Bearded Dragon (Pogona) – A Brief Introduction

Though Bearded dragon is the common name, they’re also known as Pogona, a genus of reptiles. Bearded dragons are native to Australia, and the name “Bearded” came from their spiny scales right under their chin which resembles a beard. 

When under stress, bearded dragons puff their scales under the chin out, which looks scary. They also puff their scales when they try to entice a mate.

Bearded dragons are cold-blooded, and they can grow up to 2 ft. in length. Their heads are triangular shaped, have stocky bodies and strong legs. They’re omnivores. Therefore, their diet includes both plants and animals. 

Bearded Dragon Habitat

Pogona, or Bearded dragons, are native to arid and semi-arid regions of Australia. They’re ground-dwelling reptiles that live in deserts, woodlands, and scrublands.

Eastern states of Queensland, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, western regions, South Australia, and bearded dragons are seen in most of the continents. 

This animal can live comfortably in harsh desert environments. They can easily survive for a long time without water and food.

One of the interesting features of bearded dragons is they can lower their metabolic rate to save energy during drought. 

Another feature that helps these animals survive in the desert is their coloring and skin texture; they can easily blend in the desert, making it almost impossible for predators to spot them. 

Like most other reptiles, bearded dragons also go through a period of brumation when the temperature is too cold or hot. During this period, bearded dragons become very inactive; as mentioned before, they slow down their metabolic rate for energy conservation. 

Bearded Dragon Behavior

As bearded dragons grow adults, they become very territorial. They establish their territories and are focused on not allowing any outside visitors in their areas.

Bearded dragons are aggressive; they’ll attack another male dragon to protect their territory, get food, or win a female. They even attack adult female ones if they don’t show submissive gestures.

Compared to adult females, male bearded dragons can bite more forcefully; this is due to the difference in head size. 

Bearded dragons are ectothermic, which means they regulate their body temperature from the external heat. These reptiles spend a good amount of time basking under the sun to raise their body temperature. 

Reproduction 

When the brumation period ends, bearded dragons get out searching for females and engage in courtship behaviors to impress females. Courtship refers to waving arms, puffing the beard and throat, bobbing the head, and stomping the feet in front of the female. 

If the female is receptive, she will allow the male to mount her and achieve copulation. Bearded dragons mate a number of times during the breeding period. When the mating is done, after around 4 to 6 weeks, the female will start preparing for laying (known as oviposition).

Captive Diet of Bearded Dragons 

As said earlier, bearded dragons’ diet includes both plants and animals, as they’re omnivorous. That being said, baby and juvenile bearded dragons are mainly fed insects, as they require a good amount of protein. On average, juvenile bearded dragons are fed insects three times a day. 

The most popular insects for bearded dragons are dubia roaches and crickets. However, insects like spiders, silkworms, locusts, butterworms, grasshoppers, hornworms, black soldier fly larvae, etc., are also fed. 

It’s not that, in captivity, bearded dragons are only fed insects; their diet includes plant-based foods, too, as it’s also necessary for their growth. The plant food includes leafy greens, kale, watercress, bell peppers, etc. 

Bearded Dragons Health Issues 

How a bearded dragon’s body is designed, they can easily recover from illness. That being said, some illnesses and injuries can be fatal. Here are some of the common health issues that these reptiles typically go through. 

Metabolic Bone Disease: MBD is a very common health issue, especially in captive bearded dragons. The reason behind MBD is the imbalance of Vitamin D3, Calcium, and Phosphorus. Another reason behind this is improper lighting. The lack of proper nutrition and lighting can cause the bones to get weak, deform, and other skeletal problems. 

Hypocalcemia: This illness is common in young bearded dragons due to low calcium levels. Hypocalcemia is linked to metabolic bone diseases. The most common symptom of Hypocalcemia is twitching muscles and seizures. 

Impaction: Bearded dragons love insects and try to eat insects that are big for them, which can put pressure on the spinal cord and block the digestive tract. When the digestive tract of the bearded dragon is blocked, that’s called impaction. This illness can cause death pretty quickly. 

URI: Upper respiratory infection in bearded dragons happens when bacteria infect the lungs. Their lungs get infected for various reasons, but the most common ones are lack of proper lighting, high humidity, inappropriate temperature, prolonged stress, and unfavorable captive conditions.

Bearded Dragon Species

These reptiles belong to the family of Agamidae, and even though “Bearded dragon” refers to the inland or central bearded dragons, there are some other species of the Pogona genus that display similar behaviors. Here are some of the notable bearded dragon species –

Though there are differences in these species in terms of size, habitat, and colors, there are some similarities, too. Each species of bearded dragons shares some common traits, and the most notable one is the expandable throat pouch and scales that can be puffed out and in. 

Conclusion 

For their unique appearance and characteristics, bearded dragons are now widely adopted as pets. Though petting one of these requires hard work, reptile lovers are ready to sacrifice their comfort for these. With that said, this was a brief introduction to bearded dragons that covers all the basics that one needs to know about. Hope this helps.