Bearded Dragon Flipping On Its Back? - But Why...

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that a bearded dragon shouldn’t ever be flipped upside down. But why is a bearded dragon flipping on its back you ask. This is very unnatural behaviour, specially for a captive or pet bearded dragon. It is still very unclear on the exact reason this happens, but researchers believe that when a bearded dragon has flipped onto its back it’s usually health related issues. These health related issues will commonly affect its balance and will sometimes cause bearded dragons to roll off basking rocks, flipping on its back or fall backwards when climbing.

(Please scroll down to the bottom of the page to find ‘Other related articles you might like’, once you are done reading).

There are a number of health issues which could be related to a bearded dragon flipping on its back such as; bacterial or viral infections, head trauma, dehydration and hypocalemia. All these health issues have the ability to cause balance issues.

I should stress that if you see any potential signs of these health issues, then please visit your local veterinarian as soon as possible.

Table of Contents

So Why Is Your Bearded Dragon Flipping On It’s Back?

Bacteria and Viral Infection

A great example of a bacterial infection for bearded dragons is “Yellow Fungus Disease” (YFD). This is the most common fungal disease for captive reptiles, and is easily noticeable by the change in colour of skin. Bearded dragon which have this disease will have yellow, brownish skin colour, with crust on the surface, which over time appear to get larger. Other patches of crust may appear all over the body at random.

One of the main causes for Yellow Fungus Disease is due to unhygienic living conditions. This is most commonly seen in bearded dragon enclosures which house more than two reptiles. When breeding, some breeders may house many bearded dragons in the same enclosure, which is fine as infants, but they grow very quickly and produce more waste by the day.

Mix this overload of waste product and an over crowded enclosure and you can already start to see where the problems begin. Bearded dragons grow at a very fast rate as juveniles. One body part that also remains pretty sharp are their toenails. Although bearded dragons skin develops to be pretty tough, juveniles actually have very soft skin, which is easily torn.

Juveniles are very playful, so you will commonly find they clamber over each other all the time. Kicking and pushing their way past other house mates. Sometimes this can cause damage to their skin. Cut and grazes can be overlooked as non threatening, however open wounds leave bearded dragons vulnerable to infection, just like Yellow Fungus Disease.

Yellow Fungus Disease causes severe stress for bearded dragons which can lead to side effects such as nausea. It’s this side effect of nausea that causes a bearded dragon to become disorientated, and acquires loss of balance, which can lead to a bearded dragon flipping on its back.

Head Trauma

All reptile are exposed to some sort of factor which can cause lumps, bumps, bruising and swelling. For example climbing apparatus, but that’s not always the case for head traumas. There is one condition which scientists believe is only found on bearded dragons.

This medical condition is known as Aneurysm Syndrome.

Aneurysm Syndrome is the medical condition for blood blisters or blood cysts, which are naturally found behind the head. Aneurysm is defined as an enlargement of an artery. Which in this case is at the back of a bearded dragons head. The enlargement causes the blood vessel to weaken, at which point rupturing, causing a blister via internal bleeding.

Internal bleeding is very had to stop. It usually takes surgery to treat such traumas under the skin. The rate of which blood is lost can again cause nausea and balance difficulties. The signs may not be evidently noticeable, but this can still affect them enough to cause a bearded dragon to flip onto its back.

Dehydration

This is an obvious one really. Dehydration is the main cause of headaches and dizziness for humans. And this is do different for reptiles. Naturally, bearded dragons do have a higher water threshold than humans, bases on their natural habitat and living conditions. Bearded dragons have become accustomed to dry landscapes with high temperatures. Their bodies have evolved to use water resources wisely.

Make sure your bearded dragon has fresh water every morning. The temperature of the enclosure will be hot enough to evaporate the bowl of water within a day or two. Sometime bearded dragons can be clumsy as accidentally tip their water bowl over. You should refill this as soon as possible, however it’s nothing too serious to worry about if you have vegetable and plantations for it to feed on. In the wild, vegetables and plantations are a huge percentage of a bearded dragons water intake.

