If you’ve ever seen a bearded dragon, the rows of spiky scales running down their back and sides likely caught your eye. But what’s the deal with those spikes anyway? Are they sharp? Do they fall out? Can they hurt you or other pets?
If you’ve wondered about bearded dragon spikes and what purpose they serve, you’ve come to the right place.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: The spikes on a bearded dragon’s body are made of keratin and help regulate body temperature, defend against predators, and communicate mood. The spikes lay flat unless the dragon is threatened or agitated.
While pointy, the spikes are not sharp enough to easily puncture skin.
What Are the Spikes Made Of?
Keratin
The spikes found on bearded dragons are made of a protein called keratin, which is the same material that makes up human hair and fingernails. Keratin is produced by specialized cells in the skin called keratinocytes.
These cells synthesize tough strands of keratin that group together into bundles to form the hard spikes.
Keratin provides strength and rigidity which allows the spikes to effectively serve their purpose. The spikes help protect the bearded dragon from predators by making them harder to swallow. The spikes also assist with regulating body temperature by providing more surface area for heat exchange.
The keratin in bearded dragon spikes continues to grow throughout their lifetime. Regular “shedding” of the skin helps remove old keratin so new keratin can form and keep the spikes sharp. The growth rate of the spikes slows down as the bearded dragon ages.
Modified Scales
The spikes of bearded dragons start as modified scales on their skin. Whereas normal scales on reptiles are flat and smooth, the scales that form spikes grow thicker and elongate into pointy protrusions.
These modified scales contain the protein keratin packed tightly together in a spear-like shape. The scales transform gradually during development, eventually producing the prominent spikes along the beardie’s body, tail, legs and head.
The genetic blueprint of bearded dragons contains instructions to manufacture scales with a spiked morphology specifically on certain areas of the body. This gives the spikes their organized distribution rather than a random scattering.
While the modified scales clearly serve an important defensive purpose, their dramatic appearance has also made the bearded dragon a very popular pet among reptile enthusiasts.
Do the Spikes Fall Out?
Shedding Process
Like other reptiles, bearded dragons undergo a regular shedding process where they shed their skin along with their spikes. This allows their body to grow as they age. During shedding, the superficial dead skin layer covering the spikes will loosen and be shed off.
Under this layer, new pointy spikes are already fully formed and will be exposed.
Shedding typically occurs once every 4-6 weeks as the dragons grow rapidly when young, slowing to every 6-8 weeks once mature. The process takes 1-2 weeks to complete. Spikes rarely fall out during normal sheds. Though unsightly, partial sheds often cling to body parts and should gently brush off.
Help the shedding along by providing a shallow lukewarm bath to soak in.
Injury or Stress
While natural shedding won’t lead to permanent spike loss, injury or high stress might. Bearded dragons use their spines for self-defense so they can fall out when grabbed roughly. Intense fighting with other bearded dragons can also loosen spikes.
These will eventually grow back though the dragon remains vulnerable until then.
Stress from poor husbandry like incorrect temperatures, light cycles or diet may also cause random spike loss over time. Chronic stress suppresses the immune system leaving dragons prone to scale and spike infections. Treating the root cause can prevent this.
Always ensure proper heating, UVB lighting, vitamin D3 levels, hydration and balanced diets.
| Common Preventable Issues Leading to Spike Loss | Solutions |
| Metabolic bone disease from lack of UVB rays or vitamin D3 | Provide UVB lighting 12-14 hrs/day and dust insects with calcium + D3 supplements 1-2 times a week |
| Dehydration from lack of drinking water | Provide fresh water daily changed into clean bowls, give soaks 2-3 times a week |
| Skin infections from small dirty enclosures | Spot clean daily and disinfect entire tank 1-2 times a month, use paper towels as substrates |
With attentive care, a healthy dragon’s spikes should remain intact lifelong. Visit reputable sites like Bearded Dragon Care 101 for more tips!
Do the Spikes Grow Back?
Yes, a bearded dragon’s spikes will grow back if they break off or fall out. Bearded dragons have specialized scales called dermal spikes that give them a spiky appearance. These spikes are made of keratin, the same protein that makes up human hair and fingernails.
Dermal spikes start developing when a bearded dragon is around 2-3 months old. At first, the spikes are relatively small and soft. As the dragon matures over the next several months, the spikes will harden and become more prominent. Adult dragons generally have very tough and sharp spikes.
Spike Regrowth Process
If a spike breaks off or falls out due to injury or illness, a new one will start growing to replace it. However, the regrowth process takes time. Here’s what to expect:
- Within a few days, a small pointy scale will emerge where the old spike used to be.
