What is the difference between bearded dragon and fancy bearded dragon?
In recent years many people were treating all dragons as a pet. Different types of dragons have been kept as pets of late. This is because they do not require much to be maintained. When in captivity, they display unique features such as arm waving, head bobbing, and stacking.
The main difference between a bearded dragon and the fancy bearded dragon is that a bearded dragon has many scales that are rough to feel while fancy bearded dragon has smoother scales and texture.
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Comparison Table (Bearded Dragon vs Fancy
Bearded Dragon)
| Characteristics | Bearded Dragon | Fancy Bearded Dragon |
| Color | They are tan to yellow in color. | They are more of red color. |
| Skin texture | Has more scales and their skin is rough. | They have smoother skin with fewer scales. |
| Price | The price is much lower. | The price is relatively higher. |
| Availability | They are easily found. | They are rare and not easily found. |
| Spines | They have spines on the surface of the throat, both sides of the body, and the head. | They have little spines on the head and under the throat. |
What is Bearded Dragon?
They originated from Australia. Their color ranges from yellow to tan. They are called bearded due to their ability to have a beard light skin on the throat surface mostly when threatened.
It has a flat-shaped body with spines on the surface of the throat, both sides of the body, and the head. The scales and spine so their bodies are used to scare the predators.
They display a hand-waving gesture to show submission. Head bobbing to show dominance and some change color during rivalry challenges.
They live both in hot and wet areas. They move to hotter areas to bask when it is cold. They can be found on fallen or broken trees, rocky outcrops, and bushes when basking.
Adults are very territorial. They establish social hierarchies as they grow. Aggressive males attack females who have not even shown submissive behavior.
When the eggs are incubated at high temperatures, there is a possibility of having female offspring. When they are incubated at lower temperatures then the offspring will be male.
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What is Fancy Bearded Dragon?
The fancy bearded dragon is a type of bearded dragon with some variations. The availability of fancy bearded dragon is seasonal. They are more expensive although the care given to them is the same as the one given to the bearded dragon.
They are mostly bred to have different colors. The is redder. They have smoother skins with fewer scales. The rare and not easily found.
They are omnivores. They feed on both meat and plant matter. They feed on crickets and mealworms as animals. They eat vegetables and fruits.
Fancy bearded dragons are got from selective breeding. The breeders take two bearded dragons with the qualities they want and breed them. They repeat the process until they get the admired results.
There are a lot of fancy bearded species, the difference coming in with the color and the scales on their bodies.
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Main Differences between Bearded Dragon and Fancy Bearded Dragon
- The bearded dragon is tan or yellow in color while the fancy bearded dragon is redder in color.
- Bearded dragon has more scales on their skin and is rough while the fancy bearded dragon has fewer scales on their skin and is smoother.
- Bearded dragon has spines on its head and sides of the body which are sharp while the fancy bearded dragon has little spines that are not sharp.
- Bearded dragons are cheaper while fancy bearded dragons are expensive to purchase.
- Bearded dragons are easy to find while fancy bearded dragons are rare and not easily found.
Similarities between Bearded Dragon and Fancy Bearded Dragon
- They both have a lifespan of 12 to 14 years.
- They are both omnivores.
- They both need a dry, hot environment.
- Both have the same behavior like waving arms.
- They both originated from Australia.
- They both have a low maintenance cost.
In Conclusion
Bearded dragon and fancy bearded dragon are almost the same. The fancy bearded dragon is got from breeding different bearded dragons with the admired characteristics. Both are good pet choices as they have a low maintenance cost.
The main feature that makes a bearded dragon be different from the fancy bearded dragon is the presence of rough scales and sharp spines on the bearded dragon.
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