Bearded Dragon “Pogona vitticeps”

Physical Description -Vertebrate -Tan to yellow in color -Spines on its throat -head is wedge shaped -Tail is almost as long as its body -Ruff skin -Grow up to 2 feet long It is called “bearded” because of the dragon’s ability to flare out the skin in the throat region when it is threatened or territorial.

Diet -Omnivorous: means all-eater, eats things like plants, animals, algae and fungi. -Chopped meat -Leafy greens -Squash -Crickets -Mice -Turnip greens

Habitat -Lives in Australia -Lives in arid woodlands or deserts of central Australia -Will burrow underground when its too hot.

Range -Live throughout Australia except the extreme North. -The North is a tropical climate and not suited for the Bearded Dragon.

Adaptations The “beard” itself is helpful because the bearded dragon can appear larger to scare away predators. The beard is an “inflatable” area on its neck that can be changed to a jet black color. This adaptation adds to its defense abilities. Social gestures are another main adaptations of the bearded because they are very social animals. For example, bearded dragons wave to show their submission, or bob their head to show that they are challenging one another. Since water can usually be pretty scarce in its environment, the bearded dragon rarely drinks from water sources instead it gets all its water needs from the prey it eats.

Life Cycle -Can live up to ten years

Reproduction -Reach sexual maturity and start to breed between 8 and 18 months -Females lay about 20 eggs in a clutch -Fertile eggs will hatch in days

Behavior -Likes to climb -When threatened they bob their heads, flatten their body and puffs out their throat.

Enemies -Large lizards like Komodo Dragons -Dingoes -Birds of prey

Classification Common Name: Bearded Dragon Scientific Name: Pogona vitticeps Domain: Eukarya- Contains cells with a nuclear organelle Kingdom: Animalia- Multi-cellular, mitochondrial heterotroph Phylum: Chordata- Possesses a notochord Class: Reptilia: Cold-blooded, air-breathing and completely ossified skeleton Order: Squamata: Skull with two pairs of temporal openings Family: Agamidae: True lizard, which includes chameleons and geckos Genus: Pogona: Bearded lizard, omnivorous, lives in semiarid habitat Species: Pogona Vitticeps

Interesting Facts -Fireflies are toxic and will kill the Bearded Dragon quickly because they contain phosphorous -CANNOT eat iceberg lettuce -CANNOT eat dates -They like attention and have personalities.

Resources Grenard, S The bearded dragon: an owner's guide to a happy healthy pet. Howell book house: Pope, C The reptile world. Alfred a knopf:286. Schaerlaeken, V., J. Meyers and A. Herrel Modulation of prey capture kinematics and the role of lingual sensory feedback in the lizard Pogona vitticeps. Zoology May2007: Zoo.org Accessed 30 March 2008.