Bearded dragons are a lot of fantastic things, but one thing they definitely aren’t is human. Which is why it can be very surprising when your bearded dragon starts waving.
Although we all understand what it means when another person waves at you, it’s much more confusing coming from a bearded dragon.
It isn’t unusual to see a bearded dragon waving, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t odd the first time it happens. A bearded dragon generally starts waving as a sign of submission, but there are a few other things that can cause it.
If you see your bearded dragon waving, there’s no need to worry. It’s surprisingly typical behavior. However, it might be caused by something that’s upsetting the bearded dragon.
This guide explains why your bearded dragon might be waving, what it means, and any actions you may need to take.
Why does a bearded dragon wave its arm?
Seeing the arm wave for the very first time can be quite confusing, but certainly charming. The little arm goes up, and slowly begins to move back and forward. While your initial reaction may be to simply wave back, when this behavior continues it becomes alarming.
Most of the time, a bearded dragon waving its arm is nothing to be worried about, but there are some occasions when you must be alert. Familiarize yourself with the reasons your bearded dragon may be arm waving, so you know the best way to react.
Your bearded dragon is waving as a sign of submission
If you’ve found that your bearded dragon tends to wave when you approach the tank, it might be acting as a sign of submission. Your pet sees you, and recognizes you as the alpha.
On the other hand, if your bearded dragon starts to bob its head, this is a sign of aggression, and the bearded dragon is trying to win dominance.
Bearded dragons have an established social hierarchy in the wild, with a dominant alpha enjoying all the best sun spots. When living a solitary life as a pet, they’ll naturally look for the same order.
Meaning, they possibly recognize the dominance of their owner.
As gentle, laid back creatures, the bearded dragon is quite likely to show submission to a larger, more powerful individual. You may see this wave as a relaxed signal, a simple way of showing they accept your position, and won’t cause any trouble.
A wave of submission isn’t something to be worried by, especially as it’s unlikely to occur that often. A bearded dragon that only waves on occasion is comfortable with you in charge.
Only start to worry if this waving continues to happen. This might mean your beardie isn’t showing submission. Instead, they’re showing fear.
Intimidation
While submission is a calm gesture, your bearded dragon could be waving because it’s feeling intimidated. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to know what emotion your bearded dragon is conveying with their wave, so you must pay close attention.
When a bearded dragon waves regularly, and this is continuous behavior, it’s likely that they’re feeling intimidated. Bearded dragons are amiable creatures, with sensitive feelings.
There are several things that could be causing them stress without you realizing. If you think your bearded dragon is waving out of fear, then you need to find what’s causing it and remove the problem. Too much stress can have a negative effect on health.
Some things that may be intimidating to a bearded dragon include:
- Other bearded dragons
If you’re keeping two (or more) bearded dragons in a tank, then one of them is probably the dominant alpha. Bearded dragons are territorial creatures, and housing them together is a quick way to cause negative feelings.
The best way to avoid this is to not keep bearded dragons in a tank together! They do much better by themselves.
- Other animals
Perhaps you don’t have other bearded dragons, but you do have other pets. A bearded dragon may be able to see the pet from their enclosure, and perceive them as a threat.
Although it is possible for beardies and other animals to get on, it can cause tension. If you think this is happening in your house, try moving the enclosure to a room where it won’t be disturbed.
- Kids
Like pets, kids don’t mean any harm, but they can still intimidate a poor bearded dragon. If you have children who spend a lot of time playing in front of the tank, they may be the cause for alarm.
Particularly if they’re loud, or run back and forth a lot. Explain to them how they might be upsetting their beardie, and hopefully they’ll calm down.
- Toys
Even if the kids themselves aren’t the problem, they might be leaving behind toys that are. If a bearded dragon can see a large, brightly colored object from its tank, it might assume there’s a predator.
- Ornaments
Similarly to toys, if there are ornaments in sight, they might be causing this fear response. Small items, even clothes, might look enough like a predator to scare a bearded dragon. Try removing them, and see if the waving stops.
