Central Bearded Dragon

Stripe -Headed Bearded Dragon ( Pogona vitticeps )

The stripe -headed bearded dragon or color bearded dragon ( Pogona vitticeps ) ( pogon [ gr ] = beard; vittatus [lat ] = striped; cephalus [lat ] = Skull / head) is a species of Squamata from the family of Agamidae ( Agamidae ).

Appearance

Stripe -Headed Bearded dragons are large, powerfully built and strongly dorsoventrally flattened bearded dragons. You reach a head -body length of about 250 mm and a tail length to about 300 mm. The "beard" is well developed, but it is less pronounced than in Pogona barbata. Both front and rear legs are short and look strong. The scalation varies by body area: On both sides of the Barts and in the throat region, spines are visible. More rows of prongs are above the tympanic membrane at the back, corners of the mouth and on both sides along to the tail. In particular, the lateral spines appear rather soft and rubbery to the touch. In the finer Rückenbeschuppung enlarged keeled scales are interspersed. Also, the keeled ventral scales. P. vitticeps has 9-19 Präanofemoralporen, which are used to put scent marks.

The stripe -headed bearded dragon has a light to dark brown / blackish color, but there are also gray-brown, reddish and yellow copies. For example, animals coloring from around the Eyre Peninsula red with excitement. There are also copies with red heads and red eyes. With regard to the coloration is therefore considered P. vitticeps than most variable of all Pogona species. A dark, light limited strip of eye reins, runs from the eardrum to the eyes. The belly is usually monochromatic light with some slight shading or stains. The tail is banded and unlike Pogona barbata beschuppt regularly. Along the spine has P. vitticeps a clear drawing in the form of lighter and darker color segments. The beard is spread with threatening gestures using the hyoid apparatus and turns black. In some specimens, the rest of the body also turns much darker. The oval ear openings are clearly visible.

Distribution and habitat

Pogona vitticeps inhabited the eastern central Australia. The large circulation area covers the south-western Queensland, the south-eastern Northern Territory, western New South Wales, the north-western Victoria and eastern South Australia. The stripe -headed bearded dragon inhabits semi-dry forests and dry forests and preferred areas with high solar radiation.

Way of life

P. vitticeps likes to sit on rocks, tree stumps, fence posts and other high places, which are usually only rely on food intake. The colder the environment, the darker the animal is colored and the more inactive it behaves. Only when it has warmed up enough using solar irradiation, the coloration brightens and activities such as hunting, feeding, digestion and social interactions are performed. Once the body temperature has fallen below a certain threshold, must be re-examined a sunny place. If it gets too hot, looking for animals in the shade and panting with mouth wide open, to create evaporative cooling.

Male animals behave territorial and defend their territory. Penetrates another male in the area one nods the owner with the head and spreads soon after his beard. Younger and weaker intruders draw thereupon usually voluntarily, nodding his head back; However, of approximately equal strength specimens not respond and so provoke a fight. First, both counterparties inflate their bodies and plates it from side to let appear the huge body outlines. After the enemy several times circling the animals eventually bite one another. The opponents try to tackle the root of the tail. If this succeeds, the losing animal is lifted up and shaken. This is repeated until the weaker bearded dragon the winner appeased by circular motion with the front legs. The tail is often torn or mutilated in these battles.

In winter, when the temperatures drop below 20 ° C, the strip -headed bearded dragon holds a two-month " hibernation " in a protected district. The animals but not always sleep but can get up in short periods of activity, eat and move. Bearded dragons eat omnivorous itself, so eating vegetable and animal diet They will eat anything that can be overcome, for example, insects, rodents, frogs, invertebrates, young birds and small lizards (including conspecifics ). Juveniles feed mostly on animal diet This makes in adult specimens only about 20% of food consumed amount from the remaining 80 % consists of seeds and plant parts.