111 bearded dragon facts

111 FACTS ABOUT BEARDED DRAGONS

from your fellow beardie lovers at: RaisingBeardedDragons.com

Disclaimer

In addition to our own personal experience, this list of facts was compiled from a variety of sources of information from

websites to books and academic papers. As always please do your due diligence when it comes to purchasing and/or care

of your bearded dragon. !

‘Captive bearded dragons’ refers to household pets. ‘Wild’ bearded dragons refers to bearded dragons that live outdoors in their native country and environment.

RaisingBeardedDragons.com

The color of the Inland bearded dragons species (wild) originates from the soil of the

region where they come from.

Bearded dragons living in the wild can go weeks without eating.

When threatened by a larger or more aggressive dragon ‘arm waving’ is used by the smaller dragon as a sign of submission.

To mate a male bearded dragon climbs on the back of a female and bites her on the side of her neck.

Head bobbing is a sign that a male dragon uses to show dominance

over a smaller dragon OR to gesture that he wants to mate

with a female dragon.

Bearded dragons in Australia live in many different environments and habitats across

the country including - subtropical woodlands, shore areas, and the desert.

Bearded dragons (along with many other lizards) are illegal in the state of Hawaii.

Bearded dragons come from the Agamidae family which includes over

300 species of iguana lizards that are indigenous to Africa, Asia, Australia, and a

few in Southern Europe.

The bearded dragons scale and spikes look sharp but when they are calm, their spikes

are actually soft and flexible.

Todd Ray who owns the largest collection of 2 headed animals in the world has 2 sets of

two headed bearded dragons. Jeckyl and Hyde and Pancho and Lefty.

!In an interview with Huffington Post,

Ray stated Pancho only eats crickets and Lefty is vegetarian and only eats greens.

Guttural pouch is the name of the skin that folds under the neck of the bearded dragon.

UV light helps bearded dragons get Vitamin D needed in their skin which allows them to absorb the calcium and phosphorous from their food. For beardies in the wild, UV light comes naturally through sunlight. For those as pets it comes from UV lightbulbs.

Hydration is critical to help bearded dragons shed their skin properly

during the brumation (hibernation) process.

A well-balanced bearded dragon diet includes vegetables, gut loaded feeder

insects such as crickets or dubia roaches and supplements.

Skin that is not shed properly restricts a bearded dragon’s ability to see long distances.

When a bearded dragon feels threatened they will flatten their body.

A Jacobsen's Organ is located on the roof of the mouth of the bearded dragon.

This gives them a strong sense of smell and taste.

When it lies flat against the ground, the bearded dragon can feel vibrations

transmitted through the soil.

Aestivation is the name given to the hibernation period in the summer.

Brumation is the hibernation period in the winter.

Fireflies are toxic and should never be fed to a bearded dragon.

When bearded dragons get very sick their backs typically turns to a black (or

extremely dark color) while their legs turn a light yellowish color.

Bearded dragons only have a specific mating season in the wild (not in captivity - when

they are pets).

Bearded dragons carry a small strand of salmonella which is transmitted through their feces. This can then be transferred to humans

through ingestion. !

Always wash your hands with soap and water after handling a reptile to prevent the possible transmission. !

Metabolic Bone Disease or MBD is an illness that bearded dragons are prone to get when

there is an imbalance of calcium, phosphorous and vitamin D.

Much like humans, bearded dragons are able to see in full color.

Hatchlings are the name given to bearded dragons aged 0-2 months old.

The holes on either side of the bearded dragons heads are their ears.

!They have excellent hearing and those as pets have been

known to respond to their name when called. !

In the wild, when it rains, the bumpy spots on the bearded dragons helps to collect

water between them. !

A Bearded Dragon will bend downward so that all of the water can flow between the bumps

to its mouth, where it can be licked up and provide hydration for them. !

Ecdysis is the scientific name for the shedding process that a

bearded dragon goes through. !!

When they become distressed the bearded dragons normally soft spikes

will become prickly as a form of protection. !!!

Bearded dragons side teeth are permanent and fused to their jaws. While their front

teeth typically fall out and grow back regularly.

Bearded dragons have a third eye called a ‘parietal eye’. Through this third eye they

can sense heat and shadows, and sometimes light.

For bearded dragons who live in the wild, the parietal third eye serves as a warning if one of their main predators, birds, are swooping

down at them. !!!

Bearded dragons shed throughout their entire lifetime.

With every shed, a bearded dragons

color will change, sometimes in subtle ways and other times in very noticeable and obvious ways.

Bearded dragons sometimes eat their skin after it has been shed. It is not unusual and

does not negatively affect their health.

Bearded dragons in the wild will eat anything they can find and fit in their mouth

including small rodents and other lizards.

There is evidence that bearded dragons have venom. However, it is considered

to be very mild and not dangerous to humans or other animals.

On very hot days, bearded dragons in the wild will burrow into the ground to keep cool.

Pogona Vitticeps is the scientific name for the Central Bearded Dragon.

!Central Bearded Dragons (Pogona vitticeps) originated from arid and semi-

arid regions of Central Australia.

