SpeciesRankin's dragon
Rankin's dragon
Pogona henrylawsoni
The bearded dragon's little sister: same requirements, half the size. Anyone who cannot provide a bearded dragon's terrarium finds the honest alternative here instead of a tank that is too small.
- Group
- Lizard
- Level
- Beginner
- Origin
- Australia
Where the species comes from
- World region
- Australia
- Countries
- Central Queensland
- Habitat
- Dry grass plains with cracking soils and sparse vegetation
The app does not yet hold an origin entry for this species. The distribution given here comes from the specialist literature.
The natural habitat is the yardstick for how you furnish an enclosure. Knowing where an animal comes from is knowing why it needs heat zones, hides and a particular humidity.
Husbandry at a glance
The same details appear in the animal’s profile inside the app.
- Enclosure
- Floor area counts for more than height, with a structured ground layout.
- Temperature
- Basking spot at 42–45 °C, ambient 28–32 °C, night-time drop to 20–22 °C.
- Humidity
- 30–40 %, dry. It may rise briefly at night.
- Lighting
- Strong UV-B above the basking spot, twelve to fourteen hours of light. Without UV-B, bone loss develops within months.
- Substrate
- Loam-sand mix, firm enough to dig without collapsing.
- Furnishings
- Flat stones under the lamp, roots, several hides at different temperatures.
- Water
- Shallow dish; it rarely drinks, moisture comes from the food.
- Feeding
- Two thirds green food, one third insects in adults; the reverse in juveniles. Calcium and vitamin D3 to a plan.
- Behaviour
- Diurnal, curious, not shy. Arm-waving and head-bobbing are communication, not play.
- Handling
- Brief handling is tolerated. Never grip by the tail.
- Cohabitation
- Alone or one male with several females. Two males fight until injury.
- Health
- The most common problems: bone loss from a lack of UV-B and obesity from too many insects.
- Seasonal cycle
- Winter rest of eight to twelve weeks at 15–18 °C; it belongs to the yearly cycle and supports health.
- Safety
- No permit required. Mount the lamp so that burns are impossible.
Legal position in Switzerland
No permit foreseen
No permit required. The species does not belong to any of the groups listed in Art. 89 of the Swiss Animal Welfare Ordinance
No certificate of competence foreseen
No proof of competence required. It is only demanded for the animals named in Art. 89 of the Ordinance
No CITES listing
Not listed in the CITES appendices: Import and transfer require no species-protection papers. Keep the proof of purchase nonetheless
Minimum enclosure dimensions
Annex 2, table 5 of the Animal Welfare Ordinance does not prescribe centimetres but multiples of body length. For this species, item 20 (Bearded dragons): floor area 5 × 4 body lengths, height 4 body lengths. The floor area applies to at most two animals; each further animal requires an additional 2 × 2 body lengths.
For this group, body length means the snout-vent length, without the tail. The largest animal in the enclosure is what counts. The enclosure may not be smaller even if fewer animals live in it than the table names.
| Snout-vent length | At least |
|---|---|
| 10 cm | 50 × 40 × 40 cm |
| 12 cm | 60 × 48 × 48 cm |
| 14 cm | 70 × 56 × 56 cm |
Animals may temporarily be kept in smaller enclosures: for quarantine, for the treatment of illness and injury, for acclimatisation, for breeding and rearing, and for winter or cold dormancy or aestivation (preliminary remark D on reptiles).
This is the legal lower limit, not a recommendation. An enclosure that meets exactly these dimensions is permitted, but not good for that reason. The details under “Husbandry at a glance” describe how the enclosure should be furnished, not how small it may be.
What the enclosure must provide
Provide species-appropriate heat and light zones, UV-B where needed, suitable substrate, retreats, climbing or digging options, water and natural rest periods.
Paperwork
Keep the purchase contract and proof of origin. Use the scientific name to check CITES and import status reliably.
These details are a guide, not legal advice. Binding information comes from the cantonal veterinary office; the text of the ordinance is what counts. More on the legal position