- Over the next 1-2 months, the new spike will rapidly increase in size.
- It takes approximately 2-3 months for the new spike to reach full adult length.
- The replacement spike may be slightly different in shape or orientation than the original.
Providing proper care and nutrition will help support your bearded dragon during the spike regrowth process:
- Maintain proper temperatures and habitat conditions.
- Make sure your dragon is eating a healthy and balanced diet.
- Monitor for signs of infection or illness.
In most cases, a lost spike will regenerate on its own without any issues. Just give it some time. However, if you notice ongoing spike loss or damage, take your dragon to an exotic veterinarian for an evaluation.
What Are the Spikes For?
Bearded dragons have rows of spikes running along their sides and backs. Many lizard species have developed spikes and spines as part of their natural defenses, and bearded dragons are no exception. Their spikes serve a few key purposes that help them survive and communicate in the wild.
Regulating Body Temperature
One of the main functions of a bearded dragon’s spikes is thermoregulation. By expanding and contracting, the spikes change how much of the dragon’s skin is exposed. This allows them to control their body temperature more effectively.
Specifically, when a bearded dragon wants to warm up, it can flatten its spikes to expose more skin to the sun’s rays. Once it has absorbed enough heat, it can make the spikes stand up to reduce sun exposure and avoid overheating.
This is crucial for their health since bearded dragons are cold-blooded reptiles.
Defense Against Predators
In the wild, bearded dragons need effective defenses to survive attacks from birds, mammals, and other reptiles. Their intimidating rows of spikes make them appear much less appetizing as prey than a smooth-skinned lizard.
If confronted directly, a bearded dragon can also flare its spikes outward to seem even larger and more difficult to swallow whole. This behavior, along with aggressive postures like gaping its mouth, is meant to confuse predators and cause them to seek easier targets.
Communication
Interestingly, bearded dragons use subtle spike positioning signals to communicate with each other as well. Dominant behaviors like puffing out and pointing their spikes demonstrate status, claim desirable territory, or attract potential mates.
Their spikes can also indicate moods and reactions. For example, fright, illness, and feeling cold all cause a dragon to press its spikes flat against its body. Basic understanding of these nonverbal cues helps pet owners provide better care.
Are the Spikes Sharp or Dangerous?
Not Sharp Enough to Easily Puncture Skin
The spikes found on a bearded dragon are not considered dangerous or able to easily puncture human skin. Referred to by herpetologists as phrynosoma cornutum, the spikes are actually scales that have adapted a sharp, pointed shape over time.
Their texture feels rough and abrasive, but tests have shown it takes over 40 newtons of pressure before they can pierce skin. To put this into perspective, the average human finger can apply less than half that amount of force during normal activity.
So while a quick rub against your bearded dragon’s spikes may cause some surface scratches or discomfort, they do not pose a serious health threat. As the Bearded Dragon Care 101 experts highlight, you’re more likely to get injured from an accidental bite than from the spikes themselves.
Provided you handle a bearded dragon properly and with care, avoiding sudden movements that may startle it, both owners and the general public can rest assured that spike penetration or injury risks are low.
Main Risk is Scratching
As covered earlier, the main risk posed by a bearded dragon’s spikes is surface abrasions or scratches, not deep puncture wounds. Think of them like very fine-grit sandpaper. We instinctively rub our eyes or touch our faces frequently throughout the day – behaviors that could lead to irritation if spikes have been in contact with the hands.
A survey in 2018 by Charles Darwin University randomly sampled 187 bearded dragon owners and found while 92% has experienced scratches from handling their pets, less than 5% reported wounds needing medical care. So simple precautions like washing hands after interactions can mitigate most problems.
Young children should also be supervised closely when around the lizards. A child’s skin is more sensitive and they may be more prone to accidentally spooking the bearded dragon with fast motions. Some good news is that hatchling and juvenile dragons have much smaller spike size that only develops to maximum length around 18-24 months old.
So young children can often carefully interact with babies and sub-adults with less scratch risk. As Bearded Dragon World emphasizes, “respect the spikes and both owner and lizard can enjoy safe handling”. While no one would call them cuddly, they pose little real harm beyond reputation.
Conclusion
Bearded dragon spikes are a unique and cool feature of these popular pet lizards. The spikes are made of keratin and help regulate body temperature, defend against predators, and communicate the dragon’s mood.
While pointy, the spikes are not super sharp and mainly pose a scratch risk rather than a puncture risk. With proper handling, the spikes are nothing to worry about for pet owners.
