Reptiles · Squamata · Agamidae

Central Bearded Dragon

Pogona vitticeps

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

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It can store sperm from a single mating and produce several fertile clutches over the season.

Weight

350 g – 600 g

Size

up to 60 cm

Lifespan

5 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

DesertOmnivore Diurnal Solitary Reptile Desert

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Fun facts

Its characteristic beard — the spiny gular pouch under the throat — darkens and flares when the animal feels threatened.
It eats insects, small vertebrates and plant matter, with plants making up more of the diet as it ages.
It lives in arid and semi-arid country of central Australia.
fisiologíaIt can darken its skin slightly with the air temperature to regulate how much of the sun's heat it takes up.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Arid and semi-arid country of central Australia, with scattered vegetation for basking and shelter
Birth weight: Weight at hatching not found as a precise figure; 7.6-10.2 cm long
Size at birth: 7.6 - 10.2 cm long at hatching
Sexual maturity: 1-2 years
Gestation / incubation: 50-80 days
Litter / clutch size: 10 to 30 eggs per clutch, with as many as 9 clutches a year from a single mating (she stores the sperm)
Lifespan in captivity: 8-12 years in captivity

Sources consulted: Animalia.bio; Pet Care Advisors; Animal Diversity Web; Grace Animal Hospital; Help Guides (Swell Reptiles); A-Z Animals; Wikipedia (Central bearded dragon); PMC (metastasizing dysgerminoma case study)