Central bearded dragon

Pogona vitticeps · The central bearded dragon is a lizard native to eastern and central Australia, named for the pouch under its chin that it can inflate and darken.

Also called Inland bearded dragon.

Taxonomy

Where it lives

Arid woodland, scrub and deserts of Australia's eastern interior.

Fun facts

• Bearded dragons can learn by watching: after one was trained to open a door to reach food, most of the others watching were able to do it too.
• A bearded dragon has a "third eye" on its forehead that helps with temperature and hormone control.
• Bearded dragons don't vocalize beyond a soft hiss; they talk with colour, posture, arm waving and head bobbing.
• When it's too hot, a bearded dragon lifts its whole body off the ground on strong legs, which keeps it from absorbing heat and lets air flow underneath.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).