# Do bearded dragons bite?



## Dancerdeb

I am very keen on getting a bearded dragon. I have printed of lots of care sheets, read some web sites and forums, bought some plants(!) and generally done quite a lot of research. However, my husband’s sister has rung him and said that we could catch salmonella from a bearded dragon and that they bite and are not good with young children and that we mustn’t get one. My brother has also stirred things up even more by saying that his wife was once bitten by a leopard gecko belonging to his son, and that she nearly died from septicaemia. I have explained to my husband that as long as we wash our hands after handling one that it will be okay. I also told him to look on websites as I hadn’t found anything about bearded dragons biting people. Unfortunately he did so and found a forum discussing bearded dragons that bite (with recommendations of how to tame them). I have got two children aged 3 and 5 so obviously I don’t want them to get hurt. My Mum is 73 and had salmonella a few years ago so my Stepdad is also anti me getting one, as is my husband’s parents. I think I’m fighting a loosing battle but could anybody tell me the likelihood of a bearded dragon biting or passing on salmonella or septicaemia?


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## njp

I asked the same question about samonella and it seems you have the same risk as catching it from a cat, dog ect.

As for biting, Any animal can bite but beardies are one of the best lizard for handling and i've never been bitten by mine nor have my kids who are 3 and 1.

Nick


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## Tops

I have a 3 month old beardie. She has never even looked at me sideways. I can and regularly do feed her from my fingertips and from the palm of my hand. Ive not seen her teeth and would be shocked if she ever bit me.
I think so long as you get one from a decent breeder who handles them, cares and is aware of your concerns you should be ok.
Mine loves to be handled and her favourite perch seems to be my shoulder. Shes a little nutter.

As far as salmonella or septicaemia its just a case of hygeine. Make sure you wash your hands after handling and I am pretty sure that their bites wouldnt automatically cause septicaemia.


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## Karl_1989

*:lol2::lol2::lol2:
Sorry i just have to laugh some one almost died from a leopard gecko? haha

Mate there either pulling ur leg or they have no idea what there talking about
*


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## spendleb

I'm getting one tomorrow and have done all the reading too, all the pet shops I have spoken too about this reckon it's rare for them to bite although one of them had a dragon returned that would not stop biting them. As to the salmonella issue, I know they carry it but as long as you wash your hands with a bacterial wash I would have thought it's OK? Others know far more than me about this though, I also have a one year old and a five year old in the house.


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## njp

Here the thread on salmonella
http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/lizards/42092-salmonella-risks.html?highlight=salmonella

Nick


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## Tops

spendleb said:


> I'm getting one tomorrow and have done all the reading too, all the pet shops I have spoken too about this reckon it's rare for them to bite although one of them had a dragon returned that would not stop biting them. As to the salmonella issue, I know they carry it but as long as you wash your hands with a bacterial wash I would have thought it's OK? Others know far more than me about this though, I also have a one year old and a five year old in the house.


just normal soap and water will do. When you go to look at beardies just make sure you dont get the one who looks like he/she wants a fight when you put your hand in the viv. :lol2:


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## moonlight

I have a 18mth old beardie and got bitten by accident the other day by him (his balance isn't very good as he has a stumpy leg, he missed the cricket and got my finger instead). It does hurt a bit but nothing to worry about.


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## SiUK

nearly died from a leopard gecko bite thats the funniset bit, I wasnt even aware they would break the skin, she might of been getting mixed up with a komodo dragon easy mistake to make..........


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## Tops

They do taste everything though as they run around. You shouldnt mistake them touching with their tongue as in indication of biting.


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## slither

I think I’m fighting a loosing battle but could anybody tell me the likelihood of a bearded dragon biting or passing on salmonella or septicaemia? [/quote]
Sounds to me like they're all uneducated about herps in general and are beleiveing stories that they've heard. A leo that nearly killed someone? She mustn't of washed her hands afterwards and had a weak immune system, but I still think it's highly unlikely.
If your husband just googled 'bearded dragon bite', which he prob would of done, then it's inevitable he'll get some results. If you get a beardie from a young age and spend time with it then you'll be OK.
I think by far the majority of parents are against their children getting any retiles as pets. My mother hates all things furry, hairy and scaly, but thats just how she is. If anything her being like that only spurred me on to not be!