Lack of water will cause dizziness and as a result can cause a bearded dragon to fall onto its back. This will also cause a lot of stress due to the fact they find it very hard to right themselves.

Make sure your bearded dragon has plenty of water throughout the day by equipping yourself with a SUITABLE WATER BOWL.

The ZOO MED KB-40 CORNER BOWL is perfect for all sized enclosures, can fits ideally into one of the enclosures corners. This brilliant water bowl is perfect for your bearded dragon to bathe and rehydrate itself. Click the link above to purchase now before they’re all gone.

Hypocalemia

Finally we have hypocalemia. Hypocalemia is a health issue as a result of too much exposure to Vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is a crucial vitamin for a bearded dragon to live a healthy life. It has loads of benefits, however in high doses can cause serious risk to health.

Bearded dragons naturally absorb Vitamin D3 from the sun. This is one of the reason they bask during day time hours, and also has benefit to their digestion system. As well as this, bearded dragons get Vitamin D3 from the foods they eat. Sometimes the calcium level in a bearded dragons blood becomes so high that it becomes sticky or sludgy. And this causes some serious problems.

Blood which has become sticky, struggles to pass through a bearded dragons veins. This means the oxygen levels begin to decrease as the blood can’t pass through the body as quickly as usual. Oxygen levels will slowly start to decrease all around the body, including the brain.

Lack of oxygen to a bearded dragons brain can again cause nausea and dizziness, and will prevent them from achieving usually simple tasks. Walking can become slow and stumbles may be seen. In some cases balance is lost and will causes the bearded dragon flipping on its back. In a more serious case, this can cause death if not treated promptly.

THE BEST WAY you can prevent this from happening is by monitoring how much calcium your bearded dragon gets. You can do this buy purchasing FLUKER’S CALCIUM REPTILE SUPPLEMENT right here.

Lightly coat your bearded dragons live foods in Fluker’s Calcium Supplement Powder 2-3 times a week .

Do Bearded Dragons Need a UVB Light To Help Stop Flipping On Its Back?

Bearded dragons commonly live in the Australian outback. This dry rocky landscape has an average temperature of 37 degrees Celsius throughout the summer, with the highest temperature recorded at 47.7 degrees Celsius. But with all this heat, do bearded dragons need UVB?

These reptile are well known for their ability to bask in the sun all day long. They can withstand the morning temperatures and really do enjoy relaxing in the sun, but at the scorching heat of the day, often find somewhere cool and shady to relax. They are usually seen climbing on top of their favourite rock, or clambering upon fallen trees, bearded dragons will spend the majority of their day sun bathing. Throw in a frozen daiquiri and they’re really living the dream.

There is no relation to a bearded dragon needing UVB to stop it flipping over. Yes UVB does have its benefits to a bearded dragons overall health, but a direct result to stop your bearded dragon flipping over isn’t necessary.

To stop a bearded dragon flipping over, you should re-read the paragraphs above. Usually the reason for a bearded dragon flipping over is due to its diet. The incorrect diet for a bearded dragon can cause all kinds of health related issues which may lead to it flipping over.

Do Bearded Dragons Really Need UVB?

Bearded dragons bask in the sun for the majority of the day and need an intense UVB source. UVB is essential to their health and wellbeing, so you’ll need UVB light inside their enclosure which stretch the whole length of the enclosure (not just one in the middle).

We would recommend a fairly strong UVB tube, of 10-12% UV in a standard 4 x 2 x 2 size enclosure. A enclosure any bigger than this and you may want a slightly stronger tube still. You should be able to get these at any reptile store or centre. Just make sure you ask for a strong rating UV tube. Commonly UV percentages aren’t this high, but due to bearded dragons Outback habitat, higher UV rated tubes are recommended.

Difference in T5 and T8 UVB lamps

There are two lamps which will be available to you. These are T8 and T5 lamps.

