Bearded Dragon Facts

The bearded dragon originates from Australia's desert area, but are found world wide all over. They have become well known and liked by young and old, due to their quiet behavior.

They can grow up to 15 inches in length, this does not include their tails, which makes them one of the smaller reptiles out there today. Unlike other lizards, such as the geckos, anoles, and others, the bearded dragon does not drop it's tail and it grow back. Once the beardie loses his/her tail, it will not grow back.

Bearded dragons main food consists of vegetables and fruits with an occasion cricket or mealworm. Another difference between the beardie and other lizards, is most lizards are nocturnal, which means they are more active at night, but the beardie is not nocturnal and enjoys being up and active during the day and sleeps at night. This makes raising one more fun since they have the same schedule as us humans.

Their home is also easy to keep up, but can be expensive to get it started and set up properly. They require special lighting known as UVB light, this helps them to digest their food and product the vitamin D3 they need. They also need a way to keep warm, as these lizard come from the desert area they are use to hot days and cool nights. So they will need a special heating lamp to help them regulate their own body temperature.

They will also need heat from the bottom of their tanks as well to help keep the tank at the right temperature. Do not ever put any kind of heating element inside their tanks. Beardies are very curious and love to lay on rocks and other perches, yet they do not know when they have laid too long and end up burning themselves. So never put any kind heating element inside their tanks.

It is also good to have a water dish for them, but most beardies do not use it as that. They are more use to licking leaves and other objects that drip water. This is closer to their own environment settings when out in the desert. You can simply get a special spray bottle and mist them a few times every day. I would recommend that you also mist their perches and the back glass, this way they can lick up the water as if in the desert.

You also do need to provide them with room to run around. These guys are use to running over the desert sand all day to find food. They are not avid climbers, so having just one perch is enough that they can climb up on to get closer to the heating light. They also need what is called a hide box, this way they can escape the heat. Beardies will maintain their own body heat by switching back and forth from the cooler end to the warmer end of their tanks.

Here are just a few bearded dragon facts to get you started and understanding your pet a little better.

1. Sometimes your dragon may start to eat less or even stop eating altogether. This can be very worrying but it is common for your lizard to do this when they are going through the shedding process. Shedding can take up a lot of energy so the natural reaction is to eat less so that more energy is available for shedding rather than using it on digestion. To help speed up the shedding process to allow your dragon to get back to normal eating patterns, you can give it more frequent mists and baths.

2. Eye bulging is another common action displayed by bearded dragons. If you are not expecting this then it can be freaky to see. The intial reaction is that is must be an eye problem or infection. Beardies usually do this to stretch the eye skin whilst shedding.

There are other reasons that your dragon could display this behavior so if it goes on for an extended period it's best to visit a vet to get it checked out. More often than not, in instance like this it is usually related to high blood pressure caused by diet.

3. Did you know that the main reason the dragon has a beard is to act as a defense mechanism and make it appear larger and more threatening to potential enemies.

4. This is one of the cool beardon dragon facts - in the wild the lizard will actually stand up on its hind legs to run away from any danger.

Most people would find this strange because surely that method of running is slower than running on all fours?

Turns out it is slower but it's a form of temperature control. The animals produce heat while running, and being cold blooded, have no good way to regulate their body temperature. Running on their hind legs puts their body farther away from the hot ground and improves airflow around them which allows them to run a longer period before having to stop.

5. Bearded dragon Breeders have managed to produce a variety of skin colors but lizard green hasn't yet to be achieved.

6. Bobbing the head rapidly and a slightly curved tail tip show aggression whilst circular movements of the arms like waving show submission.

The beard is intended to make the lizard look larger to potential foes. This is a common defense mechanism using a sort of camouflage to disguise their true capability like small men wearing thick jackets to appear bulkier and more muscular.

Bearded Dragons in the wild will often stand up on their hind legs to run from danger. This is actually slower than running on all fours, and might be a form of temperature control. The animals produce heat while running, and being cold blooded, have no good way to regulate their body temperature. Running on their hind legs puts their body farther away from the hot ground and improves airflow around them. This should allow them to run farther before having to stop.

They have a limited ability to change their color. In the wild, this is also used to hide and to regulate body temperature. Lighter colors reflect more light away from the body. This can also be used to show an emotional state, and when ill or injured they often have a black back and pale yellow legs. Despite this, the animals will attempt to hide illness until it becomes serious, possibly as a survival mechanism.

They should be kept away from lightning bugs, which are poisonous due to the phosphorous content.

Bobbing the head rapidly and a slightly curved tail tip show aggressiveness, while circular movements of the arms like waving show submission. They do ritualistic sparring matches with two bearded dragons circling each other, flat to the ground, beards and tails up and out, while biting each other's tails. Usually no damage is done. Some owners report they can mimic this behavior patterns and get a similar response from their dragons, to the point of even maintaining eye contact.

The young are semi-arboreal, and spend much time in trees in the wild. Even the adults like to climb. While they are desert creatures, this does not mean they are well adapted to sand, which can be dangerous to them. Sand has sharp edges and can compact in the digestive system, blocking it and leading to death when the animal consumes it.

Breeders have managed to produce a variety of skin colors, but lizard green hasn't yet been managed. Colors that exist include pastel oranges, violets and reds, with some popular morphs including "sand fire" and "tiger."

The proper scientific name for the black soil bearded dragon is the Pogona henrylawsoni, and this particular species is often called Lawson's Dragon and sometimes Rankin's. The genus name is Pogona, but this was previously Amphibolurus, and books more than a couple of years old will show those names instead.