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The bearded dragon is active during the warm hours and tends to store heat through its body structure, customized for efficient tanning.
Insects, small vertebrates, leaves, fruit, and greens
Forest and desert areas in Central Australia
A thorny collar envelopes the base of the head of the bearded dragon and gives it its name. Among males, the collar is somewhat darker than that of females. During mating and breeding, the male’s collar becomes completely black. Communication is conducted with no sound, but with movements of the head and changing of color. When the bearded dragon feels threatened, it slightly enlarges the thorny area and opens its mouth to show a yellow color (yellow is considered a dangerous color in nature). They also flatten their bodies and tilt their heads forward, which gives them the look of a dragon. They are similar to chameleons and are able to change their body color according to surroundings, temperature, and internal conditions.
The bearded dragon matures at the age of one to two years, and the females lay ten to fifteen oval shaped eggs, which are buried in the sand and hatch after three months.