Australia banned the sale of its wildlife for pet trade since the 1960ʹs.

!Bearded dragon morphs come from the process of a breeder taking two different

dragons with selected gene traits and mating them.

!Bearded dragons are omnivores, which means that it consumes both plant and

animal-based diet.

The tails and limbs of bearded dragons do not regenerate.

!Bearded dragons can partially change colors to reflect their mood and/or for

communicating and mating.

Bearded dragons are able to swim.

! Bearded Dragons can learn to “wave"—meaning the beardie will rest on three

legs and raise one of its front arms then slowly wave in a circular motion

!To prevent overheating, a bearded dragon can make its skin a very light

color that deflects heat.

!When threatened, a bearded dragon bobs his head, flattens his body, and puffs out his throat, which

resembles a spiky beard.

Bearded dragons can run up to 9 miles (15.5 km) per hour.

Bearded dragons can run on their hind legs to escape from their predators.

! Bearded dragons run on their hind legs

to help regulate their body temperature by raising their

body off the hot ground in the Australian desert.

Much like a bear goes into hibernation, every year bearded dragons go

through a period where they become lethargic, eat less and won’t come out

much. It is caused brumation.

The brumation process is similar a mammal’s hibernation period and

lasts for about 2-3 months every year.

Inland bearded dragons reach

sexual maturity at 1 to 2 years of age.

During the courting period, a male will show his interest in a female bearded dragon

by rapidly bobbing his head. If the female approves,

she will begin to bob her head, but at a slower pace.

A bearded dragon can lock its legs

allowing it to sleep while standing up.

A bearded dragon may lose its front teeth when

grabbing or tearing up its prey, but the teeth will commonly grow back.

Inland bearded dragons who live in the desert

have the capacity to store fat and essential nutrients in its large abdomen to survive during periods

where its difficult to find food.

Epidermis is the name of the outer skin that is replicated

during the shedding process.

Bearded dragons who live in the desert or wild get

their water from rainfall, morning dew and vegetation.

Baby bearded dragons shed

several times a year in their first year while their bodies are developing.

While humans shed thousands of individual skin cells every second, bearded dragons are able to do

this in one cycle or process.

Bearded dragons have a triangular shaped head.

Unlike other lizards, bearded dragons

are not able to detach their tails if they need to escape from predators.

Captive bearded dragons (at maturity) can breed anytime throughout the year.

The dwarf sized bearded dragon is called a Rankin.

Male dragons can breed with multiple females.

Bearded dragons can have up to 24 eggs

at a time in one clutch. !

A clutch is a collection of eggs.

After mating, some female bearded dragons

have carried sperm up to 2 years before laying eggs.

Hypo is short or slang for hypomelanistic.

The word breaks down to hypo (less than or under) and melanistic

comes from the word ‘melanin’ which refers to the color or pigmentation of skin or hair.

!So a hypomelanistic bearded dragon would be one that does not

have a dark or a lot of color in their skin. They will be light or translucent in appearance.

Bearded dragons are ectotherms or cold-blooded

meaning their body temperature changes depending on the temperature outside.

Bearded dragons are semi-arboreal

which means sometimes they like to stay in trees.

Similar to the way a dog pants,

bearded dragons sometimes bask with their mouths wide open to cool off.

The incubation period for bearded dragon eggs

ranges from 50 days to 85 days

Female bearded dragons in the wild dig a burrow for their eggs and then

fill it back up to hide it.

Different morphs of bearded dragons have different patterns.

A bearded dragon has very good vision and can see its prey in the distance.

To adapt to their dry environments bearded dragons in the wild can

excrete dry urine to conserve bodily fluids.

In a 2015 study, published in the journal Nature, Australian bearded dragons were found to exhibit sex reversal in the wild.

Bearded dragons can start to breed between 8 and 18 months.

!However, it is not recommended to breed a female

bearded dragon until after 18 mos when her body is fully mature and can safely carry the eggs to term.

Some bearded dragon species such as the Rankin’s dragons have throats that look

orange or yellow, while most other bearded dragon species have throats that are pink.

Atadenovirus-infected (ADV-positive) is a common and deadly disease that can spread among groups of baby bearded dragons housed together. Sometimes referred to as ‘star gazing’ (because it

appears that your dragon is looking up at the sky), this disease is a result of

unsanitary enclosures and handling.

Without sufficient UV light, the depleted calcium causes a bearded dragon’s bones

to soften and fracture.

During the process of mating, a male's throat area - ‘beard’ will visibly darken to

nearly black, while a female's throat darkens but not as much.

Depending on the type and the circumstances, bearded dragons colors can

change from black and dark grey to a bright reddish or orange.

Bearded dragons can grow up to 24 inches

(depending on breed), including their tail.

German Giant bearded dragons is the name/term given to large (oversized)

dragons. German Giants are the result of 2 larger than average dragons being mated.

In a 2014 study researchers found that bearded dragons were able to learn how to

open a doorway simply by watching another animal do it.

!via: Dr Anna Wilkinson from the School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, UK

A bearded dragons body needs to become warm enough (100 degrees Farenheit) to

digest their food. !

