Dragon behaviour explanation please?

[JustSambino]

Hi,

So today I bought a toy reptile, bright in colour, which is about the same size as my bearded dragon. As I only own one, I wanted to test out putting a toy in there to see some different behaviour from him as I've read about their behaviour with other beardies.
So, I put the toy in, on the shelf slightly higher than the shelf he was sat on. These were the results:

- For the first 45 seconds to one minute, he closed one eye and focused the other eye on the toy
- After, he slowly starts head bobbing, sometimes quick, sometimes very slow. (this was amazing for me as I've never seen him do it!)
- After about a minute of head bobbing, he edged closer to the toy, and just stared at it for about 30 seconds
- Then my girlfriend noticed the tip of his tail, it was wagging like a cats tail. This is where I started to be unsure about this little experiment
- He then edged closed, slowly started sticking his tongue out then licked it very quick (like how they would hunt their live food).

At this point, I took the toy out, hid it so he couldn't see it through the glass then came to the forum.
Could anyone explain this behaviour and whether or not I should put the toy back in.
He not once got stress marks on his stomach, his beard was constantly orange throughout too, if it turned black I would have taken it out instantly.

 

[dragonwagon]

Hehe funny. It sounds like he thought it was another dragon and was showing his dominance, and then got confused when it didn't respond.

 

[JustSambino]

So do you think it's safe to put the toy back in? Don't want to make him angry/unhappy

 

[Mushuandcricket]

So do you think it's safe to put the toy back in? Don't want to make him angry/unhappy

If you want the toy in there as a decor I don't see why not. Just watch him and if it over stresses him get it out. Mushu gets stressed when I add anything new. I added a tortoise shell hide and it took a few days to get used to it but now he loves it and sleeps in it at night.

 

[JustSambino]

Nah not for decor, just for a reaction from him

 

[Dawn McNair]

Seems to me that you got a reaction from him already. If you leave it in, he will eventually realize that it's an inanimate object and get used to it. I don't understand exactly what you are wanting from him with this. I think if you keep putting it in and then out it could possibly stress him and what's the point. It probably does stress the beardies to an extent when they are in conflict with another dragon whether it be dominance or breeding.

 

[JustSambino]

I wasn't trying to stress him. I just wanted a reaction, and like you said, I got one. I wanted to see him interact the way beardies do as I will never see it with him as I plan on keeping him solitary all his life. I put it in there again today and no reaction, so he knows it isn't real. He didn't get stressed today. In fact, it was quite funny. I put it on the top shelf again and he just looked at it and then ate some veg. I put it on his basking spot then he went up to his basking spot and knocked it off and started basking himself.
It was fun the first time, but now it's expired haha. He is much smarter than I thought!

 

[Canicke]

"He is much smarter than I thought!" - yes, they are !!

 

[dragonwagon]

I wasn't trying to stress him. I just wanted a reaction, and like you said, I got one. I wanted to see him interact the way beardies do as I will never see it with him as I plan on keeping him solitary all his life. I put it in there again today and no reaction, so he knows it isn't real. He didn't get stressed today. In fact, it was quite funny. I put it on the top shelf again and he just looked at it and then ate some veg. I put it on his basking spot then he went up to his basking spot and knocked it off and started basking himself.
It was fun the first time, but now it's expired haha. He is much smarter than I thought!

Haha hilarious!