The beard itself is used for mating and aggression displays, as well as heat management. The bearded dragon occurs in many different colors. Aggressive males have even been known to attack females that do not display submissive gestures in return.Ĭorrespondingly, adult male bearded dragons can bite more forcefully than adult females, which is associated with greater head dimensions. Any male approaching without displaying submissive behavior is seen as a challenge for territory. A dominant male adopts a dominant stance and sometimes readies himself for a fight to attack a male aggressor to defend territory or food sources, or in competition for a female. As they grow, they establish territories in which displays of aggression and appeasement form a normal part of their social interactions. Behavior Īdult bearded dragons are very territorial. They will also form more permanent burrows or covered hiding places to use as protection from the climate changes at night and predation. When the climate is too hot they will often burrow underground. Bearded dragons go through brumation when the temperature goes below 15.5–21.0☌ (60–70☏) during the night and 24.0–26.5☌ (75–80☏) during the day for 8-10 hours. When temperatures are extreme, a very small range of temperatures exists through which the reptile's bodies can stay active and where their bodies cannot tolerate the extreme heat and they die. Reptiles go dormant in the hottest temperatures, but it differs from brumation during cooler temperatures. īearded dragons go through a type of hibernation called brumation, in which like hibernation, reptiles go months without eating, but sporadically drink water. At night, they prefer to dig holes to sleep in, climb in trees, or submerge themselves in rocks and like to climb into the cracks and crevices of stones and caves. Many of the Australian locals have spotted bearded dragons on fence posts and elevated rocky areas. They can be found on fallen/broken trees, rocky outcrops, and bushes when basking. This is also linked to dominance behavior and competition for territory/basking areas. They are considered to be semiarboreal and quite readily climb and bask at height. Their range extends throughout the interior of the eastern states to the eastern half of South Australia and southeastern Northern Territory. They live in the arid and subtropical woodlands, scrublands, savannas, and shore areas, and into the great interior deserts. With the various species occupying slightly overlapping areas of the landmass. The bearded dragon family is also known to inhabit some areas of south Eastern Asia. Males grow up to 60 cm (24 in) long, and females up to 51 cm (20 in).īearded dragons originate from deserts and other dry areas in Australia, (some living in forests). Bearded dragons occur in a variety of colors and morphs and can range from being all dark to completely white under controlled breeding conditions. Some have the ability to slightly change color in response to certain stimuli including rivalry challenges between males and ambient temperature changes (e.g., turning black to absorb heat). Bearded dragons display a hand-waving gesture to show submission (most often when acknowledging another bearded dragon's territory), and a head-bobbing display to show dominance between dragons. When threatened, bearded dragons puff up their bodies and beards to ward off predators and make their somewhat dull spikes seem somewhat more dangerous. Bearded dragons are characterized by their broad, triangular heads, flattened bodies, and rows and clusters of spiny scales covering their entire bodies. The genus Pogona is in the subfamily Amphibolurinae of the lizard group Agamidae. Captive adult measuring over 30 cm (1 ft) Galore Hill Nature Reserve, New South Wales, Australia Skeleton at the Museum of Osteology in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States They are found throughout much of Australia and inhabit environments such as deserts, and shrublands. Their diet consists primarily of vegetation and some insects. Pogona species bask on rocks and exposed branches in the mornings and afternoons and sleep at night, making them a diurnal species. They are a semiarboreal species, spending significant amounts of time on branches, in bushes, and near human habitation. The name "bearded dragon" refers to the underside of the throat (or "beard") of the lizard, which can turn black and puff up for a number of reasons, most often as a result of stress, if they feel threatened, or are trying to entice a mate. Pogona is a genus of reptiles containing eight lizard species, which are often known by the common name bearded dragons. Genus of lizards commonly known as bearded dragons
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