The T8 lamps are roughly an inch in diameter, and these have an effective range of 9-12 inches. They will also last for about 6 months before the UVB start to become ineffective. So these will need changing at least twice a year.

T5 lamps are the newer, stronger and longer lasting UVB lamp. They are roughly half and inch in diameter with an effective range of 18-24 inches. So these should only be used in bigger enclosures ideally. These lamps will last about 12 months, so will only need to be changed once every year.

If you are unsure whether or not your lamp is still effective or not, there is a simple technique you can use to check this. What you’ll need to do is turn off all the lights in the room, (preferably at night) and hold up a sheet of white paper to the lamp. If the paper seems to glow luminous, with a blue tinge to it, then your lamp is still working absolutely fine.

When your UVB lamp is lit up, but there is no luminous glow on the white paper, this is a definitive sign the lamp is no longer working how it should. At this point you will need to change the lamp.

Placement of UVB Tubes

Whichever lamp you decide on, the placement of them both should be the same. I would recommend mounting the tube lamps on the ceiling, as close to the back wall as possible, in a central position (if the lamp doesn’t stretch the length of the enclosure). This will give the best gradient of UVB throughout the enclosure.

From this placement you should have achieved UVB which stretches the length of the enclosure, allowing the same gradient of UVB throughout through the whole enclosure. Mix this with a heating lamp at one end of the enclosure and your bearded dragon should be able to find a perfect position for all of its needs within the enclosure.

Offering Cover From UVB

Although your bearded dragon will spend most of its time basking under the UVB and heat lamps. From time to time your bearded dragon will need somewhere to avoid these elements. So they will need a hide, or cover of some sort.

To feel completely safe it is recommended to put the hide in the corner of the enclosure at the cool end. Make sure the hide only has one entrance and exit. This will create an area which feel completely safe from potential predators, where they can confidently relax in peace.

What Are The Benefits of UVB For a Bearded Dragon?

Bearded dragons need UVB lighting for physiological and behavioural well being. UBV is even know to aid in bearded dragons ability to see better and also with calcium absorption. Unlike humans, bearded dragons can see the UV-A spectrum. This means that objects are seen in more detail. Specially lighter coloured objects. This is great for their dietary requirements, which allows them to determine the edibility of plantations.

Calcium plays a vital role in muscle functions and and the nervous system. Calcium in usually absorbed through the intestines, from food. However, calcium is also absorbed through a bearded dragons skin. Sometime in the wild, bearded dragons will go a number of days with out a meal. When they aren’t able to eat each day, they need to find another means to get their vitamins. And for vitamin D3 it is absorbed from UVB rays. Vitamin D3 is crucial for a bearded dragon as a lack of vitamin D3 can result in Metabolic Bone Disease.

What Health Issues Are Caused By a Bearded Dragon Flipping On its Back?

Bearded dragons do not have moveable diaphragms like humans and many other animals do. This means their lungs do not inflate through a contracting muscles joined to a diaphragm. Instead they have intercostal muscles which are joined in-between their ribs to the lungs. In a similar motion to a diaphragm the ribs will expand, causing the lungs too drawn in air.

A problem arises when a bearded dragon is on its back because its internal organs will naturally relax, and can fall into obscure positions which obstruct these intercostal muscle from contracting. Thus meaning the bearded dragon can not draw in any air.

When this happens the build up of pressure inside the bearded dragons body in greater than the pressure inside the lungs, and its this imbalance that causes the collapsing of lungs. If this isn’t corrected promptly there is a serious risk of death to bearded dragons.

Another problem that can occur with bearded dragons flipping over, is breaking or fracturing bones. Bearded dragons have very dense bone for their size, however they are indestructible. Usually falling off of rock, or branch isn’t going to hurt your bearded dragon, however if they fall from a height, brakes or fractures may well occur. This may have something to do with why your bearded dragon is flipping over. It might not have the strength to carry itself, therefore losing grip and falling awkwardly onto its back.

Please, if you see any signs of health issues, visit a trainer professional or your local veterinarian for further advise and treatments.

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