Deserts

Central Bearded Dragon

Pogona vitticeps

About

Central bearded dragons have made a home for themselves across many arid regions of Australia. They can live in just about any dry habitat and eat many foods, including plants, insects, small rodents and other lizards. And while they can’t breathe fire, they CAN change the color of their “beard” to communicate with other bearded dragons. They can also inflate their head and body and open their mouth extra wide to seem bigger when threatened! When bearded dragons are calm, they might wave a foreleg at others to communicate.

Bearded dragons are active during the day, climbing around their habitat and warming themselves in the sun to maintain their body temperature. If it gets too hot, they climb above ground to cool off. They mate annually, with females laying a dozen or more eggs in a burrow she digs in the ground. The eggs incubate for about 3 months before hatching. Bearded dragons can live at least 12 years in human care.

Size
Up to 2 feet long and 1 pound in weight
Live in
Central and eastern Australia
omnivore icon
Food
Fruits, leaves, insects, rodents, lizards
IUCN Red List Status
Least Concern
Bearded dragon

Conservation

Bearded dragons are thriving across their habitat and are popular pets. Always do your research before adopting a new pet to make sure you can meet its needs for the entirety of its life.

WHERE ARE THEY AT THE ZOO?

cropped zoo map showing chimpanzee location