Acknowledgement
Potentially, the wave might simply be your bearded dragon acknowledging another presence. If they do it when a pet enters a room, it might be the bearded dragon simply saying “I see you”.
It can be difficult to separate this from a fear response, but there are a few things to look out for. If your bearded dragon only waves occasionally, then it’s probably okay.
Be sure to observe the bearded dragon’s behavior once it’s finished waving. If it runs away and hides, then it’s probably feeling scared. If it stays around, even with the pet in the room, then they’re likely just making an acknowledgement.
A confusing reflection
We’ve all had a moment of catching our reflection in a mirror we didn’t know was there, and thinking we’ve seen another person. It’s a normal thing to do, even if it can be embarrassing. Well, bearded dragons do it too, and that could be the reason they’re waving.
Bearded dragons don’t exactly understand the concept of reflections, so if they catch a glimpse of themselves, they’ll assume it’s another beardie. If they’re waving, it might be a simple sign of acknowledgement.
However, if they keep on waving, your bearded dragon might be feeling scared of its own reflection.
If you think your bearded dragon is acting out of fear, then the best thing to do is try and cover the reflection. You may need to add plants or decorations to the enclosure, or it may require a change of lighting.
It might not necessarily be glass that they can see themselves in. Keep an eye out for any shiny or reflective surface that might be causing the confusion.
You may notice your bearded dragon waving, but can’t identify any outside stimulus to cause it. If you notice them waving off into the distance, then it could be a reflection causing the problem.
Childish behavior
Juvenile bearded dragons are particularly known for their aggressive behavior, trying to intimidate one another. They also do a lot of arm waving.
If you have a few young bearded dragons in an enclosure together, you may notice they spend a great deal of time waving their arms at one another. This is commonly a sign of aggression, so keep an eye on the situation.
Although it’s normal, you still don’t want it to escalate. Continuous arm waving may require separating the young.
If you only have one juvenile bearded dragon, the waving could be a sign of trepidation as they adapt to a new environment. When they get used to their home, the waving should start to die off.
If it doesn’t, your new bearded dragon may be going through a period of prolonged stress. Monitor them closely, and try to meet their needs.
Mating
A female bearded dragon may be waving her arm to signal to a male that she’s ready for mating. This may happen if you have a female in a tank with a male bearded dragon.
However, it may also happen if you have a female on her own. It’s very unlikely that a male would be waving his arm to show a readiness for mating.
There are a couple of theories regarding why a female bearded dragon will wave to show a willingness to mate. Some believe it’s a similar action to an arm wave indicating submission. Although the exact reasoning is unclear, the link is definitely there.
If you think your bearded dragon is showing a readiness for mating, look for other classic mating behaviors. Arm waving may be accompanied by head bobbing, and a methodical circling of the tank.
Recent changes
Although we all strive to do what’s best for our bearded dragons, it isn’t always possible to convey that to them. You may have decided to move their tank for a very good reason, but the sudden change has made them uneasy.
A feeling of nervousness brought about by a change could be the cause behind the arm waving.
When this is the cause, it should be fairly easy to identify. Keep a close eye on your bearded dragon, and as they adapt to new surroundings, the arm waving should stop.
This can also be a sign that your bearded dragon is in the wrong type of tank. If the enclosure feels unsafe, it can lead to arm waving. Perhaps you have the wrong tank size, or it doesn’t resemble their natural environment.
Bearded dragons need enough room to move about, without feeling exposed by too many open spaces. Have a look online for other tank set-ups to see how yours compares.
The wider world
Setting your bearded dragon’s tank up by a window isn’t necessarily bad, but it can be causing the arm waving. Although we hope they’ll be enjoying watching the clouds, there may be something else in the sky scaring them: birds.
Birds are natural predators of bearded dragons, so your beardie may feel they’re under threat.
If this is the case, try moving the tank, or covering the window. It’s easy to miss when this is happening, because we’re unlikely to notice what’s happening outside the window.
If your bearded dragon is waving, and you can’t figure out why, check to make sure there aren’t any birds flying past.
