title: Allometric variation among juvenile, adult male and female eastern bearded dragons Pogona barbata (Cuvier, 1829), with comments on the behavioural implications.
abstract: The functional significance of allometric change in reptiles has received limited attention and the reason for such changes has been regarded as 'obscure'. In this paper we report data on the Australian Pogona barbata, the eastern bearded dragon, from across their range and review changes in allometric growth among juveniles, and adult males and females and consider the functional relevance of these changes. There were significant differences in the population for mass, tail length, tail width, rear leg length and jaw length. These differences were consistent with differences required in locomotor performance and thus habitat use, together with access to different preferred dietary components.
authors.affiliation: College of Health and Science, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, South Penrith Distribution Centre, NSW 1797, Australia.
authors.forename: Danny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wotherspoon
authors.forename: Shelley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burgin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D049628:Body Size; D001835:Body Weight; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D008116:Lizards / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male; D013623:Tail / Q000033:anatomy & histology