Do Bearded Dragons Eat Their Shed: Guide with Reasons

Introduction to the topic

Unique and fascinating actions are displayed by bearded dragons. As a beardie owner, you’ve probably witnessed your dragon doing some of the most bizarre things.

As surprising as these actions may be to you, bearded dragons exhibit them on a regular basis. In addition, beardies are distinct from most other members of the reptile family!

Do bearded dragons consume their own waste? Let’s find out.

Bearded dragons have been known to consume their own excrement. As a pet owner, you should not be alarmed by this behaviour. There are three primary reasons why beardies consume their own fur: to avoid predators (particularly in the wild), because they are lacking calcium, and because they are recycling nutrients.

Bearded dragons, like all other reptiles, lose their old skin from time to time.

Beardies are able to shed their skin for a variety of reasons, but the most important one is to allow their bodies to expand.

It doesn’t matter if a bearded dragon lives in captivity or the outdoors, because they don’t waste their old skin.

Do bearded dragons eat their shed?

When it comes to reptiles, shedding is an inevitable aspect of life. All reptiles, including humans, eventually lose their skin. Reptiles’ skin gets too tight as they expand, necessitating skin grafts to make room for the extra bulk. This rule of nature applies to bearded dragons as well. Additionally, a scratch or scrape on the creature’s skin may cause them to feel the need to shed their skin. As bearded dragons get older, their shedding patterns vary.

Due to excessive growth, a hatchling may shed every 1-2 weeks.

While a juvenile is still growing, it can shed every six to eight weeks.

An adult who has reached sexual maturity may go through the process of menstruation numerous times per year.

In the early stages of growth, the hair sheds in clumps, which can take from a few days up to two weeks to completely fall out. The shedding process might last up to three weeks in adult beardies.

As a bearded dragon owner, it is crucial to keep an eye out for behavioural changes that indicate that your pet is likely to shed. The beardie’s skin will become darker and its eyes will bulge from time to time (this helps to loosen the skin around the eyes to assist with shedding). You should avoid over-handling your dragon if it appears irritable. Shedding drains the reptile’s energy reserves, and as a result, it can cause exhaustion, apathy, and irritation.

Important: Do not attempt to remove your bearded dragon’s shedding yourself.

New skin grows over old skin during the process of shedding. If you’ve ever wondered why bearded dragons shed their skin, this article is for you. A comprehensive guide to shedding is provided in the next section.

There are two main causes for your bearded dragon to lose its skin: growth or harm to that particular area of the animal’s body. As a general rule, shedding skin is not a problem and is a normal and healthy part of life.

Bearded dragons, in contrast to humans, grow by stretching their skin, which is formed of a protein called keratin. When your bearded dragon grows, it must shed its skin since keratin is not elastic and leaves limited room for expansion.

When it comes to bearded dragon shedding, it’s no surprise that young bearded dragons shed the most frequently (more on the frequency in the sections below). However, as your bearded dragon ages, it will shed less often. Adult bears are more likely than younger bears to suffer skin injury, the other main cause of hair loss. If a bearded dragon’s skin is soiled, scraped, cut, or otherwise impacted by its environment, it might suffer from skin damage. It’s natural for your bearded dragon to lose its old skin when it’s too damaged to keep it safe.

Is it safe for bearded dragons to eat their shed?

Do not attempt to remove the old skin from your Bearded Dragon’s mouth if you see it doing so. The skin is harmless to your pet. Only beardies kept in clean cages are eligible for this benefit.

Because the skin of a bearded dragon is so easily digested, it will not harm or impair your pet’s digestive system.

However, this does not imply that you should feed your Bearded dragon from the shed.

When a bearded dragon sheds, it isn’t painful, but it is uncomfortably uncomfortable. Nonetheless, it seems sense that they are removing and replacing their old skin. It’s normal for your bearded dragon to become agitated and itchy when it’s shedding.

In the days leading up to shedding, your bearded dragon’s skin will begin to harden and darken. When your bearded dragon is going to shed, you will notice a change in its skin colour. Your bearded dragon’s skin will turn white as it nears shedding.

Owners of well-known Dragons may be concerned about the sudden change in their pet’s look, but don’t be. A common behaviour of bearded dragons during the shedding process is to rub their heads and bodies against the vivarium and substrate. The rubbing your bearded dragon does while it sheds is perfectly normal and part of the process.

When your bearded dragon sheds, you may notice a shift in its demeanour. As previously said, the process of shedding is unpleasant and drains a significant amount of energy. Consequently, don’t be shocked if your bearded dragon appears fatigued, cranky, and less responsive to being touched. Before shedding, your bearded dragon may also lose its appetite.

Why do bearded dragons eat their shed?

Bearded dragons eat their own shed for a variety of reasons.

Bearded dragons do eat their own shed, which is kind of… odd, right? Bearded dragons may not just be feasting on their own faeces when they consume their own shed.

