Inland Bearded Dragons (Pogona Vitticeps) are a hardy lizard native to Central and Eastern Australia. While Vitticeps are the most common in captivity there are 8 recognized species of Pogona; P. Barbata (Coastal Bearded Dragon), P. Microlepidota, P. Nullarbor, P. Minor, P. Minima, P. Mitchelli, P. Henrylawsoni (Rankins Dragons also sometimes referred to as P. Rankini), and of course our friend P. Vitticeps.
Ok, enough with the Latin.
Beardies are quickly becoming popular in the pet trade for many reasons. Growing to an average length of 18-20 inches with a stocky build, they are a mid sized animal that doesn’t require a lot of space to house properly. They have a relatively long life span of 8-10 years and many well cared for animals have been known to live into their early teens. Through selective breeding, there is almost a rainbow of color choices to include Flame, Blood, Orange, Citrus, Yellow, Snow, Hypo, Pastel, etc. The list goes on and on. Beardies are exceptionally intelligent reptiles, capable of forming a bond with their owners and have a complex set of behaviors to express their needs and emotions. Some of these behaviors include arm waving, which is a slow circular motion, kind of like saying hello. It can be a submissive gesture, or used do recognize other beardies at a distance. Slow push ups are also a submissive gesture usually seen during mating rituals. Bearding and head bobbing are dominant behaviors quite often used by males during mating rituals, but not exclusively. Gaping can have a couple different meanings. It could be that your lizard is overheating, this is one way they lower body temp. If it’s accompanied by a flat body and black beard that’s tracking your hand, well you’ve upset you lizard and it’s saying if you come any closer I’m going to bite you. While these are some common signals, every lizard is different and will have its own way to communicate with you. By paying attention you will quickly pick up on their personal body language.
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