The eastern bearded dragon (Pogona barbata) is an agamid lizard found in wooded parts of Australia. It is one of a group of species known commonly as bearded dragons. Other common names for this species include Jew lizard and frilly lizard, the latter being a confusion between this and another dragon; the frill-necked lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingii).
It is most common in eastern Australia south of Cape York Peninsula, but specimens have been collected from Cape York, through central Australia, and even from the west coast of Australia. It is a large species of grey-black colour distinguished from its relative, the central bearded dragon, Pogona vitticeps, by its less robust body and the row of spines along the lateral edge of the body, which continues over the forearm (Cogger, 1992). It tends to be more cryptic in its behaviour than the central bearded dragon, and performs its bearded display more often. It has an adult snout-tail length of about 24 inches (60 cm). When threatened, in addition to its beard display, it gapes to display the bright yellow colour of the inside of its mouth. It eats small lizards and snakes, flowers, insects, fruits, and berries.
This species was previously known as Amphibolurus barbatus.
Read more about Eastern Bearded Dragon: Physical Description, Behavior, Diet
Famous quotes containing the words eastern, bearded and/or dragon:
“I need not tell you of the inadequacy of the American shipping marine on the Pacific Coast.... For this reason it seems to me that there is no subject to which Congress can better devote its attention in the coming session than the passage of a bill which shall encourage our merchant marine in such a way as to establish American lines directly between New York and the eastern ports and South American ports, and both our Pacific Coast ports and the Orient and the Philippines.”
—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)
“To a man, ornithologists are tall, slender, and bearded so that they can stand motionless for hours, imitating kindly trees, as they watch for birds.”
—Gore Vidal (b. 1925)
“Opinion is not worth a rush;
In this altar-piece the knight,
Who grips his long spear so to push
That dragon through the fading light,
Loved the lady; and it’s plain
The half-dead dragon was her thought....”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)