Bearded Dragon

Agamidae

The bearded dragon is an unusual mid-sized stocky agamid lizard with prominent spines along its sides and a large, essentially triangle-shaped head.  Forming a sort of shield around the snout is a spiney jaw pouch which, when swollen, looks like a beard and makes any predator think twice before attacking.  Its basic color varies from shades of brown, gray, and reddish-brown to bright orange.  Mature males have dark “beards” which become black during courtship and breeding.  Adults can grow as large as 10 inches in body length or 2 feet in total length, including the tail.  Males are larger than females.

They are native to Central Australia and prefer to live in semi-arid to arid woodland habitats.  Their time is spent both on the ground and in trees and may be found perched on bush branches and even on fence posts.

They are omnivorous and consume many types of insects, small vertebrates, and vegetation including fruits and flowers.  Sexual maturity is reached at 1 to 2 years of age with mature females laying clutches of 11 to 16 oblong leathery eggs in early summer.  The eggs are laid in nest dug in sandy soil and the unattended young hatch 3 months later.

Their bulky body and the habit of basking allows them to store heat, making it possible to operate at lower temperatures than other lizards.  They can also survive higher temperatures for several hours, since they can regulate body temperature by evaporation.  When intimidated, they flatten their bodies and stand erect with mouth gaping giving them a formidable appearance and, thus, they earned the common name of “bearded dragon”.  They have the ability to change shades of color, from light to dark, which helps them regulate body temperature.  They often make their escape by rising on their hind legs and running bipedally.  They cannot run as fast as when using four feet, but perhaps this behavior aids in temperature control.  They lift their bodies from the hot ground to lose the heat they generate in running.  This reduces the amount of heat they take in from the ground and increases the cooling airflow over their bodies.