The pogona or bearded agame all about this lizard

Pogons are a type of reptile that everyone remembers for the impressive spines that dot their bodies, but despite this image, they are gentle and gentle animals.

The world of pets is so varied and yet so exciting. The most common is to share your home with a dog, a cat, a hamster, but there are pets as curious as the pogona, a beautiful and particular lizard.

The bearded agame, as it is also known, enters within the medium lizards, with a total length that can reach 60 centimeters, so we must take it into account before acquiring one.

Description of the pogona

The first thing that catches the attention of this curious lizard are the thorny scales that it has around the neck, thorns that it uses to intimidate its adversaries and predators, and that also has them on the sides of the body. The truth is that they give it an unappetizing appearance...

Males are slightly larger than females, and can weigh up to 450 grams. The variety of colors they can have makes only the thorns give you a clue as to whether or not it is a pogona, since you can find them light and dark brown, with grayish, red, green or orange tones, but all of them have the same physical characteristics.

To differentiate between males and females, you just have to take a look at the tail, since the male has protrusions on both sides that make identification very easy. When they are very young it is more complicated because they have not yet developed the reproductive system 100%, but a professional will take you out of doubts.

Features of the terrarium

These pogonas or bearded agames are native to Australia, specifically from the desert areas of the southeast, where they spend their days between the sand and the low thickets. But if what you are going to do is share your life with one of them, you must adapt the terrarium to their needs.

In order for these animals to have a pleasant and comfortable life, you need to keep an eye on the size, humidity and temperature of the terrarium; having a lizard is not as simple as it may seem and needs a small initial investment.

For example, it is advisable to provide two different areas with different temperatures, one with about 22 degrees and another with about 38 degrees. With this we emulate the climatic conditions of its natural habitat.

Like any lizard, pogons need ultraviolet light at least 50% of the day, while in the other half they appreciate darkness or dim light. As for the humidity, the ideal for these is that it is around 30-40%, and they should always have fresh water available.

Moreover, terrariums should have enough shelters and plants so that they can hide in case they need it. For this, plants, rocks and dry trunks are used, where they will spend long hours doing absolutely nothing.

It is important that the live plants you put in the terrarium are not toxic to the pogona, because your first reaction will be to try to eat it and it can cause damage to your health.

Reproduction and feeding

The pogona is an omnivorous animal, so it enjoys a multitude of different foods such as animal protein, vegetables, fruit... In specialized stores they sell feed adapted to the needs of these lizards, with which they will have a complete diet, but it does not hurt to include in their diet fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables.

Insects love them, and it will not let out a cricket, grasshopper or fly that passes near it. He catches them with his tongue and eats them very quickly; they are a candy for the pogona.

Regarding reproduction, males are the ones who court females with oscillating movements of the head and inflating the area of the spines of the neck to impress them. Sexual maturity is reached at approximately two years of life, both females and males, and that is when it is advisable to separate the males to avoid possible fights.

As you can see, having a lizard like this at home may require more attention than it seems, but once you have everything installed, it is a routine animal that will not cause you any discomfort and will be the center of attention of your house.

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