The origin of the bearded agama, behavior in native territories, reproduction of the lizard, characteristics of appearance, purchase and price, advice on keeping the agama. In the event that a person has the opportunity to see a bearded agama, he may involuntarily doubt its earthly origin. Probably, on the entire large planet Earth, it is not possible to find a more original, spectacular and extraordinary or just similar living creature.
In the modern world, lovers of everything special, exclusive and exotic are increasingly bringing such an unusual lizard into their home as a pet. In addition to her unique appearance, this beauty is not at all whimsical in taking care of herself and feels great in apartment conditions.
But still, in order to provide your pet with the correct and comfortable living conditions, you need to get to know him better before you bring him to your monastery.
The origin and natural habitat of the bearded agama
The bearded agama is a rather large lizard of the agama family. It is also classified as a chordate, a reptile class, and a squamous detachment.
In order to meet the original lizard in its native territory, you should travel to distant Australia. It is there that this miracle of nature lives, moreover, she gladly populates those locations that most of the representatives of the Australian fauna try to avoid. Agama feels very comfortable in those parts of the continent that do not have the slightest outlet to the sea coast. Desert and semi-desert biotopes, arid woodlands, shrubs and stony semi-deserts are excellent for dragon life.
Features of the behavior of a lizard in open nature
The active period of this scaly falls in the daytime, at night the "animal" prefers to rest in its houses or shelters. As the latter, they use areas under piles of stones, crevices of trees and shrubs, as well as burrows of other animals. It also happens that the agama independently takes up the construction of a mink. Her lifestyle is predominantly terrestrial, although it happens that during extreme heat she climbs trees in search of fresh cool air.
The bearded dragon is very patriotic by nature, he spends his whole life on his territory, never moving away from his home for considerable distances. We can say that this mysterious creature leads mainly a predatory lifestyle. The basis of his diet is a variety of insects, small birds and rodents. Sometimes he can afford to enjoy some delicacy of plant origin. For the reason that the agama inhabits areas that are far from water sources, it receives the required amount of liquid from food. A big holiday for the lizard is the rainy season, even then it enjoys the water to its fullest, but it does it in a very peculiar way: tilting its body forward so that the water can drain over it and thus drinks the flowing liquid.
Continuation of the genus of the bearded agama
This pretty reptile belongs to the oviparous species. These "animals" reach sexual maturity at about two years of age. When the female is already ready for mating, she in every possible way shows her consent to the male dragon. And she does this with the help of a variety of movements of the head and tail process. If the male understands the hints of the female agama, he begins to chase her, when they catch up with them, hold them, grabbing them with their teeth, and then the mating process begins.
Thereafter, approximately 50–70 days later, the females lay their eggs. By their nature, they are very prudent. Before arranging the clutch, the lizard pulls out a burrow with a depth of at least 35–40 cm. Approximately two to three months later, small dragons appear, numbering from 10 to 20 individuals. The female produces offspring at least twice a year.
Features of the original appearance of the bearded agama
Among its entire suborder, the bearded agama is considered a fairly large lizard, the body length of an adult can reach approximately 60–70 cm, taking into account the fact that the body and tail are almost equal to each other, and sometimes the tail is much longer than the body. In the projection of the throat and on the lateral sides of the lizard's head, one can easily notice the presence of peculiar scaly thorns, which many call the dragon's beard, in all likelihood from this came the strange name of this representative of the large kingdom of reptiles. These scales tend to swell during impending danger or mating season.
The body of this lizard has a somewhat flattened elliptical shape. The limbs in their shape resemble a disk, are distinguished by special strength and muscularity, the fingers end in sharp claws. The original scales are also located in regular rows over the body of the agama, thanks to the thorns, the reptile visually increases in size and thereby gives itself a more original and at the same time ferocious appearance.
As for the coloring of the dragon, the main range is represented by gray, yellowish or most often brown tones. But it happens that the color may change somewhat, it depends on the temperature conditions, and of the health and mood of the lizard. In young individuals, the main shade can be diluted with various stripes and spots, which in turn form a kind of unique ornament. Older representatives do not have such decoration on their bodies.
Keeping an agama, care in the conditions of your terrarium
In order for your new Australian friend to live and enjoy life in the conditions of your home, you need to create conditions for him similar to the climate of his native territories.
- Optimal terrarium size. Taking into account that your scaly pet will constantly grow, it is best, and even more economical, to purchase and design a terrarium with the expectation of an adult agama, it should be a container with a volume of at least 200 liters and at the same time quite long. If you intend to have several representatives of the agamov family, then each of them requires a rather large living space. It must be remembered that it is not recommended to have two males, as they will be at enmity with each other, which may not end well. The most optimal is living in one terrarium of one female and two males. The terrarium should be well ventilated, so it is best to use a grate as a cover, as glass, plastic or wood will obstruct fresh air.
- Own sunbeams. Due to the fact that the bearded dragon is a reptile that prefers to be active during the day, and in its homeland the day is quite long, you need to create the necessary conditions for your friend. If you think that you will place the terrarium on a large window, where the sun constantly falls and this will be enough for your pet, you are greatly mistaken. The fact is that with a lack of sunlight or artificial ultraviolet rays, the synthesis of cholecalciferol is inhibited in the lizard's body, with a lack of which the absorption of calcium is significantly reduced, which is fraught with a serious deterioration in the health of your pet. In order to avoid such unpleasant situations, in most specialized stores, you can purchase the necessary ultraviolet lamps that are designed specifically for reptiles. Such a light source should be installed directly inside the terrarium, this will avoid the loss of such necessary rays.
