Bearded Dragon

Bearded dragons are true sun-lovers, often seen basking on the side of an outback highway or patrolling for insects in a woodland clearing. Native to central Australia, they’ve also become one of the most popular reptile pets around the world.

They live in rocky, scrubby habitats and low open woodlands, where their sandy colours help them blend in beautifully with their surroundings. Like other species of bearded dragon, they rely on bluff rather than bite, puffing up their “beard” and turning it black to look larger and spikier than they really are when they feel threatened.

Bearded dragons can grow up to 55 centimetres long and enjoy a varied diet of plants, fruits and insects. Despite their tough appearance, their skin is surprisingly soft and a little rubbery to the touch. They use head bobbing to communicate with each other — a little nod of respect or challenge in lizard language!

Habitat 

Bearded dragons live in dry, open environments ranging from woodlands and shrublands to grassy desert areas dotted with trees.

Diet 

Young bearded dragons are mostly insect-eaters, relying on the protein and fat from live insects like crickets and cockroaches to grow.

As adults, their diet shifts to include more plants, with leaves, flowers and fruits making up most of what they eat. They will still catch and eat insects when the opportunity arises.

Bearded dragons are not fussy and will also eat other small animals when available, making them true opportunistic feeders that adapt to what’s around them in the wild.

Breeding

After the winter cooling period, male bearded dragons compete for mates by flaring their beards, displaying signals, circling each other, and sometimes even biting tails.

Like all dragon lizards, bearded dragons lay eggs. A female will lay between 11 and 30 eggs in a burrow that she digs herself, then back-fills the entrance to hide the nest. Once the eggs are laid, there is no parental care, and the hatchlings are on their own from day one.