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There are other Pogona species that are related to the bearded
dragon, but have not gained the popularity and ease of breeding in
captivity. Because of the export laws now in place in Australia, it is
unlikely that we will ever see these sub species gain in numbers in
captivity. Some are available, but rare - and others are completely
unavailable.
Pogona is a relatively new species name, grouped in 1982 by by Glen
Storr, and previously of the genus Amphibolorus.
They are 8 recognised sub species of the bearded dragon, Pogona, family. Two have already been covered - the Inland bearded dragon, Pogona vitticeps, and the Rankin's Dragon, Pogona henrylawsoni.
Common Bearded Dragon - Pogona
barbata
This largest of the pogona species can exceed 8 inches in snot to vent
length and has larger spikes. It lives on the eastern and southern coasts
of Australia and can be found in wetter habitats the Pogona vitticeps.
Small Scaled Bearded Dragon -
Pogona microlepidota
The Small scaled bearded dragon is also known as the River Bearded Dragon
and is considered fairly rare. It is a small species, growing to
approximately 5 inches snout to vent, and it lives in woodland and
grassland as opposed to desert.
Western Bearded Dragon - Pogona
minima
As the name might suggest, the Western Bearded Dragon lives in the
very western side of Australia. It is quite unusual in that it is semi
arboreal, and has a varied habitat ranging from forested woodland, to
coastal sand dunes. It is slightly smaller than the Inland bearded dragon,
growing to approximately 6 inches snout to vent.
Dwarf Bearded Dragon - Pogona minor
This species leaves across much of central and western Australia and
reaches around 6 in snout vent at adult size. It is called the dwarf
because it has considerabley shorter limbs, and a short tail, although
having a similar body size to other bearded dragon species, it looks quite
small in stature.
Mitchell's Bearded Dragon - Pogona
mitchelli
A North Western species that inhabits the great desert. There is little
known about this sub species, and there is still some debate as to whether
it is an individual species, or a subspecies of the dwarf bearded dragon.
It reaches around 5 inches snout to vent.
Nullarbor Bearded Dragon -
Pogona nullabor
This species has a very specific area of inhabitance in the center of the
south coast and is named for residing on the Nullarbor Plain. It lives in
steep cliffs and caves, and is rarely seen. It is quite distinctive in
look, with a banded white colouration. They are a medium sized bearded
dragon, reaching about 6 inches snout to vent. Because of the area they
inhabit, they are extremely good climbers. This is one of the few other
Pogona species that has been bred in captivity - but this is limited to
within Australia.
It is illegal for anyone to disturb or capture these lizards in the wild of Australia, and because of this few field studies have been done on the lesser known species. Most of the documentation and information on bearded dragons comes from studies of captive populations.
What is known is that it is rare for these species to overlap, and you would not often see two different pogona species in the same region, although why this is has not yet been fully established. In some parts of inland eastern Australia, P barbata and P vitticeps have been seen within the same region - however they seem to have very strict territories, and never cross into the land of the other species.
In captivity, it would be unnatural for these species to live in
confined enclosures together.