Sidney´s Overview of Bearded Dragon Species

This species of bearded dragon lives along the eastern and southern coasts of Australia. It is darker than the familiar P. vitticeps and has bigger spikes. Possibly the largest species in the Pogona genus, some P. barbata exceed 8 inches snout-vent length. They live in a variety of habitats, including seasonally wet forests and dry scrublands. They eat a wide variety of foods, including insects, fruit, greens, flowers, and even smaller lizards.

More information: Lisa's dragon page and bearded dragons in captivity

Photos: www.kingsnake.com and www2.hawkesbury.uws.edu.au.

Lawson's bearded dragon, also known as Rankin's bearded dragon and Pogona brevis, lives in northeastern Australia in the province of Queensland, and is sometimes reported in the adjacent Northern Territories. This is one of the smaller species, and also has a quite small 'beard' It is sometimes available in the pet trade, captive bred. One fact that is known about this dragon is that it is preyed upon by venemous P. colleti snakes, and have adopted a defense behavior of hiding in cracks in the soil.

Photos: www.iland.net and www.interrep.nl

The Small-scaled, or Drydale River Bearded Dragon, lives in a very small area in north-western Australia called the Kimberly. Its habitat is open woodland where there are grasses and low-lying shrubs (possibly for hiding places?). Similar to, but smaller than, P. barbata, the small-scaled dragon has fewer spikes on its throat and back than most other bearded dragons. The adult size of this rare species is about 14cm (5.5in) snout-vent length.

The Western Bearded Dragon lives in the southwestern side of Australia, this species lives in a variety of habitats including woodlands, heath, arid desert, and even coastal dunes. It is regarded as semi-aboreal, and is often observed basking on rocks or fallen trees. Unfortunately, this species also likes to bask on roadways, a dangerous practice! Adults can exceed 6 in snout-vent length. P. minima is similar to P. mitchelli, but can be differentiated by its lack of mitchelli's robust conical head spikes.

Photos: www.kingsnake.com and www.aol.com

The Dwarf Bearded Dragon lives all over western and central Australia. It is one of the smaller Pogona species, reaching about 6 in snout-vent at adult size. Found in a wide variety of habitats, including forest and desert, the drawf bearded dragon can be distinguished from the otherwise similar Western bearded dragon by its shorter limbs and tail. These dragons are known to hide during the hottest part of the day to avoid overheating; of course, all dragons do that. This species is not available in the pet trade.

This species of bearded dragon lives in north-western Australia, in a variety of habitats, including the Great Sandy Desert. There is some controversy about whether P. mitchelli is actually a species distinct from P. minor. This is a very small species, averaging only 5.5in snout-vent length.

This medium-sized species of bearded dragon lives in a small area in south-central Australia. On the coast, it is known to live on steep cliffs and in caves. This species has distinctive white bands on its back and 3-7 rows of spines along the sides of its body. Adults of P. nullabor reach about 6 inches snout-vent length. This species is not found in the pet trade.

Photo: www.kingsnake.com

The Central, or Inland Bearded Dragon lives in central areas of Australia, down to the south central coast near Adelaide. They can use a wide variety of habitats, including desert, dry forests, and scrubland. P. vitticeps eats insects, flowers, soft leaves, and shoots. This is the most common bearded dragon in the pet trade, and many different size and color morphs can be had from specialty breeders. Adult size is usually around 6-7 inches snout-vent length.

Photos: www.interrep.nl and www.geocities.com