You should never feed your bearded dragon their first meal of the day immediately after waking up. They need

time to bask in the light and warm up their body. !

The average litter size of

a bearded dragon is 15.

Hatchlings weigh about .07 ounces (2 gr) at birth and average 4 inches (10 cm) in

length.

There are 9 different types of bearded dragon species.

They are: Pogona Microlepidota, Pogona Minor Minor, Pogona Minor Minima, Pogona Minor Mitchelli , Pogona

Nullarbor, Pogona Vitticeps, Pogona Vittikins, Pogona Barbata and Pogona Henrylawsoni (which is also

sometimes referred to as Pogona Brevis).

The Pogona henrylawsoni is named after a famous Australian poet named Henry

Lawson.

Feeding a bearded dragon gut loaded insects means you should feed them

insects which you know have a nutritious food source (such as insects raised by

professional breeders). !

Whatever the feeder insects ingests your dragon will ingest. If your pet bearded dragon eats insects from the wild (i.e. crickets found outside in your yard) they risk

getting parasites as you have no idea what that insect has been eating.

While it is illegal to export bearded dragons (and other reptiles) outside of Australia, the

laws vary within the country. !

In Tasmania for example, any non-endangered species may be collected from any area other than within the boundaries of National Parks.

But in New South Wales and Queensland reptiles are protected. And it is illegal for pet

shops to deal in reptiles in those regions.

Bearded dragons are diurnal creatures. !

It means generally they are awake during the day (when it’s light) and go to sleep at night

(when it’s dark).

A herpetologist is the name of the zoologist who specializes in working with reptiles such

as a bearded dragon and amphibians. !

In many states and countries you can often find a herpetological society or association which is often your most accurate source of the latest information

regarding reptile breeding and care.

Bearded dragon husbandry means the science of caring for, managing and breeding bearded

dragons.

Pygmy dragons also known as miniature bearded dragons or Rankin’s grow only to a

maximum size of 10 inches.

Bearded Dragons are oviparous which

means they are egg bearing.

When baby bearded dragons first hatch they will drink water but they typically

will not eat for a period of 1-3 days.

Dubia roaches, a popular bearded dragon feeder insect, are illegal in the state of

Florida and also in Alberta, Canada.

It is not uncommon for a bearded dragon to yawn after waking up from a nap or a good

night’s sleep. They yawn by puffing their beard a few times, then opening and

closing their mouth a few times.

Nine bearded dragon lizards were on call for the parts of the lizards in the 2003 film ‘Holes’ (they played the role of the ‘yellow

spotted lizards’).

Leatherback bearded dragons get their name because they don’t have as many of

the rough scales on their backs. This results in a leathery like appearance. Due

to their rarity they typically are more expensive than other bearded dragons

morphs.

When multiple bearded dragons are housed together, over time they will begin

to show dominance by laying on top of another one.

!This prevents the ones on the bottom from getting UV

light and unless you are trying to mate them, they should be separated.

After baby bearded dragons begin to shed

their color will appear.

Dysecdysis is when bearded dragons have difficulty in shedding skin.

This happens occasionally when humidity is too low or abrasive/hard surfaces such

as rocks are not accessible to them.

Witblits (white lightning in Afrikkans) are a special bearded dragon morph that

originated from a breeder in South Africa. !

When Witblits hatch they are completely patternless and stay patternless into their

adult years.

Sources

http://www.beardeddragoncaresheet.weebly.com http://www.crazyreptile.com www.everythingreptile.org

http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au http://www.dolittlefarm.com.au http://www.rioreptiles.com/eggs.html

http://www.imdb.com http://nationalzoo.si.edu http://grangereptiles.co.uk

http://www.beardeddragontime.com http://www.beardeddragontime.com https://espace.library.uq.edu.au

http://www.dailymail.co.uk www.thebeardeddragon.org/ www.softschools.com

www.onlinebeardeddragoncare.com https://a-z-animals.com www.beardeddragonguide.com

pogopogona.com/ switchzoo.com www.peteducation.com

natgeo.petsmart.com/ pets.petsmart.com https://en.wikipedia.org

www.vetstreet.com www.youngzine.org small-pets.lovetoknow.com

www.arkive.org https://www.petco.com www.lllreptile.com

https://www.zoo.org australianmuseum.net.au mybeardie.com/

www.animalstown.com/ world-of-reptiles.blogspot.com www.pets4homes.co.uk/

www.chinatopix.com www.yourbeardeddragon.com www.animalplanet.com

www.inlandbeardeddragons.com www.reptilesmagazine.com www.desertusa.com/

animals.mom.me www.beardeddragonlady.com www.animalbliss.com

This list could not have been possible without acknowledging these websites. While we did not use all of these sites for facts,

we did visit all of them and cross-reference most of them.

About Raising Bearded Dragons

We are reptile enthusiasts, firmly dedicated to bringing you well-rounded,

quality information in a way that's easy-to-understand yet comprehensive. We are

thrilled and honored to share our love of these extraordinary creatures with the

world and with with you.

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and our popular video care guide at: RaisingBeardedDragons.com

111 bearded dragon facts

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