Bearded Dragon

Genus Pogona

Reptile

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re talking about bearded dragons. Before the 1990s there were likely many people who didn’t even know that bearded dragons existed, but now they’re ubiquitous thanks to the pet trade. While the most commonly known bearded dragon is a specific species, there are eight identified species of bearded dragons. These lizards live in Australia. They’re found throughout the whole landmass, but different species are found in different areas. Bearded dragons live in arid places including woodlands, grasslands, and coastal areas, and they’re considered semi-arboreal. Bearded dragons can often be seen perching on trees, tree stumps, rock piles, even fence posts! These lizards will venture into urban areas and may even be seen in parks, backyards, or soaking up the sun on a stretch of road. Like all reptiles, bearded dragons get their heat from the surrounding environment, but if they get too hot, they’ll head to an underground burrow or hide in vegetation. Bearded dragons may also cool off by holding their mouths open like a crocodile.

Bearded lizards are called so because they’ll puff out their throats to make themselves look larger and more menacing. The scales on a bearded lizard look like they would be sharp, but they’re softer than they look and are really just to help them look intimidating to predators. Like their Australia-living lizard cousins, the frilled lizards, all of this is mostly a show to baffle a would be attacker long enough so they can make a run for it. Predators to bearded dragons include snakes, birds, dingoes, and introduced animals such as foxes and cats. Like color changing chameleons, a bearded dragon’s neck will turn black while they’re in their puffed up posture. These lizards may also put on aggressive displays towards one another in order to express dominance and create hierarchy. A fast head bob is an aggressive display, while a slow head bob is a sign of submission. They may also do a slow wave at one another to show they mean no harm.

Male bearded dragons will fight with one another over females. The breeding season for bearded dragons is during Australia’s spring and summer months from September to March. While mating, the males will bite the backs of females, and once they’re finished the girls will try and throw the annoying males off. A female bearded dragon will dig an underground burrow for her eggs and lay anywhere from five to more than thirty eggs depending on the species. The eggs will hatch about two and a half months later, and the female may produce multiple broods in a single breeding season. Depending on the species, a bearded dragon may begin breeding within its first year or not until it’s two years old - it’s more so the size that’s the determining factor. Lizards are often measured not including their tails because tails often become damaged or may fall off, though in the case of bearded dragons they can’t do so willing the way a gecko might. On average, bearded dragons are six inches (152 millimeters) in length from their noses to the base of their tails.

Bearded dragons are opportunistic eaters and consume plant material like flowers, flower buds, and succulents, they’ll also take insects like beetles. They’re also known to eat small mammals and lizards with adult bearded dragons potentially eating their own babies! There’s evidence that bearded dragons produce venom which is dangerous to prey but harmless to humans. In cooler months, bearded dragons may enter a state of low activity and on average they may live to be five years old.

For more facts on bearded dragons check out the links in the description. Thank you to Jamie Sutherland and Charlie Yang for today’s request! Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today, and thank you for watching Animal Fact Files.