Bearded Dragon
Pogona vitticeps
29.7629, -95.3831
Field Notes
Description:
spotted at houston zoo.
Adults of this species usually grow to be about 2 feet in length, with the tail accounting for over half of the total body length. Females are typically smaller than the males, have smaller heads, thinner legs and tails and wider bodies. Bearded dragons come in a wide variety of colors, including brown, grey, reddish-brown, red, yellow, white, orange, and sometimes green. They are capable of undergoing very slight changes in the shade of their color to help regulate temperature. The specialized scales along both sides of the throat, neck, and head form many narrow spines which run down the side of the body to the tail. When feeling threatened a Bearded dragon will flatten its body against the ground, puff out its spiny throat, and open its jaws to make itself appear larger. The Bearded dragon is so named because of the pouch-like projection (also called the guttural pouch) on the underside of the neck and chin area which typically turns darker than the rest of the body. It also boasts spiny projections. Both these characteristics appear similar to a human beard. Males typically have a darker "beard" than females, and during mating season and courtship the "beard" will typically darken to near-black. The Bearded dragon, like most agamid lizards, has strong legs which enable it to lift its body completely off the ground while it moves. This is done to reduce the heat taken in from the ground, as well as to increase the air-flow over the belly to cool itself further.
Habitat:
This dragon is native to the semi-arid woodland, arid woodland, and rocky desert regions of Central Australia. They are skilled climbers, and often spend just as much time perching on tree limbs, fenceposts, and in bushes as they do on the ground. They spend the morning and early evening sunning themselves on an exposed branch or rock, and retreat to shady areas or underground burrows during the hottest parts of the afternoon.
Notes:
Bearded dragons do not vocalize, except to hiss softly when threatened. Instead, they communicate through color displays, posture, and physical gestures like arm waving and head bobbing. Bearded dragons are not social animals, but will sometimes gather in groups, especially in popular feeding or basking areas.
There are several different kinds of head bob gesture. These are:
- Slow bowing motion - often used by adult females to signal submission to a male.
- Fast bob - used by males to signal dominance (often accompanied by an inflated and/or blackened beard).
- Violent bob - used by males just before mating. This bob is much more vigorous, and usually sets the animal's whole body in motion.
The male will only arm wave to show submission to a dominant male, whereas the female will arm wave to show that she is ready to mate followed by a slow head bob.
Gravid females will often refuse the advances of a male by chasing him and lying on his back.
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