Central bearded dragon

The central bearded dragon is stout and thorny in appearance and can achieve 60 cm in length. Its body is slightly flattened and an assortment of specialized scales covers the entire lizard. Most notable are the spiny projections that densely populate the skin flap (the guttural pouch). Hanging from the neck and throat it can be inflated and fanned outward into a “beard” and turned to black when the dragon is threatened. This phenomenon gives this lizard its name.

Elongated, spiky scales occur around the ear hole and to a smaller degree on the upper forelimbs and in a straight line down the top of the disportionately large head. An orbital crest rises from behind each eye, travels down the face and converges at the tip of the snout. The eyes are large and round. The open mouth reveals a pink mucous lining and a large, fleshy tongue slightly notched and sticky at its tip. A serrated, bony plate crowns the gums. An orderly row of sharp spikes runs along the flanks and tail which is whip-like and equal to the length of the body and head. This lateral fringe differentiates the various scales which cover the back from the beaded scales that protect the belly. Shingled, pointed scales cover the long, robust legs each terminating in five, thin, clawed digits.

Females are smaller than males in most respects: she has a wider body. Males have a darker, more robust guttural pouch when threatened, sets of preanal glands on their thighs and colours that are brighter. These dragons are predominantly grey with some variations toward orange, fawn, brown, and black. They are frequently yellow around the eyes and at the side of the head. Colouring is largely dependant on locality and temperature.

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