Rankin's dragon (''Pogona henrylawsoni'') is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

n agamid

lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...

. It may also be called the pygmy bearded dragon and the black-soiled bearded dragon. The

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

, ''henrylawsoni'', is in honor of the Australian author, poet, and philosopher

Henry Lawson Henry Archibald Hertzberg Lawson (17 June 1867 – 2 September 1922) was an Australian writer and bush poet. Along with his contemporary Banjo Paterson, Lawson is among the best-known Australian poets and fiction writers of the colonial period ...

Range

It is native to

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, but can be found in captivity across the world.

Description

''P. henrylawsoni'' is similar to the larger central bearded dragon (''P. vitticeps''), but is usually less than 30 cm (12 in) in total length (including

tail The tail is the elongated section at the rear end of a bilaterian animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage extending backwards from the midline of the torso. In vertebrate animals that evolution, evolved to los ...

), with a shorter and more blunt snout.

Common names

''P. henrylawsoni'' is also commonly called ''Lawson's dragon'', ''dumpy dragon'', ''pygmy dragon'', or ''black soil bearded dragon''.

Taxonomy

A formal description was not published for this lizard until 1985, despite being known to

herpetologists Herpetology (from Ancient Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is a branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, salamanders, and caecilians (Gymnophiona)) and reptiles (incl ...

. The scientific name for this species was disputed, along with the other taxonomic treatments of Wells and

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

, but was published again by Harold Cogger (2000) and others as a valid name. The name is noted as invalid in some sources, and given as a synonym for ''Pogona brevis''.

In captivity

''P. henrylawsoni'' has a life span of 10 to 15 years in captivity, and its natural environment is hot, dry, and rocky, which must be mimicked in captivity. The Rankins dragon requires a minimum of 40 gallons and a hide, as well as multiple places to climb. It is a more social species compared to the '' Pogona vitticeps'' and as such can be cohabited much easier. Males will not tolerate one another like most lizard species. It (with supervision) can be handled by children, but it does not like to be restricted or turned upside down, and will struggle when it is. Most specimens outside of Australia in captivity are descendants of dragons illegally exported in the 1980s. It is generally used as a substitute for '' Pogona vitticeps'', the most common species of bearded dragon in captivity. The Rankin's dragon is similar in personality, yet smaller and more manageable, where there is a lack of space and resources. The only issue is the small gene pool within captive populations, being unable to be supplemented by wild individuals from Australia, whereas deformation of the spine is occurring. It is also a common pet among lizard owners.

References

External links

''Pogona rankini/henrylawsoni'' Dragon keeper's guide

''Bearded dragon diet''
Agamid lizards of Australia Reptiles described in 1985 Taxa named by Richard Walter Wells Taxa named by Cliff Ross Wellington Pogona Reptiles as pets {{agamidae-stub