Wednesday 15th September 2010

G'day, my name is Buddy

I'm an Australian Yellow Bearded Dragon.

 My relatives vary from dark grey and sometimes reddish-brown, yellowish-brown, or dark brown in skin colour depending on the variety but I am a very special type - or so I think. 

 Here is a photo of one of my relatives.  Not nearly as handsome as I am!

When I came to live with my pet human Jesse, I was 6 weeks old and 10cms (4 inches) long.  Now I'm three years old and measure 34cms (around 14inches).  When I am fully grown I will measure a full 24 inches or 60cms.   We're called 'dragons' because we puff out our throats and look very fierce when threatened.  We also open our mouths very wide and that makes us look even fiercer.  And aren't our spines impressive?

I eat crickets, woodies (a type of native cockroach that live in woodpiles), mealyworms, fruit and vegetables.  My favourite foods of all are lettuce, pumpkin, strawberries and - most of all, sweet corn.  I'm a bit skinny at the moment just coming out of winter, but I'll soon fatten up a bit.  Here Kylie is hand feeding me.  I really enjoy being hand fed.  Spoilt?  Me?  What do you mean?  I am only getting the treatment I deserve!

I came to visit Kylie today because my pet's mum is her good friend.  And Kylie's mum Sandra took these photos.  I must say they don't do me justice - silly goose left her camera at the caravan and had to take the photos with her phone! So of course I had to have a good look at the phone to see what she was doing.

Aren't I a handsome fellow?  Do you think the photo above  is my best side?

Or do you like this view better?

See how I like sitting on people's shoulder?  It helps keep me warm as well.  In the wild I like to bask on rocks and things to warm up.  That's because I'm a reptile, of course.  When I came to live with Jesse I lived in his bottom drawer at first,and that was fun.  But now I have an enclosure that has rock walls on three sides and a glass front.  It has an earthern floor and rocks in it.  Heating and temperature contol keeps it very comfortable for me.  Jesse's family has to have a special licence to be able to have me live with them. 
  
Sandra took HEAPS of photos, trying to get a good shot of me eating some corn.  But I fooled her - I shoot out my sticky tongue so quickly to grab each kernal, just like I catch an insect, that the best she got was a few blurry ones he, he, he.

So it was very nice to 'meet' you.  I hope you enjoyed it too.  Life is certainly interesting having Jesse as my pet.  I get to have all sorts of adventures.  Bye for now.