How to create a safe space for your bearded dragon
The enclosure you keep your bearded dragon in is its home, so it needs to be as appealing as possible. If you’ve noticed excessive arm waving in your bearded dragon, the problem may be that they can’t find a place where they feel safe.
There are many things in the home we can’t control, but we can control how our bearded dragon’s enclosure is set up. A good tank gives your beardie space to hide, somewhere they can camouflage themselves when a perceived threat occurs.
We may never be able to remove everything that causes fear, but we can give our bearded dragons a place to retreat to.
Begin by giving your tank a full assessment. Be honest with yourself about what’s good, and what might be sub par.
Bearded dragons need space, but they shouldn’t be completely exposed. It could be possible that the tank size is wrong. If your bearded dragon is in a tank that’s too small, they won’t be feeling very happy.
If the tank is too large and empty, your beardie might feel it has nowhere to hide. Before purchasing a tank, be sure to get the correct size. A tank should be somewhere between 75 – 120 gallons. Larger can be good as well, but only if you decorate correctly.
The tank should replicate the natural environment as closely as possible, so your bearded dragon feels secure. Add lots of plant life, and create multiple hides for your bearded dragon to retreat to.
This way, when a perceived threat comes into view, they can make themselves safe. Plant life also has the advantage of blocking reflections, another thing that can cause fear.
As well as what’s in the tank, you need to consider the general conditions of the tank. Heat, humidity, and lighting may all be upsetting your bearded dragon.
Finally, if you have more than one bearded dragon in a tank, they probably need to be separated. Bearded dragons are happier living alone, and groups can lead to fighting.
There are many rewards to creating the optimum environment. When your bearded dragon feels comfortable, they can become more confident. A happy bearded dragon has a loveable and cheeky personality that’s definitely worth nurturing.
Do both male and female bearded dragons wave?
There are some people who believe that only female bearded dragons wave, but this isn’t true. Both male and female bearded dragons have been shown to display this curious behavior.
It has been thought that female bearded dragons wave, and male bearded dragons bob their head. However, the truth is much more complicated than that. Arm waving can encompass a range of emotions, that aren’t unique to either sex.
Waving depends less on the sex, and more on the bearded dragon itself.
Should I be worried that my bearded dragon is waving?
Not necessarily, but your bearded dragon should only be waving occasionally. If your bearded dragon is waving regularly, then they’re probably experiencing a great deal of stress.
It’s sadly impossible to give our bearded dragons a life that always feels comfortable. Fear is a perfectly healthy emotion, and one that we’re all familiar with.
Although we can try hard to remove anything that might make our bearded dragons uncomfortable, the possibility always remains.
If your bearded dragon only waves occasionally, then they’re probably happy in their homes, but have noticed something they don’t quite like.
When a bearded dragon begins to wave excessively, this should be a cause for concern. This means they’re experiencing sustained stress, which is very unhealthy. As their owner, it’s your job to do what you can to elevate this stress.
There’s no clear line between normal and worrying levels of arm waving, so be aware of other signs of stress. For example, arm waving combined with a loss of appetite likely means your bearded dragon is unhappy.
Should I be worried that my bearded dragon isn’t waving?
While arm waving is normal behavior, it doesn’t mean every bearded dragon will do it. Waving isn’t something that all bearded dragons do, and it’s a matter of personality.
Is my bearded dragon waving hello?
No, and we should be careful not to ascribe human interpretations to animal behavior. If your bearded dragon is waving, it’s likely showing a sign of submission, or perhaps an indication of fear.
Final thoughts and waving you off
Bearded dragons are fascinating creatures with unique personalities, and waving is just another side of that. When your bearded dragon starts waving, it isn’t necessarily anything to be worried about.
Stay alert to how often it happens, but if it’s only an occasional event, then there’s little need to worry.
However, bearded dragons can be sensitive, so we must keep their environments as stress-free as possible. If your bearded dragon is waving a lot, then there’s probably something around that’s intimidating them. Hopefully, removing the cause of stress will calm the arm waving.
Be aware of the causes we’ve covered today, so you can react when your bearded dragon starts waving. Understanding the causes can help eliminate your problem, and your beardie can stay happy and relaxed!