Advice about the management and care of Bearded Dragons for NSW schools.
Pogona vitticeps 鈥 Inland Bearded Dragon
The Inland Bearded Dragon is a species of lizard found over a wide range of arid and semiarid regions throughout Australia. The species can commonly be seen basking in the sun near roads and on trees in regional areas. The Inland Bearded Dragon is a popular pet and is often exhibited in zoos.
Adult Inland Bearded Dragons can reach a length of 60 cm and varies widely in colour from brown, reddish brown through to orange, yellow and white. They can undergo moderate changes in colour to assist with regulating their body temperature. When feeling threatened, a bearded dragon will flatten its body to the ground, open its jaw and puff out its spiny throat or 鈥渂eard鈥 to make itself appear larger.
Inland Bearded Dragons can be successfully kept in captivity, given they are kept in an appropriate enclosure and environment. They make a popular animal for keeping in schools as they require much less space than larger animals. When kept in schools, it is recommended that Inland Bearded Dragons are kept individually to avoid aggressive behaviour and unplanned breeding.
Introduction to the bearded dragon
Watch Introduction to the bearded dragon. (1:36)
Narrator: Taronga Zoo keeper
So, this is the Australian Bearded Dragon.
You鈥檒l notice he鈥檚 a spiky-looking lizard. It鈥檚 a lizard like as everyone can tell. It鈥檚 got four legs.
The Australian Bearded Dragon is the most popular lizard pet in the World.
They breed millions in North America and Europe for the pet trade and it鈥檚 an easy animal to keep and it鈥檚 got a very gentle nature. So, it鈥檚 incredibly popular as a pet all over the World, not just Australia.
But in the wild you鈥檇 find them in central NSW, central part of eastern Australia or Queensland, Northern Territory, NSW, Victoria even in the dry, semi-arid areas. So, it lives out there in the semi desert.
It鈥檚 mostly, people think they鈥檙e aggressive but it鈥檚 a very casual and laid back lizard.
They鈥檙e often seen on fence posts especially the males in the Spring they鈥檒l sit up on a fence post and they鈥檒l watch other males and stake out their territory.
Often you can approach them very closely in the wild and take a photo and they just sit there on the fence post. So, in the wild this guy would be sitting out in the Sun, any day the Sun鈥檚 out, they鈥檙e out sitting in the Sun especially in the morning when you see them sitting on fence posts and up on timber.
And people think reptiles are cold blooded but that鈥檚 an old fashioned term.
These particular lizards, they like to be about thirty five-thirty six degrees Celsius and that鈥檚 really warm. Like humans, our body temperature鈥檚 thirty seven. So, these lizards are basically almost the same temperature as us during the day when they鈥檙e basking. And that鈥檚 a really important point for our keeping them in captivity.
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Selecting a suitable bearded dragon
Watch Selecting a suitable bearded dragon. (0:34)
Narrator: Taronga Zoo keeper
If you鈥檙e about to get a Bearded Dragon it鈥檚 important to make sure you get one that looks healthy, not skinny, it doesn鈥檛 have ribs showing, preferably stick around and watch them feed the lizards, get one that鈥檚 quite active, comes out and feeds readily that would be really important.
Like any pet you鈥檇 want to get a vigorous and healthy looking animal. So, yeah that鈥檚 really what I鈥檇 recommend, just get one that鈥檚 a good feeder because the ones that feed readily are always the ones that are easy to keep and have no health problems in the long run.
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