The bearded dragon is a popular household pet that has originated in Central Australia and basically is a lizard that belongs to the species of reptiles. They are usually found in drylands, shrublands and woodlands. You will be surprised to know that all the bearded dragons are born with the prominent characteristics of a female so it makes it quite difficult to identify a bearded dragon that whether it is a male or a female.
These differences can be sorted with the age and maturity of the bearded dragon. In this article, we will discuss the male vs female bearded dragon, about various differences between the two and also the various things that set them apart from each other.
Male Bearded Dragon vs Female Bearded Dragon
There are various factors that set apart a male bearded dragon from the female bearded dragon and we will discuss it to know the difference. We know that both the genders of the bearded dragon uses their beards for either mating or even for the purpose of displaying aggression.
But you will notice a difference and that is the male bearded dragon will usually use their beard in the form of courtship and also the defence mechanism, while female bearded dragons will use it basically to push away their predators. So by the use of their beards, you will know the difference between the two.
One of the major difference between the male and the female bearded dragon is their tail. The tail of a female bearded dragon has only one bump at the middle portion, but in the case of a male bearded dragon, there are two bumps and are also present on the underside of the tail.
You can check their tails and notice the bump on them so that you can easily identify their genders. When you will further notice you will also see that the tail of the male bearded dragon is bigger and wider as compared to female bearded dragons because the tail of the female bearded dragon is smaller and thinner than the male bearded dragons.
The nature of the two is also different from each other and you can observe that from their behaviour. The male bearded dragons as we know are territorial in nature which means that they want to stay alone and want the whole space for them and likes dominating other bearded dragons or the various creatures that are present inside the enclosure with them.
They are also very aggressive in nature if their privacy is invaded or they sense some sort of threat around them. When the male bearded dragons sense some kind of threat around them, it is noticed that they usually puff their throats, bob their heads and also tends to open their mouths so that they appear more intimidating.
But this is not the case of the female bearded dragons, as they are not much aggressive as compared to male bearded dragons, their aggression level is comparatively less and also it is seen that they frequently wave their arms as a sign of submission. By these various behavioural characteristics of the male and the female bearded dragon, you can identify the two.
You must have noticed that the male and even the female bearded dragon both are highly skilled at digging the holes, but the difference lies in their purpose because the purpose of digging the hole by the two are different from one another.
It is said that the male bearded dragons dig the hole for the hibernating purpose and the female bearded dragons usually dig the holes for laying their eggs. When you will closely observe the two, you will be able to figure out the purpose of digging the holes in the ground and easily tell that one is a male bearded dragon and a female bearded dragon.
The spikes are present on both the male and the female bearded dragon’s beard, throat and head. But both of them use these spikes in a very different manner and from that you will notice how you can identify a male bearded dragon from a female bearded dragon.
The male bearded dragon use or present their spikes when they are ready to mate, while on the other hand, the female bearded dragon uses the spikes when they feel threatened. From these gestures, you can notice that the purpose of the spikes are too different for both of them as they do not use them for the same thing.
Another important difference is the head size, the head size of the male bearded dragon and the female bearded dragon varies. There is not only a difference in the size of their head but also the shape.
You will notice that the male bearded dragons have larger and also thicker heads, while in female bearded dragons you will notice a smaller head that is thinner than the male bearded dragon. From these different head sizes and shapes, you will be easily identifying the two and will not have any problem.
By knowing all this you can definitely distinguish a male bearded dragon from a female bearded dragon, but the most important thing is that for all these observations you need lots of experience only then you will be able to notice the difference.
If you are a beginner you will not easily notice all these things as this needs lots of time and patience to know the behaviour and the characteristics of the two.
As we know the differences between a male bearded dragon vs a female bearded dragon are not so easy to spot and in some cases, the behaviours can be shown by both the genders of the bearded dragon, but for the different purpose and only if you are aware of their behaviours and the purpose in both the cases only then, you can spot the differences between the two genders of the bearded dragon.
Why do know the differences between the two genders of the bearded dragon?
The reason that you should know the difference between the two sexes because you should be aware of what you are keeping as a pet at your home.
Another reason is that both the genders have different needs and their behaviour is also different so for that purpose, you will have to provide different sort of care to both the genders. Also, their needs and requirements are quite different and also as we know that the female bearded dragon lays eggs so we need to give them a special type of treatment at the time of the egg-laying process.
Also, the male bearded dragons are aggressive and territorial in nature so they need more space and also they love to stay alone. All these things need to be kept in mind while you are keeping a bearded dragon as a pet. So it is very important to know the sex of the bearded dragon so that we can provide them gender-specific care and also there is no sort of carelessness in this case. So it clearly indicates that the care and the needs of both the gender are very different from each other so that is the reason we should know the difference between a male bearded dragon and a female bearded dragon.
Another reason that you should know about the gender of the bearded dragon is that you cannot house two male bearded dragons together because of their aggressiveness and also their territorial behaviour.
This could be a very dangerous practice and by any means, you should avoid it. But can house more than one female bearded dragon together because they are less aggressive as compared to the male bearded dragon and are also not territorial as much as the male bearded dragons.
But if you are housing more than one female bearded dragon together, you need to provide them with proper space so that they do not get stressed and dwell in their own areas quite peacefully and will not at all fight with each other, unlike male bearded dragons.
Conclusion:
The male bearded dragon vs the female bearded dragon is something that is very important to know for the owner of a bearded dragon if they want to take proper care of their pet and that too without any type of hassle.
They should enjoy their stay inside the captivity and as a responsible owner, we know that the care that is given to any pet is gender-specific care, which should not be compromised in any case. Also, you need lots of knowledge, experience in order to know the difference between a male and a female bearded dragon only then you will easily identify the two.
So make sure you observe your pet carefully and try to build a bond with them so that they are comfortable inside the enclosure and are living a healthy life and that is only possible if you know your pet nicely and the first step towards it is by knowing the gender of the pet, especially of the ones in which identifying their gender, is not an easy task.
More:
