A Final Self-Reflection

Through creating this project, I have gained greater respect towards the bearded dragon species. It made me look at all aspects of these animals and helped me better understand just how great they are as pets. These animals are docile creatures that are ideal for any family looking for a small animal- exotic or not. This project taught me that bad breeders are everywhere and supply the pet trade with all types of creatures. The effects these breeders have on the pet trade are saddening. They supply excited new owners with unhealthy or unhappy beardies, they take away from the breeders who actually care for and about the species and they make money through these inhumane practices. I have learned that licensing and regulating through laws does not stop these poor breeders from continuing and education seems to be the best option. I have also learned to look at all aspects of these animals, not just its physical characteristics, needs and overall temperament as one would do when first looking to buy a pet. An example of learning much more through analyzing different aspects of the species was when I studied their part in the movie “Holes.” Although they were depicted as lethal, scary, made up creatures in the movie, I was easily able to tell in the scene that they liked human attention and were extremely easy going regardless of everything going on around them- whether it was the multiple other bearded dragons piled up around them, the unfamiliar actors filming with them, or the camera crew and film set filming them.

Throughout the course I have gained knowledge and a better respect for the human-animal bond. I have seen many different relationships that can be created and how they can be strengthened or destroyed. This project has helped me understand that there are many aspects to a species, and in order to create or strengthen a bond with them, you must educate yourself on the other species in order to understand and better connect with them. I am certainly better connected with the bearded dragon species now through the education aspect of this project.

My Moral Vision Statement

My personal philosophy to creating an ethical, humane, and sustainable world for both humans and nonhuman animals is that humans need to follow the “Golden Rule”- one should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself. As proved by scientists around the world, nonhuman animals have intelligence and emotions, so why can humans treat them any differently than they treat others of their own species? In no way am I talking about animal rights, and even if I were to wish for that goal, it would be very unrealistic. The human population could not be sustainable without meat and other animal produce, although slaughter houses are where a lot of the immoral and unethical actions come from. If we are using another species for our benefit, we must respect and treat that species well. The same goes for nonhuman animals used in research. We do not just haphazardly slice open humans when they choose to donate organs or blood. Doctors are careful because the human is donating for the good of another person. Slaughter house workers needs to act the same way. On the other hand, we want other species’ populations to be sustainable too. Many species have become extinct or endangered due to immoral judgment and actions by humans for over hundreds of years. Man must treat all animals with kindness and respect, and he must also want to treat them this way. When this has been accomplished, the world will be sustainable, moral, and ethical for all species living on this earth.

The Compromise

When supplying bearded dragons to the pet trade, three ways of improvement can be made to better improve their welfare. Firstly, if these reptiles are being supplied through captive breeding, we can improve or better enforce USDA rules to ensure that they are being followed. If breeders are following USDA regulations, these bearded dragons will receive adequate care, food, and shelter.  It was help reduce “puppy mill” cases or poor breeders who are just using these animals as profit. Poor breeders give their animals just enough care to reproduce and have no regard for their wellbeing. I believe hiring more USDA inspectors or increasing the frequency of these checkups would be best when it comes to improving and ensuring these animals’ welfare.
The second way of improving bearded dragons’ wellbeing through captive breeding is through educating the public. When potential buyers understand that there are bad breeders out there who are just looking for a profit and not caring about the animals’ health or wellbeing they will try to avoid those breeders. People want healthy pets and they (for the most part) care about the species when they are looking for one as a pet. Breeders do not have to get USDA licensed in order to sell their dragons to potential owners or pet stores. If the public is educated on the topic though, they can avoid these bad breeders and will not provide them with their business. If the public (especially pet stores!) stops buying from these bad breeders, they no longer can make a profit and keep their breeding facility running. Eventually, these bad breeders will go out of business and leave only the reputable ones left to sell their healthy happy dragons.
Lastly, for the supporters of catching wild bearded dragons and supplying them to the pet trade in various countries, improvement can be made in the transportation part of the process. It is not recent news that transportation is hard on all animals, but it is especially difficult for wild ones. These animals have never been in captivity before and have only known their native lands for all of their lives. They are also not familiar with being handled by humans. All of these factors add up to an extremely stressful and scary transportation process for them. Not only is it mentally stressful on the animals, it is known to be physically traumatic and damaging to them. Because the smuggling of these animals across borders is illegal, the process is very secretive and rushed. Animals are often shoved into tight, dangerous places to be hidden from authorities, and they also go through many hours of being in this position depending on where they are being transported to. For many hours, these animals can go without food, water, or correct temperature. In order to work with the people who believe in supplying wild-caught dragons to the pet trade, I believe the best idea would be to allow the transportation of this species from Australia to other countries but to heavily regulate the process to ensure that these bearded dragons are receiving adequate care throughout.

The People Against a Controversial Topic Dealing with Bearded Dragons- Supplying the Pet Trade with Beardies

[PetWatch is a program of EcoHealth Alliance  which provides consumers with a science-based list of the Best, Fair and Worst choices of exotic pets based on extensive research aimed at protecting native wildlife and resources, global biodiversity and public health.]

Dear Petwatch,

            I also agree with your program when it comes to the idea that taking wild Bearded Dragons from their native habitats of Australia is not the best way to go about supplying people with these reptiles as pets. It is in the breed’s best interest to be supplied to pet stores through captive-breeding versus illegally catching and importing the animals. These reptiles do very well when it comes to breeding in captivity, and by doing this, the native populations are being protected and preserved in Australia.

            People who do provide these pets through catching natives and importing them may do so because they understand that their population numbers are very stable in the wild and because of the fact that they inhabit many parts of Australia makes it unlikely that catching them for the pet trade will endanger the species. Although I, too, do not agree with illegal catching and importing of these creatures, their intentions may be slightly appropriate when it comes to the breed’s population numbers.

http://www.petwatch.net/browse_animals/reptiles/43-bearded_dragon

 

The People for a Controversial Topic Dealing with Bearded Dragons- Supplying the Pet Trade with Beardies

Pro "wild catching":

Because the act of catching wild bearded dragons and importing them to different countries is illegal, I could not find any supporters when covering with this topic. If I did find a group that supported the catching and importing of these reptiles, I would tell them that I understand that these animals are extremely popular as exotic pets and it is easy to supply the public with them through catching them in the wild. I would also explain that I understand that because populations in the wild are stable and plentiful, it would sustainably be acceptable to take them from the wild in order to provide them to the pet trade. If this act were ever to be legalized again, in order to ease the concerns of those who are against this activity, importation techniques could be improved on in order to improve their welfare during the transportation process. The capturers could also keep records on how many bearded dragons they are catching and from where to ensure that they are not depleting wild populations.

 

Controversial Topics

There are no real controversial topics when it comes to this species besides the best ways to care for them (best substrate to use, which lettuces to feed, etc.). Back in the 1970s-1990s. There were a bit more controversial topics. Because these species were becoming pets for the first time, a lot of exotic animal smuggling was occurring out of Australia. This was a concern for not only the species, but also for Australia’s habitat. If too many of any plant or animal species gets taken out of an environment, it will have a detrimental effect by messing with the ecosystem’s balance. Smuggling is also an issue for the species because of the harsh (unfamiliar and stressful) conditions these animals have to go through. In fact, not only for beardies but for almost all smuggled exotic species, a very small percent of the population getting transported will make it to their destination alive. Luckily, breeders have found great success when it comes to breeding them in captivity. I believe this is much more humane and sustainable for the species. When breeding in captivity, humans do not have to worry about environmental effects nor the wellbeing of the animals during transportation. Unfortunately, captive breeding is not the answer to all of the breed’s problems in the pet trade either. Although many breeders breed bearded dragons because they love the animals, there are still many breeders out there that breed just for the profit. This is commonly seen in all pet trades, whether we are talking about dogs, rabbits or fish. These breeders do not care about the welfare of the animals so it is extremely important for potential beardie owners to research where they can find reputable, USDA certified breeders and purchase their pets from these places. That way, indecent breeders are not being supported and, coming from a certified breeding facility, it is more than likely that new owners will get their hands on a healthy happy dragon.
http://www.petwatch.net/browse_animals/reptiles/43-bearded_dragon

Religion and Mythlogy

 As stated before, not even the Chinese, who are known for their use of dragons in mythology and folklore, have included the bearded dragon species. Religion and mythology dates back thousands of years while bearded dragons as pets, or even just as moderately known animals, began in the late 1900’s. It is no wonder why they are not as popular as the mythical Chinese dragons. The dragons that the Chinese do use in their mythology, though, are depicted in a positive light and are seen as magical and powerful creatures. It is common to read about kings who can turn into dragons or people turning into these creatures when they are looking for magic or power. The Chinese dragon is greatly admired in their mythology. Greek mythology, on the other hand, has been seen to include dragons from time to time, but the dragons are seen as villainous creatures that cause trouble and are pests to the Greek people. It is interesting to see that two groups can depict the same animal in such unalike ways.   http://fairrosa.info/dragon/

Bearded Dragons in Film

As would be expected when hearing that bearded dragons have been left out of art, folklore, and literature, you would suppose they have been left out of the film industry too. Luckily, there is a movie that has bearded dragons. Although it is only a short scene, it is in a very popular and liked Disney movie-  Holes.

In the movie, they were depicted as dangerous and lethal “yellow spotted lizards” that trapped two boys and stopped others from getting to them in fear of being bitten. Although some makeup was used on the creatures, it is quite obvious that they used bearded dragons to play the role. I am sure that it was their intimidating look that made the species ideal for the part, but I also believe it is the species’ pleasant disposition that helped them secure the role too. In the movie, the creatures were required to pile up on top of each other and the boys in the small hole. Just by watching this scene, you can understand that these animals are very laid back and well mannered. They happily crawled around without issues in the scene. I find it very hard to believe that the film crew would  have had any success if they used any other reptile species for the part.

On the other hand, there are no dragon appearances in adult films and I believe this is because, for one, they are still just gaining popularity, but secondly and the more reasonable answer is because they simply are never needed in adult films. In children’s movies, producers can get away with putting paint on the animals and calling them “lethal lizards.” With adults, they cannot fool them that easily. It would take a much bigger and scarier creature (most likely an animation) to scare or convince viewers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdtF-zw9HG0

Literature/Folklore

 Bearded dragons are left out of folklore and literature in every culture and part of the world. Not even the Chinese, who include many different types of dragons in their history with mythology, include bearded dragons. The Chinese’s dragons are made up creatures while bearded dragons are not. The bearded dragon also does not maintain the same characteristics that the dragons (the Chinese New Year Dragon for example) in Asian culture portray. They do not breathe fire nor have a large snake-like body shape. Bearded dragons are a fairly new species (especially compared to Asian culture and tradition) and these animals are very new popularity wise. Chinese dragons in folklore date back hundreds if not thousands of years, so it can be easily understood how bearded dragons are not included. When it comes to actual dragons, they are quite common in both western and eastern folklore and literature. Some folk tales that include dragons relating to Greek mythology (western folk lore) are “The Dragon of Boeotia,” in which a cruel prince is turned into a “helpless lizard,” and the tale, “How Three Mighty Heroes Saved the Sun and the Moon from the Dragon.” In most cases, dragons are portrayed as villains in western literature and often end up being slain by noblemen. Crossing over to the other side of the world, dragons are much more common in eastern literature. Some stories include “The Daughter and the Dragon King,” where a king is actually able to take dragon form whenever he pleases, and also “The Dragon’s Revenge,” in which a woman transforms into a dragon to take revenge on a past lover who has crossed her. Dragons are much more highly regarded in these eastern cultures’ folk tales and they are also commonly seen as the main subject in children’s picture books and many fictional novels. 

 http://fairrosa.info/dragon/

Bearded Dragons in Art

Unfortunately I could not find any strictly bearded dragon specialized art or artists. The closest I have found are a couple artists that focus on reptiles or “Dragon” species (komodo, bearded, etc.). Most bearded dragon art found online is photography, which usually consists of owners taking pictures of their own pet. For the artists who do focus on reptiles, though, it seems they tend to focus on the bearded dragon species a little more. This could possibly be because of their exotic, interesting look, or because their pleasant disposition allows humans to take pictures of or draw them easily.

Bearded Dragon and Reptile Art and Sculpture Facebook page 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bearded-Dragon-and-Reptile-Art-and-Sculpture/256886591020569

Speciesism

Speciesism may occur towards bearded dragons versus other species due to their appearance. Because they lack that big, round-eyed, furry haired look, many people will discredit them for being good pets, and will more than likely overlook them when searching for small animals in the pet store. It is in human’s nature to admire an animal with the “juvenile-like” look (big, round eyes, flattened, broadened face, etc.) because these are the same characteristics human babies contain. People naturally want to own and take care of animals that look like babies. A great example of this is an occurrence at the humane society at which I volunteer at during the school year. This humane society takes in rabbits, guinea pigs, etc. on a weekly basis, and these small animals get adopted out fairly quickly. I have noticed that these species usually find new homes within a couple weeks. At the beginning of the school year, a bearded dragon came in and was put up for adoption. I observed that it was fair-tempered and very healthy. It is common for infrequent species that come in to get adopted out extremely quick because of their rarity there. Unfortunately, this was not the case. It took the beardie quite a few months of getting overlooked to finally find a home. It takes mice and rats multiple months to find homes too. I believe this is a case of speciesism and adopters naturally being drawn to juvenile characteristics that bearded dragons (and mice and rats!) just do not have.

Ethology

Ethology: Although no studies or experiments could be found, there are a wide variety of behaviors bearded dragons display that owners/breeders/reptile specialists have come to associate with emotion. One behavior bearded dragons are known for is “black bearding.” The neck and chin area will puff out and turn a shade of black. This behavior often occurs when one feels “threatened” or “uncomfortable,” such as a male coming in contact with another male or with an unknown or large animal.

They also are known to “wave” their arms, especially young dragons. The dragon will lift one of its arms, and wave it around in a circular motion. Most often, you will see young beardies or females waving to other larger bearded dragons or other animal species. Many believe this is a sign of recognition of the other, and possibly a sign of submission.

These behaviors are useful to their survival. The “black bearding” is useful because it makes the bearded dragon look bigger and more threatening. This will cause predators to think twice about going after it. The “waving” behavior is also useful because it helps show submission within the species. If an individual shows submission, there is less likely to be a fight between two dragons and consequently less likely of an altercation to end in death.

http://www.petuniversity.com/reptiles/lizards/species/bearded-dragon/natural-history.htm

Current Social Perceptions

The bearded dragon’s classification, along with appearance, keeps many people from familiarizing themselves with this creature. On top of being a reptile, the bearded dragon has maintained a rather “dinosaur” or “prehistoric” look which turns away most people. In no way do these animals have the furry, juvenile appearance as our fellow cats and dogs do. Therefore, the average person who knows nothing about the bearded dragon probably has a negative perception towards it just through appearance. On the other hand, people who have heard even the slightest on them most likely have a positive perception towards the species. They are known for their gentle nature and their acceptance (and possible enjoyment) for human companionship. Families often choose a beardie when searching for a small, manageable pet for their children.

http://www.thebeardeddragon.org/bearded-dragon.php#ixzz2fOUAeCsK