Bearded Dragon Facts

Video Transcript

"This is a bearded dragon. Its scientific name is Pogona vitticeps. This particular species of bearded dragon, is found in the desert, in the scrub lands of Australia. They're from the family of Agamidae lizards, and Agamidae lizards are considered the old world equivalent of iguanas, as they come from Asia, Australia, and Africa. The bearded dragon is very docile in nature, and has become a popular pet in the reptile industry, and they are now readily available in the United States. Bearded dragons reach lengths of only about twenty inches, and they can live up to ten to fifteen years. Bearded dragons reach sexual maturity at about eighteen months of age, and they like to mate after coming out of brummation, which is the reptile equivalent of hibernation. The females can lay clutches of fifteen, to up to fifty eggs, and they usually take about two months to hatch. The bearded dragon is an omnivore, feeding on both plant and animal matter, such as insects,and sometimes, even small rodents. An interesting fact about the bearded dragon, is when it feels threatened, it can rear up it's front legs, showing it's claws and it can puff out the skin and the throat region, giving it the appearance of having a spiny beard. Another interesting fact about the bearded dragon, is its drinking strategy. It comes from a very dry climate, and when it rains, it flattens out it's back,and it lets the water accumulate, and then it lifts its hind legs, in order to have the water drip to the corners of its mouth, and it laps the water up that way, and that's a bearded dragon."