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## slither

Sounds to me like they're all uneducated about herps in general and are beleiveing stories that they've heard. A leo that nearly killed someone? She mustn't of washed her hands afterwards and had a weak immune system, but I still think it's highly unlikely.
If your husband just googled 'bearded dragon bite', which he prob would of done, then it's inevitable he'll get some results. If you get a beardie from a young age and spend time with it then you'll be OK.
I think by far the majority of parents are against their children getting any retiles as pets. My mother hates all things furry, hairy and scaly, but thats just how she is. If anything her being like that only spurred me on to not be!
*edit* sorry for the double post but I didn't click the 'remember me' button and it signed me out.


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## SiUK

salmanella can be passed on from reptiles as well as all other animals, but just general common sense hygene rules will stop it, like washing your hands after touching any reptiles, you wouldnt touch uncooked chicken then cooked chicken without washing your hands, else you could catch salmanella but it wouldnt stop you cooking chicken you'd just wash your hands, does that make sense?


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## sami

We have a beardie who bites, bites hisses the lot 

Mason


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## Spikebrit

Theres just as much chance of catching salmanella from other animals and theres an even higher chance from chicken, however that doesnt stop people cooking chicken or keeping dogs and cats does it. The only reason they act that way is because they dont understand rep's and belive scare stories. If we all believed scary stories we wouldn't keep dogs for fear they would attack children. 

jay


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## This is my Clone

Death by Leopard Gecko bite? lol! My Leo's can't break the skin, and thier bites tickle :lol2::lol2::lol2:


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## njp

Tops said:


> They do taste everything though as they run around. You shouldnt mistake them touching with their tongue as in indication of biting.


Thanks Tops, I always wondered why my beardies lick everything

Nick


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## monkeygirl

iv not had beardies very long, only a few months but haku has never even flared his beard up at me and he simply loves handling, iv never gotten sick from leos or beardies, i did get sick from some japanese fire belly newts i had, actually i got sick alot from them lol


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## sami

EddieLizzard said:


> Death by Leopard Gecko bite? lol! My Leo's can't break the skin, and thier bites tickle :lol2::lol2::lol2:


We have big leos who can break skin, one of our males has actually drawn blood on Sami before :lol:



Mason


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## sami

njp said:


> Thanks Tops, I always wondered why my beardies lick everything
> 
> Nick



It's a simliar thing to babies/puppies putting everythign in their mouth, they're pretty basic and tasting something helps them understand it/mentally classify it. Ie. no, not food, not a threat therefore ignore.

The second we touch any of our fat tail geckos you get licked...then ignored.

Mason


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## yellow_rat_gal

I got bitten by my big male BD a while back, it didn't hurt it was more shock that he bit me, but it was my own fault as I had been feeding him a coupe of pinks before, and even though I washed my hands before cleaning him out he probably saw my fingers and thought "mummy's giving me more pinks!"

he was very very sweet afterwards, I think he felt bad (I didn't know BD's could look so sorry!) and he came out for a cuddle before bedtime and hasn't bitten since.


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## Tops

I think they have lots of emotions
Mine gets in a right hump by the time i get home after an 11 hour shift in work.
I leave her food and water but apparently its not enough.
I enter the room and she faces the other way. Wont look at me even if i tickle her chin.


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## shiva&kaa123

In my experience, beardies are some of the best starter and more intermediate lizards-they're more excitin than leapard geckos and iv always found them really friendly-thats not to say there arent individual exceptions...


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## carpetviper

Dancerdeb said:


> I am very keen on getting a bearded dragon. I have printed of lots of care sheets, read some web sites and forums, bought some plants(!) and generally done quite a lot of research. However, my husband’s sister has rung him and said that we could catch salmonella from a bearded dragon and that they bite and are not good with young children and that we mustn’t get one. My brother has also stirred things up even more by saying that his wife was once bitten by a leopard gecko belonging to his son, and that she nearly died from septicaemia. I have explained to my husband that as long as we wash our hands after handling one that it will be okay. I also told him to look on websites as I hadn’t found anything about bearded dragons biting people. Unfortunately he did so and found a forum discussing bearded dragons that bite (with recommendations of how to tame them). I have got two children aged 3 and 5 so obviously I don’t want them to get hurt. My Mum is 73 and had salmonella a few years ago so my Stepdad is also anti me getting one, as is my husband’s parents. I think I’m fighting a loosing battle but could anybody tell me the likelihood of a bearded dragon biting or passing on salmonella or septicaemia?


The best thing to do is get your other half to read this thread and sorry Im still laughing about death by gecko :lol2:


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## reptilemanspoon

news flash, leopard geckos dont have real teeth and would severly struggle to even break the skin!!


