Inland Bearded Dragon
Pogona vitticeps
-1 of 7 species of bearded dragons
-Found in Central Australia and New Guinea
-These reptiles live in deserts, dry brush areas and scrub lands, and dry forests
-Omnivorous (eating both plant and animal matter):
In the wild: plants, insects, occasionally small rodents or lizards
In the zoo: plants, live crickets, mealworms, and calcium powder supplement to help with skeletal growth
-The "beard" is an expandable throat pouch used for showing signs of aggression and to help with mating
-The small dot on the tops of their heads are called "parietal eyes" which are clusters of light-sensitive cells that help determine if predators are flying overhead and casting shadows
-Slight color change can occur with temperature shifts. In the direct sunlight, they turn darker when they sunbathe to absorb as much heat as possible to keep their ectothermic bodies warm throughout the night
-They use very little energy in search of food and can survive on nutrients and fat reserves stored in their large abdomens
-During long periods of unfavorable conditions (particularly when it is unusually hot or cold), they will dig into the ground and remain inactive until conditions improve
-If a part of their tail is bitten off by a predator, they cannot detach or regrow their tails like other lizards
-Mating Season: during the warm spring and summer months of September-March (where they are found, summer months are opposite of ours in America)
-Offspring: clutches of up to 24 eggs in a burrow (and up to 9 clutches a year)
HERE AT ALAMEDA:
This female bearded dragon you see is named ‘Lily’.She suffered an injury to her jaw and is relaxing in the education center. She is very friendly and has an extra fleshy part of skin around her head so she can flare it out and bob her head.. She can grow to 13-24 inches long. In the gift shop we have Pikachu and she has the same sweet personality.
Pogona vitticeps
-1 of 7 species of bearded dragons
-Found in Central Australia and New Guinea
-These reptiles live in deserts, dry brush areas and scrub lands, and dry forests
-Omnivorous (eating both plant and animal matter):
In the wild: plants, insects, occasionally small rodents or lizards
In the zoo: plants, live crickets, mealworms, and calcium powder supplement to help with skeletal growth
-The "beard" is an expandable throat pouch used for showing signs of aggression and to help with mating
-The small dot on the tops of their heads are called "parietal eyes" which are clusters of light-sensitive cells that help determine if predators are flying overhead and casting shadows
-Slight color change can occur with temperature shifts. In the direct sunlight, they turn darker when they sunbathe to absorb as much heat as possible to keep their ectothermic bodies warm throughout the night
-They use very little energy in search of food and can survive on nutrients and fat reserves stored in their large abdomens
-During long periods of unfavorable conditions (particularly when it is unusually hot or cold), they will dig into the ground and remain inactive until conditions improve
-If a part of their tail is bitten off by a predator, they cannot detach or regrow their tails like other lizards
-Mating Season: during the warm spring and summer months of September-March (where they are found, summer months are opposite of ours in America)
-Offspring: clutches of up to 24 eggs in a burrow (and up to 9 clutches a year)
HERE AT ALAMEDA:
This female bearded dragon you see is named ‘Lily’.She suffered an injury to her jaw and is relaxing in the education center. She is very friendly and has an extra fleshy part of skin around her head so she can flare it out and bob her head.. She can grow to 13-24 inches long. In the gift shop we have Pikachu and she has the same sweet personality.