Greenspeak

by Rachel Spinks, Environmental Educator and Drayco's mum

Central Bearded Dragons (like our favourite mascot Drayco) can survive in the harshest of environments: they live in the arid woodlands and deserts of Australia. Due to the extreme nature of these environments, the lizards have evolved some rather unique adaptations. The desert will often reach temperatures of 50 degrees Celsius and to prevent from being overheated the bearded dragon will bury itself underground. In other climatic extremes such as drought, they can withstand long periods without water, generally getting the moisture they need from their food.

In the mornings, central bearded dragons can be found basking on rocks in the hot sun, gaining their energy for the day. Once they have warmed to a certain temperature and kick-started their metabolism, they will begin hunting for insects, but will occasionally snack on vegetation. Central bearded dragons are territorial and display impressive gestures to one another to communicate such as bobbing their head and waving their forearms. When a male is angry, he will puff out his beard and open his mouth. When they are frightened they will flatten their body and try to camouflage with the ground.

Females are typically half the size of a male, both reaching sexual maturity between 8 and 18 months. Females will lay a clutch of about 20 eggs, hatching approximately 55 to 75 days later. Newly hatched central bearded dragons are miniature versions of the adults and are very agile. As they age however, they become much more mellow and rest for longer periods at a time. Bearded dragons are skilled climbers and jumpers, but prefer to spend most of their life on the ground. With their tough, adaptive nature and inhospitable choice for a home, central bearded dragons are relatively resilient to the human-induced changes in the climate and are thankfully under no immediate threats.

See Rachel's video about Drayco!