Different types of bearded dragons

Australia is a place well known for possessing a variety of animals. Many nature lovers get fascinated by the various forms of nature when they visit this place. One class of animals that is present in Australia in a huge variety is the reptiles, precisely the lizards. These reptiles exist in a wide range of sizes and forms. Their mysterious nature and activities attract many animal lovers towards them. Different types of lizards are also kept as pets by many people.

One such variety of lizards which is often kept as a pet is the bearded dragon. All the species of bearded dragons are very attractive and people love to keep them as pets due to their beautiful looks, easy handling and small size. These reptiles require very small places to live and can be easily handled. Here are a few species that are found commonly in Australia and are kept as pets:

·         Pogona minor minima or Western bearded dragon – This species of bearded dragon is found in the south- west coast and the interior areas of the continent. It loves to stay in the deep forests and in coastal banks. These are also found in deserts. These generally have a small size with a streamlined body and a long tail.

·         Pogona vitticeps or Inland bearded dragons – This type of dragons is the largest in size from all other existing forms. These can be as long as 20cm and are found in very attractive colors like yellow, green, black and brown with scales. These are found in all parts of Australia except the western part. It is the most popular as pet.

·         Pogona minor mitchelli dragon – These are commonly found in the interior of northern territory and in the great Sandy desserts of Australia. These are the smallest dragons with a long and thin body. Their maximum length can be 14cm. Their most unique feature is their cone like head spikes that makes it very attractive.

·          Pogona minor dragon – The Pogona minor or the dwarf dragon is the one with the most unique body shape of all the lizards. They have a small head with a bulging belly, a short tail and small legs. These are very small in size. Most of the cartoon characters of dragon are an animated version of this species.

·          Lawson bearded lizard – This sort of dragons are the second most popular pets. These are found in the northern part and the Queensland. These have a huge widened out belly and a scaled body which makes them different. These have a small beard with spikes on the neck.   

·         Small scaled bearded lizard – These are found in the North West Australian region. As their name suggests, these have small scales and spikes as compared to other lizard species but these are quite long. They can achieve lengths up to 18cm.

Though there are many more species of these creatures, the ones discussed above are more popular as pets. Before you get your bearded dragon, you should get a thorough knowledge about the eating and breeding habits of these creatures.