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## carpetviper

I had this argument with my dad who cant see why I like my reptile and he was arguing about the salmonella point to prove a point i actually licked my gecko very gently and suffered no illness at all but the gecko wasnt impressed it went for an hour soak after.


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## reptilemanspoon

i have to condone the licking of any reptile...
however leos can still give you salmonella. this is all about hygeine though e.g not licking the gecko ! and its the same as any pet, if you wash your hands either side of handling the animal then you will not get any bacteria. but as for saying a leo bite could kill you.....that is an A grade in baloni right there!! lol


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## Tops

reptilemanspoon said:


> i have to condone the licking of any reptile...


you realise that means you dont mind licking of geckos?
Im not sure which way you mean now.


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## sami

can i just point out...

the leopard bite did break the skin...
and another one did draw a tiny bit of blood! 

but... they only bit because they missed the waxworm i was hand feeding them! it was the same leo both times! 

sami


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## reptilemanspoon

haha sorry theres me using the wrong language. what i mean is i cannot approve the licking of any geckos or reptiles....or pets in general!!!! lol thanks for pointing that out tops!! !


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## Tops

reptilemanspoon said:


> haha sorry theres me using the wrong language. what i mean is i cannot approve the licking of any geckos or reptiles....or pets in general!!!! lol thanks for pointing that out tops!! !


I hoped that was what you meant. :lol2:


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## reptilemanspoon

then i've gotta say thats one powerful gecko!! even my full grown male leo cant break the skin when hes feeding from my hand! i know its not an impossible occurence but it is rare and if antiseptic is used to clean the cut then a leo bite would NEVER cause some to "almost die".


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## reptilemanspoon

HAHA i probably looked like a right weirdo for a second there mate, i apologise for that one!! ! i was trying to use proper english and it back fired, il stick to what i know now ! LOL!


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## mrpink

SiUK said:


> nearly died from a leopard gecko bite thats the funniset bit, I wasnt even aware they would break the skin, she might of been getting mixed up with a komodo dragon easy mistake to make..........


 

mixed up with a komodo easy mistake to make.....:lol2:


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## lil_noodle

my beardies have never bitten me, ive had them for a few months now (april) i think. The male one does flair his beard out at me, i think i annoy him coz when he does it i stroke him under the chin and push it back in :lol2:


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## slap

*ok*

i really think if u r that worried about a lizard biting you dont have one.have a egg eating snake it will give u you a nasty suck instead:lol2:.sorry only kidding pm me if you want any help or advice on buying or caring for a dragon honest there great.you will love them to bites. sorry bits.


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## Emerald Serpent

Well I must be screwed then I've been bitten by a leo a few times:lol2:, was trying to hand tame it. To be honest you would get a far worse bite from say a hamster or gerbil then from most herps, first hand(or whats left of them lol) experience of all above bites as well as a dog.
Once you wash your hands you should be grand, salmonella is found in the intestines so contact with faeces and ingestion of enough of the bacteria cause an infection. You have far more chance of catching salmonella from a bad take away or a barbaque, 95-97% of Salmonella cases are food related. Here are the statistics
http://www.reptilia.org/Education/Habitarium/Salmonella and Reptiles.pdf
Salmonella


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## punky_jen

So does a beardy break the skin when it bites?


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## gecko-mad

punky_jen said:


> So does a beardy break the skin when it bites?


They can, my beardie has made her previous owners son bleed!


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## apaz69

One of my females (Isla) has only got one eye. when hand feeding worms, she sometimes cant tell the difference and catches me doesnt hurt and never makes a mark. I forgive her because she is a bit stupid.


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## mummyoflnb

Im sorry but i gotta :lol2: at the leopard gecko, my boyfriend has one and it did bite me, my 2 year old squeesed it so my own fault it did hurt a little bit but its a last thing they would ever do they dont like doing it, but you wont die from bein bitten...


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## madshawty

Ive got 2 young children (4 & 7) and we have 4 bearded dragons, none of which have EVER bitten or even looked like they were going to.
As for the catching salmonella, we keep a few bottles of the anti-bacterial hand wash gel on top of the vivs and the children know they must wash their hands with this before and after touching the lizards.
IMO (although i am biased! lol) beardies are one of the best reps when you have children, they grow large enough to be handled by kids and are very friendly!!


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## Hewitt

So whats the real risk of salmonella? I've heard people talk about how they kiss their Beardies. Are they insane or are people worrying over nothing?


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