Inland Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)

Unlike their "look-alike stunt lizards" from the movie "Holes," real Bearded Dragons are neither venomous nor aggressive.
The world's only known venomous lizards are the Gila Monster and Beaded Lizard from the American southwestern and Mexican deserts. None of these animals pose a threat to people provided we follow nature's rule of "look but don't touch." Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo has 2 Bearded Dragons on exhibit in Professor Beardsley's Research Station.

Description: 

Large lizards (1' to 2' in length) with broad triangular heads, round compressed bodies and spiky expandable throat patches. Bearded Dragons range in color from tan to reddish or even gold tones.

Habitat: 

Desert and semi-arid forest and savanna regions of interior Australia. These lizards are semi-arbore.

Range: 

Eastern and Central interior Australia.

Diet: 

Fruits, leaves, flowers, insects and occasionally small rodents and lizards.

Family Life: 

Female dragons can lay up to nine clutches of 15-30 eggs in sand or soil each year. The eggs hatch after 55 to 75 days of incubation. Like most reptiles, the hatchlings receive no parental care. The young reach maturity at 1 to 2 years of age.

Status: 

Australia protects Inland Bearded Dragons and other native wildlife by strictly banning their exportation. Inland Bearded Dragons are the most common captive-bred Bearded Dragon species due to their calm disposition and hardiness.


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