Snakes Alive! This Weekend

During the popular Snakes Alive workshops, herpetologist Rick Teepen will introduce you to a variety of reptiles including snakes, lizards, and an alligator. He also incorporates a strong biblical message into the program.

All of the animals used in the program are captive-bred. If you are interested in keeping a reptile as a pet, it should be captive-bred also. From time to time, we will highlight one of these fascinating creatures that God created for us to see, enjoy, and learn about.

This month, we feature the Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps), the most common bearded dragon in captivity. In the wild they are found throughout Australia.

The Bearded Dragon belongs to the genus Pogona containing seven species, which are all called by the common name bearded dragon. They are excellent climbers, frequently found basking on rocks, branches, bushes, and even fence posts. They retreat to underground burrows during the hottest part of the day.

Their neck and chin have a dewlap (a loose fold of skin) with specialized scales that look like spiny points. This can flair out and look like a black beard—thus the name bearded dragon.

In captivity they can be fed chopped greens, vegetables, fruits, crickets, super worms, and phoenix worms. They need a basking light bulb and UVB bulbs. Their basking spot should have a temperature of 105 degrees and the cage should have two different temperature zones: 85–90 degrees on the hot side and 70–80 degrees on the cool side.

Bearded dragons can lay ten or more eggs at a time, grow 12 to 24 inches long, and live 3 to 10 years or sometimes even longer. Many people believe that bearded dragons are one of the best lizard species to keep as a pet.

Visit our website to learn more about Snakes Alive—and check the Creation Museum Events Calendar for dates and times of this fascinating program.