Don't forget to like and subscribe for more neat facts to discover the world, one click at a time.
Fantasy is always based on reality, and the bearded dragon proves just that.
You’re probably never going to see a dragon in your life,
but you could keep a bearded dragon as a pet.
Native to the wilds of Australia, bearded dragons usually live in warm and arid areas
like deserts, savannas, and subtropical woodlands.
Aside from its trademark beard, these reptiles are known for their strong jaws that let them
chomp on beetles and other hard-shelled insects.
That may sound fearsome, but bearded dragons are actually inquisitive and gentle creatures.
What else is there to know about these exotic reptiles?
Watch on to find out.
Bearded dragons are named for their scales.
Growing at the average size of 18-22 inches,
beardies are a far cry from their enormous fairytale counterparts.
Instead, the name comes from the spiny scales surrounding their bodies, including the spikes
under their chins that move according to their mood.
They use their beards to communicate.
For bearded dragons, both males and females have beards.
A threatened beardie will open its mouth, raise its chin,
and puff out its beard to look bigger.
This show usually comes with a hiss.
Bearded dragon colors can vary by selective breeding.
Today, there are 8 recognized bearded dragon species.
However, their appearance can vary greatly.
Different beardies can be bred for specific colors and traits.
Breeders can produce color variants like the blue bearded dragon,
albino/white bearded dragon, red bearded dragon, and citrus bearded dragon.
Fancy bearded dragons have less scales.
In other words, their skin is smoother
and their color variation tends to lean more towards red.
However, they are only available seasonally.
The most common domestic bearded dragon is the central bearded dragon.
Also known as the Pogona vitticeps, these species appear mostly grey.
There are also occasional shades of orange, brown, black, or fawn with yellow eyes.
The eastern bearded dragon usually lives in southeast Australia.
The Pogona Barbata is also known as the Coastal bearded dragon.
It is usually grey-brown in color and commonly lounges in open forests and heathlands.
The leatherback species have a mutated gene.
This unique feature prevents the scales of leatherback bearded dragons
from growing to full size.
This gives them a smoother appearance due to the smaller scales.
Bearded dragons can’t detach their tails when escaping from predators.
Unlike other lizards, bearded dragons can’t use this common escape tactic.
A bearded dragon’s tail can grow to half its size, but once it’s gone,
they will be tailless for life.
The ideal bearded dragon cage should be at least 40 gallons big.
Much like other reptiles, bearded dragons are ectomorphs, which means that they rely
on their external environment for body heat.
Because of this, a terrarium must be able to provide 12 hours of sunlight with a UVA
or UVB bulb.
Beardies need these UV rays to process calcium.
A female beardie can lay a clutch of up to 20 eggs.
Bearded dragons reach sexual maturity at 8-12 months.
Fertile eggs would then grow into baby bearded dragons, although unmated females
can also lay eggs.
The eggs have 55-75 days to hatch.
Upon hatching, the average lifespan of a bearded dragon is 4-10 years.
Different people favor different kinds of pets.
Whether it’s your typical cats and dogs or the more exotic ones like the bearded dragon,
it’s important to know how to take care of our life companions.
If you enjoyed our video, don’t forget to like, share and subscribe to our channel for
more Facts videos!