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Rankin's Dragon
Pogona henrylawsoni
Also called Lawson's Dragon, Pygmy Bearded Dragon, Dwarf Bearded Dragon, Black-soil Bearded Dragon, Downs Bearded Dragon
From Central Queensland, Australia, in hot, dry and rocky open country; one of its common names refers to the black-soil plains of the region.12
At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Spiny scales, compact dragon
Looks like a pocket-sized bearded dragon: a compact, rounded body and a shorter, blunter snout than its larger cousin. Its natural colouring is in earthy tan, brown, olive or grey tones that blend into dry Australian scrub.234
Personality what they are like
Easygoing and social, and an enthusiastic basker. It is happy to be handled gently but does not like being held tightly or tipped onto its back, so let it rest on an open palm.23
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Active by day and spends much of it basking. Give it hides and several places to climb.23
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Needs a strong 10-12% UVB tube running at least two-thirds of the enclosure length. Dust live food with supplements, and keep the setup dry with low humidity.3
Home where they are happiest
A well-ventilated vivarium of about 120 x 60 x 60 cm (4 x 2 x 2 ft) is recommended; Wikipedia gives a minimum of about 150 litres (40 US gallons). Basking spot 38-43 °C over about a third of the enclosure, cool side about 27 °C, with the warm end kept near 27 °C at night. Low humidity; substrate of coarse woodchip, a sand-soil-clay mix or a bioactive soil.32
Food basics what goes in the bowl
An omnivore. Offer live insects such as crickets and locusts plus a daily salad of greens like spring greens, kale and herbs with grated carrot or bell pepper. Softer grubs and worms are occasional treats once or twice a week.3
Company who they like around
More tolerant of company than the central bearded dragon and can share an enclosure more easily, but males should not be kept together.23
The story where it all began
Wells and Wellington described the species in 1985, naming it after the Australian poet Henry Lawson. Witten described the same lizard again in 1994 as Pogona brevis, a name now treated as a synonym, while the hobby name Rankin's dragon stuck from an unpublished label. Most captive animals outside Australia descend from a small number exported in the 1980s.12
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
Its scientific name honours Henry Lawson, one of Australia's best-known poets.1
- 2
The popular name Rankin's dragon comes from a name that circulated among hobbyists but was never formally published.1
- 3
It usually stays under 30 cm long including the tail, about half the size of a central bearded dragon.2
- 4
It can interbreed with both the central bearded dragon and the Nullarbor bearded dragon.1
- 5
Breeders have produced some colour variants, though far fewer than exist for the central bearded dragon.4
Recognised by the official bits
- The Reptile Database
- Pogona henrylawsoni Wells & Wellington, 1985; Pogona brevis Witten, 1994 is treated as a junior synonym. The hobby name 'rankini' was never formally published (nomen nudum).1
- IUCN Red List
- Assessed by Wilson & Melville (2017).2
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Rankin's Dragon. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Fresh waterevery day
- Temperature checkCheck the warm and cool endsevery day
- Spot cleanevery day
- FeedingHow often depends on species and agevaries
- SupplementsCalcium and vitamin dusting as your vet recommendsas your vet recommends
- UVB bulb changeMany UVB bulbs fade before they stop glowing, follow the maker's adviceevery 6 months
- Weigh inevery month
- Full cleanevery month
- Vet check-upFind a vet who sees exotic petsevery year
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.
- Pogona henrylawsoni - The Reptile Database reptile-database.reptarium.czused for names, distribution, describer, synonymy, etymology, hybridisation
- Pogona henrylawsoni - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for names, range, size, lifespan, enclosure, social behaviour, handling, history
- Rankin's Dragon Care Sheet - The Reptile Centre reptilecentre.comused for size, lifespan, vivarium, temperatures, UVB, humidity, substrate, diet, social housing, temperament
- Rankin's Dragon Care - Reptile Direct reptiledirect.comused for natural colours and captive-bred colour variants
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.