- Temperature setting for your scaled agama. The fact that your Australian pupil arrived at your home from a desert area speaks for itself that she needs a fairly high thermometer reading. The optimum air temperature for the agama is considered to be not lower than 30 degrees, but also, in no case, not exceeding 40-41 degrees. It is not recommended to use stones as a heating device, which are equipped with a heating device inside, because they very often cause severe burns to the delicate skin of reptiles. It would be best to go to the same pet store and they will offer you specialized incandescent lamps or lamps designed to heat the terrarium. In the event that the total area of your dragon's personal house allows, then it is desirable to conditionally divide it into two zones - cool and hot. This section will allow your scaly companion to choose the most suitable conditions for himself, and he will be heated and cooled as needed. It is also advisable to purchase the necessary devices that will allow you to constantly monitor the temperature and humidity coefficient of the air.
- Adequate amount of liquid. Your pet dragon will not require you to constantly replenish the container with water, but it does require a certain amount of liquid. To do this, you can sprinkle the walls of the terrarium with water, and your "animal" will already lick it from there. You can also install small drinking bowls that can be decorated with stones, in this case you need to make sure that the water there is always clean. It is necessary to increase the frequency of spraying the terrarium during the molt of its inhabitant, since the lower the air humidity, the more problematic the molting process is.
- Secluded corners. Like any living creature on the planet, your domestic reptile needs a place where he would have the opportunity to rest and think about living alone, not in front of all the inhabitants of the apartment. You can make a shelter with your own hands or purchase it at a pet store - the choice is yours and your wallet. The main condition for a proper shelter is its size, it must be large enough so that the lizard can comfortably sit there, and even turn around. There are times when your Australian Agama will spend most of the day in its secluded corner - no need to worry, this is completely normal for her.
- The soil for the bearded dragon. As a flooring in a terrarium, it is best to use special substrate mats, in appearance they resemble grass - this is both beautiful and safe for the agama, since sand, gravel, sawdust or other small elements can be absorbed by your lizard, which will lead to serious problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
- We decorate your friend's house. You can use a variety of driftwood and branches as interior elements for the bearded agama terrarium, the main thing is that they do not have bark that the reptile can swallow and sharp ends that your pet can hurt. It is important to remember that this is a rather large reptile, so the branches must be of sufficient thickness. Your smaller friend will climb on it, which will help him, keep himself in the necessary physical shape, and while away the time, waiting for his master from work.
You can also place some kind of artificial platforms or flat stones directly under the heating lamps, the agama will climb there and warm up its spectacular body.
The diet of the Australian agama
In order for your friend to be full of strength and energy and delight you with a beautiful bright color of his body, you need to provide him with a complete and balanced diet. By its nature, agama in food is not picky, you just need to learn one simple rule, which is that young individuals need to eat more nutritious food, as they grow and develop quite quickly. For this reason, the bulk of food for young agamas should be insects, and as an additional food, you can pamper them with vegetables and fruits.
If we talk about adult lizards, then the situation is somewhat different. On the contrary, it is recommended to feed them mainly with food of plant origin, and to them already add various insects.
- Live food. Among insects, your home pupil will not bother too much, he likes almost everything, the main thing is that this food is nutritious and inherently not poisonous. It is not recommended to catch insects in the garden or near your house, with this savings you can cause irreparable harm to your smaller friend. After all, perhaps these insects have already been somewhere as intruders and can simply be poisoned with insecticides. Another nuance to be wary of is the parasites that can live in these insects, because they will immediately move into the healthy body of your reptile. Therefore, in order to avoid unnecessary difficulties, it is easier to buy food at a pet store or on the market - it is not expensive and completely safe. As food for a bearded dragon, marble cockroaches, mealworms, zofobas, earthworms, creepers and crickets are suitable.
- Vegetables and fruits. For this cute reptile, the following foods are considered safe: parsley, alfalfa, apples, cabbage, dandelions, strawberries, melon and carrot tops.
Features of the purchase and the price of a bearded agama
Due to the great popularity of such original and extraordinary young animals as pets, it will not be difficult to find a bearded agama in large pet stores. If, having come to the store, you have already made your final choice, do not rush to make such a purchase. First, make sure that you get a healthy animal, because, firstly, this dragon is not so cheap, and secondly, you want your new friend to live a long and happy life in your house. When examining a reptile before buying, you need to check for wounds and any other damage, both fresh and already healed. Even long-standing scars can seriously backfire in the near future with troubles with the health of your comrade.
Also look carefully to see if all of her body parts are intact and in place. Salespeople can tell you whatever they want to fulfill their sales plan, but remember: "The bearded dragon has no tendency to restore lost body parts!" Therefore, buy, exclusively, that reptile, which has everything in its place. But the absence of a finger or the tip of the tail is already a normal and familiar phenomenon, there is no guarantee that you will be able to find a dragon completely flawless.
When you start examining the head, pay attention to the fact that there should be no foam or even liquid in the area around the mouth and eyes - this may be the first sign of agama soreness. The lizard's nostrils should also be clean. With such careful observation, you should also take into account the behavior of the specimen of fauna you like. In the wild, they tend to always be ready to pounce on their prey, so healthy reptiles are always active and keep their ears open. But, do not forget that this "predator" is not active around the clock, it can also rest.
The average cost of one reptile with a goatee ranges from 2,000 to 10,000 rubles.
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