featuring Tails from the Alley
Allison Couture Otero
Adopting a Bearded dragon
When people think about getting a new pet , I ’ d venture to guess about 75 % or more have a dog , cat , bird , or rabbit in mind . But have you ever thought about adopting a Bearded Dragon ?
If not , you may want to think twice because these creatures are AH-MA-ZING ! I have had the pleasure of caring for several “ beardies ” over the last eight years of pet sitting and they are fantastic animals .
First off , let ’ s look at some stats ...
• Bearded Dragons hail from Australia .
• They are in the animal family Agamidae .
• Life expectancy is approximately 10 years .
• Beardies are cold blooded animals .
• The most common species in the pet industry is the Inland Bearded Dragon or the Central / Yellow-headed Bearded Dragon .
• The Inland Bearded Dragon lives in arid woodlands and deserts .
• The Bearded Dragon is diurnal ( meaning it is most active during the day ) and an omnivore ( he eats both plants and animals ... insects to be exact ).
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• Beardies are tan and yellow in color .
• It is difficult to distinguish males from females among hatchlings and juveniles . When they become adults , the differences become more apparent - the males have larger heads and darker beards .
Now that we know the basics of these creatures , let ’ s explore their temperament , diet , and some fun facts and quirky personality traits of these little creatures .
Bearded Dragons communicate their mood , stress level , and love with their beards ! Their beards will puff up and look like a beard if they are angry , excited , in love , or just drank too much water . Likewise , the color of their beards will change if they are stressed or feel under attack . While the scales on their necks are usually soft and relaxed , they will quickly turn bristly and spiney when they are not happy or feeling a little territorial .
When a Bearded Dragon feels threatened , it can run on its two hind legs ( up to nine miles an hour ) to get away . They will also run on their hind legs to cool off their body temperature by raising their bodies off the hot ground .
Because Bearded Dragons are from arid woodlands