Inland bearded dragon, Western bearded dragon
Central bearded dragons vary widely in color, including brown, reddish-brown, red, yellow, white, and orange. They are capable of undergoing moderate changes in coloration, and scales along both sides of the throat, neck, and head form a row of narrow spines that runs down each side of the body to the tail. Males typically have a darker "beard" than females, and during mating season and courtship, it will typically darken to near-black. Bearded dragons, like most agamid lizards, have strong legs which enable them to lift their body completely off the ground while they move. This is done to reduce the heat taken in from the ground, as well as to increase the airflow over the belly to cool itself further. Males can be distinguished from females by a wider cloacal opening, a wider base of the tail, a larger head and beard, and the possession of hemipenes. Males also have more pronounced femoral pores than females (these can be seen as waxy bumps on the underside of the back legs).
Central bearded dragons are widely distributed over eastern and central parts of Australia, being found from the southeastern Northern Territory the eastern part of southern Australia. They live in very diverse habitats including deserts, dry forests, and scrublands. These dragons are semi-arboreal animals, often seen basking on picnic tables, fence posts, or fallen branches.
Normally, these animals are diurnal. Nevertheless, after hot days they can be frequently seen out on roads. The Central bearded dragon is an excellent climber, often found perched in bushes as well as on branches of trees and fence posts, spending as much time perching as it does on the ground. They are not social animals, though sometimes they congregate into groups to feed and bask. Gathering in groups, they follow a certain hierarchy: when basking, usually the highest-ranking individuals take the sunniest and highest spots and the rest of the group gets lower spots. Females often use their beards for aggression displays while males will display their beards during the mating season as a part of the courtship ritual. When feeling threatened, bearded dragons flatten their bodies against the ground, puff out their spiny throats, and open their jaws to make themselves appear larger.
Central bearded dragons are opportunistic omnivores and are not very choosey about food. They feed upon small rodents, lizards, insects, spiders and plants.
Central bearded dragons have a polygynous mating system, where a male mates with more than one female. Breeding takes place in summer - from September to March. Usually, a female excavates a burrow, laying about 24 eggs at a time in one clutch with up to 9 clutches per year. When the eggs are laid, the female buries them and leaves. The babies hatch out after 60-80 days, depending on the temperature of the incubation. Hatchlings are 3-4 inches (7.6-10.2 cm) long on average. They are independent from the very beginning of their lives, reaching sexual maturity at the age of 1-2 years.
Captive breeding, pet trading, occasional involvement in scientific research as well as diseases and infections are among major threats to the population of this species. These dragons are not classified as threatened species in the IUCN Red List largely due to the export prohibition of the nation’s wildlife set by the government of Australia.
The total number of Central bearded dragons’ population is unknown, but it’s reported to be common and widespread throughout its range. The species is classified as Least Concern (LC).
