Talking with your companion (human or animal) is an excellent way to develop trust and a mutual bond. Many bearded dragon owners frequently ask, “can bearded dragons hear?” Especially novice beardie owners are forced to consider or ask this question because they are excited to talk to their bearded dragons (or talk every day) but they are perplexed, “do their bearded dragons really hear them?” because apparently, beardies don’t have ears.
So to end up your curiosity immediately, the answer is “YES”, bearded dragons have an excellent hearing ability. They can hear you and other voices emanating from the surrounding environment. In the wild, their hearing ability helps them in many ways. Let’s discuss the matter in detail.
How Do Bearded Dragons Hear? / Do Bearded Dragons Have Ears?
Obviously, bearded dragons hear because of their ears. However, their anatomy is a bit different, which leads to a false belief that bearded dragons don’t have ears. This isn’t true in any way; bearded dragons also have ears like other animals.
You can see a hole on both sides just above the mouth, which are actually the ears. It’s true that they don’t have external ear structures; internally, their ears are fully developed. When you see inside closely, you can clearly observe different internal ear structures, similar to other animals or humans.
The absence of external structure doesn’t affect their hearing ability. These holes-like ears are capable enough to make bearded dragons hear different voices from surrounding as efficiently as other animals.
Importance Of Hearing For A Bearded Dragon?
An acute sense of hearing is beneficial for beaded dragons in many ways. However, its primary benefit is that it helps bearded dragons to survive in wild conditions by avoiding predators. Some potential predators (beardies commonly face) are birds, cats, dingoes, foxes, pythons etc. Their ability to detect a very faint sound helps them escape in time.
Secondly, their excellent hearing ability helps them find and catch their prey. Bearded dragons love eating insects and bugs. However, they’re not always readily available because insects are small and can hide anywhere. Still, beardies can manage to find enough insects due to their acute hearing ability.
Can Bearded Dragons Learn Their Names?
Bearded dragons are capable enough to learn and remember their name, and you can also teach them to respond to your calls. This is also good for their safety because they can get lost easily when they are out of the cage. So if they know their names and are trained to respond to your call, they will quickly come back to you when you call them. However, training a bearded dragon requires you to follow the correct technique and be patient and consistent because it’s time-consuming.
Does A Bearded Dragon Recognize Its Owner’s Voice?
Yes, bearded dragons are intelligent reptiles who can understand the voice of their caretaker and the person who feeds them. One reason for this is that beardies connect the voice of their owner to food. However, how efficiently your beardie recognizes your voice depends on how long has he been with you and how often you interact with him?
Are Bearded Dragons Disturbed by Noise?
How much a bearded dragon will be affected by noise depends on its individual personality. Some beardies may be bold and assertive, while others are more submissive and, in most cases, timid. So due to such diversity in their personalities, some Bearded Dragons can be easily disturbed by noises around the house. At the same time, their counterparts will be wholly unaffected and go about their business just as they usually do. However, most bearded dragons are disturbed by very loud sounds, and some may also become scared by very low sounds or quitter noise because they will associate it with predators following them.
Can Bearded Dragons Sleep At Noisy Place?
We know that instinctively bearded dragons are solitary, so they are not accustomed to the noisy environment. As far as sleeping is concerned, like humans, they prefer a dark, quiet place and follow a routine. So most bearded dragons can’t sleep in a noisy environment. In fact, noise can cause a sleeping beardie to wake up.
Do Bearded Dragons Need Ear Cleaning?
Because in bearded dragons, only a large hole is present instead of an external auditory structure, there is always the possibility that something (like sand or small pieces of bark) get lodged inside the ear. So if you doubt something is inside the ear or they need routine ear cleaning, contact a vet. And never try to do it by yourself at home.
Conclusion
Yes, the bearded dragons can hear. Although bearded dragons don’t have visible ears, their internal auditory structures are fully developed, and they can hear as efficiently as any other animal or human. Bearded dragons can also remember their name and their owner’s voice. However, sometimes they may need ear cleaning that must be performed by a professional.