Indeed, it is a primitive instinct that can be vital to survival. To understand why a bearded dragon might consume its own faeces, consider the following.

Self-Defense against Predators

Before fleeing to a new location in a movie, have you ever seen a fugitive clean up his or her act? It’s true that avoiding detection was a wise decision.

There’s no denying that bearded dragons are intelligent creatures. They’ll be on the prowl for ways to disappear completely. As a result, they avoid leaving their shed out in public.

Bearded dragons, in contrast to human beings, do not dispose of their waste in the trash. In the wild, locating a trash can may be more difficult than surviving.

Having their shed eaten makes perfect sense for bearded dragons. Keeping the shed in one’s own body is the safest option. There is no way that the predators would be able to detect their presence.

Nutrients

A second reason why beardies consume their own faeces is because it’s instinctual for them to do so. The old skin contains minerals, including calcium, which is essential for bone health. The act of shedding is a stressful and energy-consuming process for many lizards, and it is better not to lose any extra energy that can be acquired from their old skin.

When a bearded dragon sheds its old skin, the energy it needs to function is provided by the new skin that has grown over the old skin. The necessity to eat shedding is also an evolutionary advantage, as food is rare in the environment.

Self-replenishing

Bearded dragons have a difficult time shedding their skin. A state of irritation and itching is frequently the result. They may gradually lose their appetite as a result of the discomfort they are experiencing.

It’s a given that they’ll get less nutrients if they eat less. Consequently, it would not be surprising if the absence of nutrients resulted from them.

So don’t be alarmed if you see a bearded dragon gorging itself on its own shed. It’s just attempting to make up for the lack of nutrients.

If you had a vitamin deficiency, you’d probably be taking vitamin pills to make up for it, right? The similarities between humans and bearded dragons are striking.

Ensuring that they have enough food to eat

It’s not always easy to make a living in the wilderness. Many people can’t subsist on their favourite foods for long. Fortunately, bearded dragons aren’t fussy eaters!

Insects, flowers, leaves, and fruits are all part of their diet because they are omnivores. They may even eat small rats and lizards if they are small enough for them to eat.

Bearded dragons are opportunists, despite the fact that finding food could appear easier than nailing jelly to a tree. That being said, they’ll eat anything they can get their hands on along the road.

In light of this, bearded dragons would gobble up their own shed without a second thought. There’s no way to tell if a bearded dragon will end up in a pit hole without access to its main food sources.

Do all bearded dragons consume their own skin, or are there some that don’t?

No, despite the fact that this is a natural and harmless behaviour, bearded dragons do not always consume their own skin.

While some beardies may feel the need to consume their own skin, others may not, each bearded dragon has his or her own unique personality.

It all depends on what we’ve discussed in this essay, so bear that in mind.

Your bearded dragon is fine if they don’t eat their own skin, and this is quite normal.

Bears are only likely to consume their own skin if they believe it is necessary for their own survival or wellbeing.

Should I let my bearded dragon to eat its shed?

Your Bearded Dragon may be able to consume its old shed without injury, but there are some instances in which it should not.

Once your pet has finished shedding, simply leave the shed in the enclosure. It’s up to your Bearded Dragon whether or not to consume it.

In the event that your pet refuses to eat the shed, you can remove it from the enclosure. Ultimately, the choice is yours!

Listed here are a few scenarios in which you may need to keep your Bearded dragon from eating its own faeces;

Contaminated Spaces

Excreta from bearded dragon enclosures can contaminate the shed, resulting in health issues.

You should remove the shed promptly if the bearded dragon’s vivarium hasn’t been cleaned in a while in order to avoid it being eaten by the lizard.

The beardies mouth can be filled with substances drawn in by the shed

Substrate from the enclosure can be ingested by your Beard dragon while it consumes the shed.

Ingesting huge amounts of most substrates can result in impaction, therefore it’s important to monitor your beardie closely when it sheds.

As a bearded dragon parent, you must be aware of all the frequent indicators of shedding in beardies. As soon as the beardie is about to drop the shed inside its enclosure, you’ll know when to expect it.

Bearded dragons can readily absorb loosely packed substrates when eating their shed as well as food, so stay away from that.

Watch Step by step bearded dragons shedding process | Video

Top 5 FAQs and answers related to Do bearded dragons eat their shed

Summary

Now that you know why and how Bearded Dragons shed, you can better care for your pet.

Always keep in mind that hatchlings are the ones who shed the most regularly — practically every week. A few times a year, the average adult sheds her hair.

Your Bearded Dragon should be able to shed on its own if you provide it with the proper habitat and humidity levels.

Stuck sheds do happen, but they’re usually easy to cure with a bath or a spray.

Preventing blocked sheds and handling is critical to the health and longevity of your Bearded Dragon.

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