Eastern Bearded Dragon
Encyclopedia
The Eastern bearded dragon (Pogona barbata) is an agamid
lizard
found in wooded parts of Australia
. It is one of a group of species known commonly as Bearded Dragons
. Other common names for this species include Jew Lizard and Frilly Lizard, the latter being a confusion between this and another dragon; the Frilled Lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingii).
It is most common in eastern Australia south of Cape York Peninsula
, but specimens have been collected from Cape York, through central Australia, and even from the west coast of Australia. It is a large species of grey-black colour distinguished from its relative, the central bearded dragon
, Pogona vitticeps, by its less robust body and the row of spines
along the lateral edge of the body, which continues over the forearm (Cogger, 1992). It tends to be more cryptic in its behaviour than the Central bearded dragon and performs its bearded display more often. It has an adult snout-tail length of about 24 inches (60 cm). When threatened, in addition to its beard display, it gapes to display the bright yellow colour of the inside of its mouth. They eat small lizards and snakes, flowers, insects, fruits, and berries.
This species was previously known as Amphibolurus barbatus.
. It is usually grey-black in skin colour and is sometimes reddish-brown, yellowish-brown, or dark brown. Juveniles are paler in colour than the adults and have patterns that fade as they mature. As it matures it develops a subtle pale yellow, blue, or green tinge on the forepart of its head. The adult males can grow up to about 24 inches (61 cm), and females up to 20 inches (50.8 cm). The adult males have a dark grey to black "beard".
P. barbata retains venom glands on both the upper and lower jaws. (Fry et al. 2006)
The eastern bearded dragon is also known to do the arm wave as a sign of submission or just for general communication.
When agitated or threatened, bearded dragons display their beard and gape.
The eastern bearded dragon feeds on a variety of small vertebrate
s and invertebrate
s including crickets
, small grasshopper
s, worm
s, beetle
s, katydids, small mice
, and small reptile
s. In captivity they also eat a few vegetables. These include clover
and dandelion flowers.
Agamidae
Agamids, lizards of the family Agamidae, include more than 300 species in Africa, Asia, Australia, and a few in Southern Europe. Many species are commonly called dragons or dragon lizards. Phylogenetically they may be sister to the Iguanidae, and have a similar appearance. Agamids usually have...
lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
found in wooded parts of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is one of a group of species known commonly as Bearded Dragons
Pogona
Pogona are a genus of lizards containing seven species, which are often known by the common name bearded dragons. The term "bearded dragon" is most commonly used to describe the Central Bearded Dragon. Members of this genus live in the arid, rocky, semi-desert regions and dry open woodlands of...
. Other common names for this species include Jew Lizard and Frilly Lizard, the latter being a confusion between this and another dragon; the Frilled Lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingii).
It is most common in eastern Australia south of Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
, but specimens have been collected from Cape York, through central Australia, and even from the west coast of Australia. It is a large species of grey-black colour distinguished from its relative, the central bearded dragon
Central Bearded Dragon
Pogona vitticeps, the Central Bearded Dragon, is a species of agamid lizard occurring in a wide range of arid to semi-arid regions of Australia...
, Pogona vitticeps, by its less robust body and the row of spines
Spine (zoology)
A spine is a hard, thorny or needle-like structure which occurs on various animals. Animals such as porcupines and sea urchins grow spines as a self-defense mechanism. Spines are often formed of keratin...
along the lateral edge of the body, which continues over the forearm (Cogger, 1992). It tends to be more cryptic in its behaviour than the Central bearded dragon and performs its bearded display more often. It has an adult snout-tail length of about 24 inches (60 cm). When threatened, in addition to its beard display, it gapes to display the bright yellow colour of the inside of its mouth. They eat small lizards and snakes, flowers, insects, fruits, and berries.
This species was previously known as Amphibolurus barbatus.
Physical description
The eastern bearded dragon resembles its close relative the smaller central bearded dragonCentral Bearded Dragon
Pogona vitticeps, the Central Bearded Dragon, is a species of agamid lizard occurring in a wide range of arid to semi-arid regions of Australia...
. It is usually grey-black in skin colour and is sometimes reddish-brown, yellowish-brown, or dark brown. Juveniles are paler in colour than the adults and have patterns that fade as they mature. As it matures it develops a subtle pale yellow, blue, or green tinge on the forepart of its head. The adult males can grow up to about 24 inches (61 cm), and females up to 20 inches (50.8 cm). The adult males have a dark grey to black "beard".
P. barbata retains venom glands on both the upper and lower jaws. (Fry et al. 2006)
Behavior
Eastern Bearded Dragons are diurnal. They are semi-arboreal and perch on exposed places such as tree branches or logs, retreating to lower and cooler places when too hot. The eastern bearded dragon is more aggressive than the central bearded dragon, demands more space and is less docile. The males are territorial and permit only females and juveniles in their territory. Dominant males are usually the biggest dragons and get the highest perch.The eastern bearded dragon is also known to do the arm wave as a sign of submission or just for general communication.
When agitated or threatened, bearded dragons display their beard and gape.
Diet
Vertebrate
Vertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...
s and invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s including crickets
Cricket (insect)
Crickets, family Gryllidae , are insects somewhat related to grasshoppers, and more closely related to katydids or bush crickets . They have somewhat flattened bodies and long antennae. There are about 900 species of crickets...
, small grasshopper
Grasshopper
The grasshopper is an insect of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. To distinguish it from bush crickets or katydids, it is sometimes referred to as the short-horned grasshopper...
s, worm
Worm
The term worm refers to an obsolete taxon used by Carolus Linnaeus and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck for all non-arthropod invertebrate animals, and stems from the Old English word wyrm. Currently it is used to describe many different distantly-related animals that typically have a long cylindrical...
s, beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
s, katydids, small mice
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
, and small reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
s. In captivity they also eat a few vegetables. These include clover
Clover
Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...
and dandelion flowers.
See also
- Bearded dragon