Fun Bearded Dragon Facts For Kids

Central bearded dragons belong to the genus of Reptile. The real name of the genus is Pogona which contains six separate lizard species. Amazingly these reptiles got their name 'dragon' due to their unique look. These dragon head reptiles are usually seen basking on rocks to maintain their body temperature during the daytime, as they are cold-blooded. One of their major habitats is not in the United States, in fact, bearded dragons are most commonly found in Australia with a variety of habitats available to them, such as deserts, scrublands, and eucalyptus woodlands. These bearded dragons are also a major part of being a pet or often kept a pet, making them one of the most popular pets in the reptile world. Bearded dragon's characteristics, or description, are the main thing that makes them so unique and different from the species of other reptiles. The scales on the body of these dragons have one sole purpose of scaring off the predators. These dragons are also one of the semi-arboreal reptiles amongst the species which means that they can climb trees, generally, they do so during the night time. The skin color of these lizards changes with respect to the temperature. The color may differ from various ranges for these bearded creatures as well in order to camouflage like other reptiles.

If you enjoy learning facts about the bearded dragon, check out iguanas and monitor lizards.  

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What type of animal is a bearded dragon?

The bearded dragon lizard is species of lizard whose entire body is covered with a unique type of scales. Those scales are the reason why they have got the name 'dragon'. Its scientific name is pogona vitticeps and it is a genus of reptile containing six types of lizards, including these bearded dragons.  

What class of animal does a bearded dragon belong to?

They belong to the classification of Reptilia, like all the other lizards.

How many bearded dragons are there in the world?

There is not enough research done on these animals to have an accurate estimation of their population.

Where does a bearded dragon live?

The bearded dragon is widely distributed over the eastern and central parts of Australia. Usually, they are seen living in deserts, but as mentioned earlier these lizards are semi-arboreal in nature which means you can see them living on high plains too, which includes basking on picnic tables, fence posts, or fallen branches.  

What is a bearded dragon's habitat?

The bearded dragon's habitat is diverse and can be seen in deserts, dry forests, and scrublands. When talking about the habitat area, the adult bearded dragons might be pretty dominant in competition for territory and basking areas. Beardies also go into hibernation, which is known as brumation, for the colder months.  

Who do bearded dragons live with?

These creatures are polygynous in nature, which means they mate with more than one partner. Although they are also known to be good pets, which means that they can live with humans beings as well.

How long does a bearded dragon live?

The bearded dragon's lifespan can range from 10-15 years, which is said to be good in these creatures.                              

How do they reproduce?

The reproduction process might be quite interesting, first of all, they have a polygynous mating system, in which the males mate with more than one partner. The time of breeding ranges from September to March, during the summer months in the southern hemisphere. The process of mating usually begins with males at the end of the hibernation period. There is a courtship ritual that takes place in the breeding process where the male starts to do different kinds of tricks, such as head bobbing, waving his arms, and stomping his feet in front of the female. The male has to chase down the female so that he can bite the back of her neck and hold her in order to get in position to copulate. The temperature is also another important factor that affects the sexual determination of the baby bearded dragons. The female bearded dragons can lay a clutch of 11–30 bearded dragon eggs. In captivity, the process of bearded dragon mating is not seasonal.  

What is their conservation status?

There is no such data provided with the conversational status of these bearded dragons, however, they are considered as of Least Concern.

What do bearded dragons look like?

The look of these dragons is one of the most interesting things about them. Their body is almost flattened in shape and full of scales, and because of these scales, they got the name of 'dragon'. As well as this, it is used to scare off predators, though the scales are not harmful in any way. The crown on the back of their heads is used to show dominance during a courtship dance, also known as a head-bobbing. Beardies have the ability to change the color of their skin which totally depends on the surrounding in which they are living, which could be range from dull brown to tan with red or gold highlights, helping the bearded dragon to absorb more heat.

How cute are they?

Though lizards aren't considered as cute by many people, these bearded dragons are very popular and are kept as pets by many people. As cuteness is subjective, it is safe to say that some people will find them cute.

How do they communicate?

These are totally wild creatures so their communication skills can be quite aggressive at times. The second thing which they do that can be construed as communication is their arm-waving. Small bearded dragons will wave their arms when they are confronted with a larger, more dominant bearded dragon.

How big is a bearded dragon?

The bearded dragon size is known to be one of the biggest in all the wild lizards family. In fact, full-grown bearded dragons can grow up to the size of 19-24 in (50-61 cm) in length, including the tail.

How fast can a bearded dragon run?

Their speed is also quite good as they live in sandy or desert areas for most of their lives, these can be considered fast enough with a speed of around 10mph (16kph).  

How much does a bearded dragon weigh?

The bearded dragon's diet is the main factor in determining the weight of these dragons, though they are not very heavy and their weight ranges from 250-510g.

What are their male and female names of the species?

There are no such names given to males and females.

What would you call a baby bearded dragon?

Though as such no names are given to the baby bearded dragons, though they are sometimes known as beardies.

What do they eat?

Bearded dragons are not that particular about their food habits, instead, they are opportunistic omnivores. They can eat a variety of things because their stomach is able to accommodate a huge amount of food because of their hibernation habits. Their diet mainly consists of different kinds of insects, small rodents, lizards, and spiders, as well as plants. After eating they require a good amount of sleep to keep them healthy.

Are they dangerous?

No these bearded dragons aren't dangerous in any terms, especially to human beings. In fact, bearded dragons are quite friendly with humans and you can see many people keeping them as pets.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, they would definitely make a good pet, especially since they are not at all dangerous to humans and are pretty friendly and playful. The bearded dragon pet was introduced to the US during the 1960s, but from the 1990s onward, there has been a ban on the sale of bearded dragons to the pet trade. Some of the cool bearded dragon facts for kids is that it is very harmless to them in any way, on the other hand, they are a very solitary animal in nature.

Did you know...

During the breeding period, sometimes female bearded dragons try to store sperm in their oviductal crypts and use them in the future. If bearded dragons feel any kind of threat from the predators, the dragon flattens its body and enlarges its throat. Bearded dragon colors change with respect to the temperature of their body, from dark to light and vice versa. Unlike other lizards, the legs and tail of the bearded dragons don't grow back if cut off. When the bearded dragons are in the juvenile phase they tend to eat three times a day, which particularly includes insects.

Do bearded dragons recognize their owners?

Yes, they are very responsive to their atmosphere and they also like to be touched and can move from one hand to another if handled carefully.

How to take care of a bearded dragon

A bearded dragon may cost between $30 and $60, though if we are talking about mature lizards it may cost closer to $100. These bearded dragons don't require any type of special training, instead, there are a lot of other things you can do to take care of these lizards. They should be taken to the vet regularly to check for any kind of changes. Bearded dragons require heat so you have to look after their temperature requirements at all times. After bringing them home you have to look out for particular symptoms such as more hiding time than usual, less eating and drinking, maybe even weight loss, swollen joints, discolored skin and shedding, abnormalities with the eyes, nose, or mouth, and runny or abnormal droppings for more than two days.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other reptiles including water dragons and frilled lizards.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our bearded dragon coloring pages.  

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