’t tempted to use them as hiding places.

Submissive Behaviour

It’s quite common to see a Bearded Dragon show signs of submissive behaviour when they are intimidated or stressed by noises or sounds.

This is especially true if they don’t have a place to hide as we previously mentioned.

Bearded Dragons display submissive behaviour to show that they are peaceful and mean no harm.

A very common submissive behaviour that they will often produce is arm-waving.

When a Bearded Dragon waves its arm, it’s a way of saying “don’t hurt me”. 

If you want to understand more about arm-waving then check out this post where I share all you need to know as an owner.

Another commonly used submissive behaviour is head bobbing. Fast head bobbing is associated with an aggressive act but a slower head movement often means that the Bearded Dragon is trying to show that they are peaceful.

Seeing these behaviours in your Bearded Dragon after noise has bothered them will largely depend on the situation and the individual personality of your Dragon.

Loss Of Appetite

If your Bearded Dragon is startled or slightly intimidated by the occasional noise then it’s not going to be a huge problem, however, if the noise is something that happens over and over again over a period of weeks then this could lead to stress and eventually loss of appetite.

Loss of appetite is certainly something you want to avoid especially in baby and juvenile Bearded Dragon because they do up to 90% of their growth in the first 12 months.

While loss of appetite is very rare when caused by noise, it’s always worth making sure your Bearded Dragon is happy and not feeling intimidated by things like constant loud music especially as it’s something that’s easily avoidable.

Can Bearded Dragons Sleep With Noise?

Bearded Dragons are much the same as humans in many ways when it comes to sleeping.

They like to sleep in the dark, they like to be in a routine or sleeping at the same time each night and they also like it quiet.

When you think about it, it makes perfect sense, if a Bearded Dragon is trying to get to sleep but they are constantly having to listen and process sounds to make sure they aren’t predators then it’s always going to be hard for them to sleep.

The brain will always struggle to shut down and allow the sleep mode to set in then it has to constantly process loud noises and I’m sure we’ve all experienced this as humans on multiple occasions.

Is too Much Noise Unhealthy For Your Bearded Dragon?

I’ve touched on this a few times earlier on in this post but loud noises from time to time shouldn’t cause too many problems or any long term stress for your Bearded Dragon.

In fact, in some cases, this is hard to avoid with hoovers and other household appliances that are essential in modern life.

If the noise is constant over a long period of time and it’s not necessary, for example, playing loud music for hours on end every weekend then you really need to think about how this will affect your Dragon.

This is the kind of long term noise that can cause them stress and ultimately the situations you want to avoid.

You shouldn’t worry about the more natural noises that can scare your Dragon such as a barking dog ad this is usually short term and as long as they have a hide they will be able to safely hide themselves away until they feel comfortable.

Related Questions

Do Bearded Dragons have sensitive hearing? A Bearded Dragons hearing is much more sensitive than humans. This helps them to avoid predators in the wild and also helps them to locate and catch prey.

As an owner it’s important that you learn about your Bearded Dragons ears, this post shares everything you need to know in an easy to follow guide.

Related Posts