Eastern Bearded Dragon Julie Burgher/Flickr

Eastern Bearded Dragon

Did You Know?

  • Often seen basking on roads
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Mottled grey with some yellow tones. There are paired pale blotches along the spine. A grey/brown stripe is found behind the eye to the ear. The underside is also grey with darker circles. Often seen with its mouth open which is yellow in colour. It has a spiny body and tail particularly on the side of the body.

Size

Up to 67 cm long.

Behaviour

Diet

Forages on roadsides on insects, worms, snails, small lizards, flowers, fruits and other soft plant matter.

Movement

Active during day, often perches on logs and dead branches, retreat to shelter of log, rock or burrow during winter, will freeze if frightened, or wil attempt to scare off opponent by standin gup, inflating its body and ‘beard, and opening its mouth wide to reveal bright yellow lining. May rush an intruder and will bite if handled. Some movements include: head-bobbing, arm-waving, push-ups, head-licking, beard-erection, body inflation, biting and colour-changing. When threatened will open its mouth and display the spiny throat or beard.

Breeding

Dominant males display frequently and are very aggressive/territorial, only allowing juveniles and females to enter area.

Field Guide

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What to Observe

  • Basking

  • Feeding

  • Courting/Mating

  • Presence of juveniles

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When and Where

When To Look

  • Spring for mating
  • August - December for soft-shelled eggs that are buried in sand and backfilled (hatchlings emerge 45-79 days later)

Where To Look

  • NSW, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Australian Capital Territory
  • Often in drier areas
  • In woodlands and scrub
  • Semi arboreal and seen on branches, logs and on the ground among vegetation
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What Else?

Similar Species

Inland Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps) is similar in appearance, but mostly reside in inland Australia