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Why is my bearded dragon glass surfing at night? Glass surfing is most commonly a result of stress. A bearded dragon may be stressed for several reasons: An enclosure or tank that’s too small for it can stress a bearded dragon out. Another bearded dragon, even if they’re not housed together, may be interpreted as competition for a bearded dragon and cause stress.
There are several reasons why a bearded dragon may be glass surfing at night. Some of these reasons include stress and in this blog post, you will learn about the most common reasons a bearded dragon would be glass surfing and how to fix them.
What Is Glass Surfing?
When a lizard is trying hard to climb up the side of its enclosure, it is said to be glass surfing. Glass surfing, also called glass dancing, looks like what it sounds like – the lizard’s belly rubbing on the glass of its tank and its little legs paddling as if it is surfing on the glass.
What Does It Mean For A Bearded Dragon To Glass Surf?
A bearded dragon will sometimes try to climb up the side of its enclosure. When they do this, it’s called glass surfing. Your bearded dragon will essentially be rubbing their belly on the glass and using their arms like paddles to try to climb the glass. Glass surfing is also common in other types of lizards.
Why Is My Bearded Dragon Glass Surfing At Night?
Glass surfing may be a result of stress. There are several reasons why a bearded dragon may be stressed: for example, an enclosure or tank that is too small for the bearded dragon can cause stress, as can another bearded dragon even if they are not housed together.
Is Glass Surfing A Normal Thing For Bearded Dragons?
Occasional glass surfing is no big deal. In some cases, it’s normal and expected, such as when a bearded dragon is new to its environment after you bring it home for the first time, or when people are standing near the tank and the dragon may expect food.
What Are The Common Reasons Why A Bearded Dragon Would Glass Surf
People who own bearded dragons often talk about why they think the dragon’s glass surf. Some people say that it is because of stress. There are many reasons why a dragon might be stressed. One reason might be that the dragon is not happy with its environment.
- If you have a bearded dragon, it is important to give it enough space to live in. An enclosure or tank that is too small can make the dragon stressed out.
- If you have more than one bearded dragon, they may get stressed out if they think that the other dragons are competition.
- If you change the way your terrarium looks, it can cause stress to your pet.
- Some dragons feel stressed when they see their reflection in the glass.
- Bearded dragons can feel stressed when they are bored or hungry.
- If the substrate, lighting, or temperature is not right, it can be stressful for a bearded dragon.
Anyone or a combination of these conditions may cause your bearded dragon to become stressed out, which, in turn, may prompt it to glass surf.
Bearded Dragon: Age, Growth & Tank Size Chart
| Age | Length | Tank Size |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1/months (Baby) | 3-4/inches | 20-40/gallons |
| 2/months (Baby) | 5-9/inches | 20-40/gallons |
| 3/months (Baby) | 8-11/inches | 20-40/gallons |
| 4/months (Baby) | 9-12/inches | 40-75/gallons |
| 5/months (Baby) | 11-16/inches | 40-75/gallons |
| 6/months (Juvenile) | 11-18/inches | 50-75/gallons |
| 8/months (Juvenile) | 13-20/inches | 50-75/gallons |
| 12+/months (Adult) | 16-24/inches | 75-120/gallons |
How Do I Stop My Bearded Dragon From Glass Surfing?
Make sure that your bearded dragon cannot see another dragon from its enclosure. If your bearded dragon can see another beardie from their tank, they can get stressed out thinking that the other dragon is competition. It is also possible that your dragon could get stressed out by its own reflection in the glass of its enclosure.
So, the best thing you can do to stop your dragon from glass surfing is to keep them out of direct sight from other dragons’ tanks where they cannot see other dragons. Even though seeing another dragon isn’t always what makes a dragon glass surf, it is still a good idea to keep them out of each other’s sight.
The other thing you can do to prevent glass surfing when it comes to your dragon seeing their own reflection is to put up an artificial background in their enclosure or adjust the lighting in the enclosure to reduce the number of reflections your dragon could see.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions:
What Does It Mean When A Bearded Dragon Licks The Glass?
When a bearded dragon licks the glass of their enclosure it means that they are trying to get to know their area or environment. They are essentially smelling to see what is going on in their tank or enclosure. The same can be said when they lick you when you pet them or hold them. They are getting to know you or their surroundings or trying to get comfortable with you.
Why is my bearded dragon sleeping against the glass?
If your bearded dragon tends to sleep with his or her stomach up against the glass of their enclosure, he or she may be too hot and they may be trying to cool off. Bearded dragons like a lot of other reptiles thermo-regulate their body temperatures by going to different zones in their enclosures.
They should have a warm zone underneath a basking lamp, a warm zone but humid zone not under a heat lamp, and a cooler side of the tank so they can choose where they want to be based on their body temperature.
Why do Beardies scratch at glass?
If your bearded dragon can see other dragons or if it is during their breeding season, your dragon may be trying to escape his or her tank to get to another dragon. Their breeding season is typically in early spring, around a month after they come out of brumation.
Conclusion
Bearded dragons can be quirky and have their own personalities. If your bearded dragon is glass surfing and showing any of the signs in this blog post, it’s important to take a closer look at what might be going on. By taking the time to observe your bearded dragon and see if there is an underlying reason for the behavior, you can help make sure he or she stays healthy and happy.
