# Dragon in my backyard??



## silatman (Oct 6, 2015)

Just hoping someone on here can ID this little guy for me, he is happily living in my backyard in WA about 60kms south of Perth on the coast. I'm presuming it's a dragon of some description? He is pretty small, only around 20 - 22 cm long, 
We discovered him about a week ago and he is very brave. We can get within touching distance of him when he is sunning himself. I'm hoping he finds a mate and some little dragons here too, how cool would that be.


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## BredliFreak (Oct 6, 2015)

Judging from location and colouration I'd say it is probably _Pogona minor.


_Bredli


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## Nero Egernia (Oct 7, 2015)

It's a bit hard to see on my computer but I second that it looks like a Dwarf Bearded Dragon (_Pogona minor minor_). He's very cute and looks pretty young too, might be a while until he finds a friend though!


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## Dopamel (Oct 24, 2015)

it has the same coloration/head shape as the mountain dragon i found in my backyard


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## baker (Oct 24, 2015)

Dopamel said:


> it has the same coloration/head shape as the mountain dragon i found in my backyard


There are no mountain dragons in Western Australia. It is very important to look at the location the reptile has been found in to make an accurate identification. 
As others have identified it is a _Pogona minor_ Dwarf bearded dragon.

Cheers Cameron.


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## Bluetongue1 (Oct 24, 2015)

[MENTION=24473]silatman[/MENTION]. It is a Western Heath Dragon (_Ctenophorous adelaidensis_). This species was not so long ago transferred from the genus _Rankinia_, the same genus as the Mountain Dragon. [MENTION=41958]Dopamel[/MENTION], it does bear strong superficial similarities to Mountain Dragons in shape, colour pattern, size and even behaviour. The banding on the lips and lack of spines around the angle of the jaw distinguish it from Pogona. There is also a significant size difference - adult SV length for the Heath Dragon is about 5 cm compared to 15 cm for the Western Bearded (TL 12 cm cf 38 cm). These guys stick to the ground whereas the Bearded frequently climbs small shrubs and fallen branches and timber. 

It looks like a female to me but you would need to view the underside to confirm that. Males have a black chest patch and markings on the throat and belly.


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## CrazyNut (Oct 25, 2015)

Its not mountain dragon given the locale. Ctenophorus adelaidensis, when did they transfered to Ctenophorus? I have only known them as Rankinia. Makes me wonder if parviceps and diemensis are on there way over to Ctenophorus as well, getting rid of the Rankinia genus altogether. R.parviceps in particular shows simillar charecteristics to netted dragons.


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## GBWhite (Oct 25, 2015)

I have to disagree Blue and say it's not a Western Heath Dragon. Bredli and Cameron got it right in the first place P minor. Caught a few of both last time I was in Perth a couple of years back. Head's too large for an adult WHD and the ocellated marking visible on the belly identify it to me as a Pogona There's a perfect example of P minor on page 413 of Wilson and Swan, Guide to Australian Reptiles 4th edition that's almost a carbon copy of this guy. For comparison have a look at the colour plate of Ctenophorus adelaidensis on page 381 of the same reference and page 705 in Cogger 7th edition.

George.


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## Sean_L (Oct 25, 2015)

Have to agree with Georgie on this one, unfortunately. 
This guy is extremely similar to hatchling _Pogona barbata_. I've seen more of them to even count. 
Everything about him says baby pogona to me. Head shape is a little different to the ones on this side of the country, but he's a different species after all.


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## richoman_3 (Oct 25, 2015)

It is a Pogona minor..... most definitely not a Ctenophorus.


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## Bluetongue1 (Oct 26, 2015)

My mistake! It is a hatchling _Pogona minor_. 

Back on my own computer today and enlarged the pic. Spines actually are visible around the angle of the jaw (with a row across the nape) and the lips are not barred as I thought they were from viewing the smaller pic. The dorsal pattern is also not that of _C. adelaidensis_ – no light paravertbrals with black cross bars. 
[MENTION=40362]CrazyNut[/MENTION]. The taxonomic revision was done by Melville, Shoo and Doughty in 2008. I managed to find a link to the abstract...https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/csiro-p...eath-dragons-rankinia-adelaidensis-WKcym6oUmz.


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## pythoninfinite (Oct 26, 2015)

Not even a hatchling - it's a smallish juvie P. minor. I used to breed them in WA when I was in high school... when things were a bit more lax, and for $10 permit from the then Dept of Fisheries & Fauna I could import any Australian reptile from any state. Those were the days.

Jamie


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## bluedragon (Nov 16, 2016)

p. bata very rare to se them in the west


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## Nero Egernia (Nov 16, 2016)

bluedragon said:


> p. bata very rare to se them in the west


Are you referring to _Pogona barbata_? If so it couldn't possibly be _Pogona barbata_ as they do not occur at all in Western Australia. Unless if it's an escaped pet, which I don't think is the case.


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## bluedragon (Nov 16, 2016)

oh i guess your from there so i cant argue because ive never been there:lol:


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