A Multi-Genre Life Story

• 1. Frankie, A Bearded Dragon A MULTI-GENRE LIFE STORY

2. Informational: Bearded Dragon Basics Bearded Dragons are desert dwelling, omnivorous, lizards that originate from Australia, the only place they can be found in the wild. Bearded Dragons come in different species but I ,Frankie, am of the Pagona Viticeps Species. Bearded Dragons can also come in different morphs which means that we can be different colors and even have a different texture to our skin. Generally adult Bearded Dragons will grow to be 12-24 inches, I am 18 inches, but this varies depending on our: species/breed, sex, health, and housing. Bearded Dragons will only grow as large as our enclosures allow and can only be sexed once we are at least juveniles. At first I was thought to be a male but once I was big enough I was determined to be a female. Bearded Dragons have relatively triangular heads with spikes around them, round spiky bodies, short stout legs, long pointy claws for climbing, and long pointy tails; we are also very muscular. Bearded Dragons received their name sake from the spikes on and around our heads which resemble a beard, the spikes on our bodies are not sharp or harmful, they are more for looks. Also we Bearded Dragons shed our skin in order to grow and while shedding we can puff our beards out to help loosen the skin, we may also puff to look tough. Another way us Bearded Dragons use our beards is to express our emotions, when happy they are bright golden-yellow and when distressed our beards turn black. Bearded Dragons need to eat feeders such as crickets, meal worms, or roaches for protein, but we also need certain fresh veggies and greens; occasionally we can have certain fruits as a treat! Over all Bearded Dragons are calm, gentle, and as long as we are handled properly as well as regularly are rarely aggressive. Fun FACT: Bearded Dragons do not have teeth, we have a serrated jaw! 3. Persuasive: Why Bearded Dragons Make Good Pets Us Bearded Dragons make excellent pets for many reasons. One reason we make good pets is that we are diurnal, so we are awake all day (like most people) and then sleep through the night. This allows our owners to interact with us without adversely affecting our health. Also, we live in a tank; we dont have to have a backyard to run around in and we dont have to be taken on walks. A third reason we make good pets is that we are quiet, quieter than mice; we dont run on wheels, we dont bark, and we definitely dont meow. Another benefit to having a Bearded Dragon as a pet is that we love people, we love to get attention from our people, and we do not bite. If we feel threatened or intimidated we simply try to hide and may puff ourselves out to make our spiky bodies look more menacing than they truly are. The only thing I would caution about getting a Bearded Dragon though is to do your research because although we are relatively simple creatures that live in tanks we still have specific needs that are essential to our survival and if not properly met can lead to our untimely death. A last reason we make great pets is that we can live up to 14 years; we could potentially outlive a dog. A longer lifespan avoids grief from losing a beloved pet too soon. Over all we are outgoing, friendly, calm creatures who just want to be admired and fed good treats. 4. Narrative: A Day In The Life Well, it must be about 6:00 pm because I am starting to get tired, I think as I wonder if Im ever even going to be fed a roach or even a cricket again. I have been flaunting all day, posing at every opportunity, and trying to show off as much as possible, for nothing. Deciding that I am probably not going to get any treats and not wanting to starve to death I give in and voraciously attack the salad my people made me earlier today, as a last resort, it might be my last meal. After an exhausting day of watching over my territory I get comfortable by trying to squeeze into the smallest crack between my cave and the wall of my glass fortress. Now that I am sufficiently squished I think I will glare at my people until my sun goes off and I can sleep in peace, hopefully my people wont be so rude as to disturb me, at least they usually cover my glass fortress with a nice dark blanket. Where am I? I am starving.. I am cold.. It is dark and I am alone.. I wonder what time it is and what is happening as my sun blinks on, right on schedule at 6:30 am. Oh! I realize where I am as I begin to wonder if my people have abandoned me, for real this time. I am cold down here under my log but I like to make my people pull me out and place me under my heat lamp, what are they good for if they cant provide basic functions anyway? So I just sit and wait, hoping I will be fed, I probably havent eaten in ages. What was that noise? Maybe my people are coming back? I speculate as I start to hear stirrings in the other room. Finally they appear, its about 9:00 am and I am freezing, I am sure they can tell because my beard is sufficiently black and I have flattened myself to a pancake in order to absorb all the heat out of my tiles. Yes, I love the heat, I can feel myself start to glow, I think after one of my people finally takes pity on me and moves me under my heat lamp, time to strut my stuff and put on a show. I puff a little bit to get attention and then once my people are watching I strike my best pose, I know what it takes to get a roach, and I LOVE ROACHES, but really Ill take anything (as long as its not a mouse, eew). They do not seem to be too impressed, so now I will just stare them down, I like to watch them eat. When they have finished eating they make me a salad and even though I (secretly) love greens and veggies, a. I prefer to be fed one piece at a time by hand, b. I want to eat all of the veggies/fruit before the greens, or c. I will refuse to eat in hopes of getting a roach, and today I think I am just going to turn my back on the salad while giving my people a sideways glare in hopes that they will realize I just want a roach. As I am feigning disdain for my salad my people are bustling about the place, they are probably going to leave me again, hopefully they come back; I would hate to starve to death. I am not going to fall for it this time, I think as they feign ignorance of my desire for a roach, I will not eat this salad. Well, they have left, they left me in charge again; they always leave me with the daunting task of watching over the place. Now I will wait in hopes they return.. Oh thank goodness they are back, I am nearly starved to death, I inwardly exclaim as my people greet me upon their long awaited arrival, its probably 4 or 5 pm. They seem rather excited, probably because they missed me and, if I do say so myself, I am doing a pretty good job of showing off. I have been basking all day so I am glowing like the sun, all it will take now is a striking pose with the right amount of eye contact.. VICTORY!, here comes a roach, maybe even two, I ruminate as I prepare to pounce. As my person tosses it in I attack, that roach didnt stand a chance, I reflect as I revel in my newest feat and romp about in hopes of flushing out a hidey roach. 5. Journal Entry: Day #7 Without Crickets Or Meal Worms Dear Diary, Its me again. Its been a while now and the people still refuse to give me any crickets or worms. I can see them, I can even imagine the taste, but all I keep getting every morning is kale. Kale, kale, kale, thats all they try to feed me. Sometimes they add some carrot to try to entice me but I just pick those out. Apparently they think I need more variety in my diet and now that I am an adult they said I needed more greens than bugs anyway. I wholeheartedly disagree, I just want the bugs, all the bugs. Hopefully I can hold out a little longer. Until next time, A Very Hungry Frankie 3 days later Dear Diary, I finally ate the greens, all of them, and they were delicious! I love them, I have been eating them for a few days now and feel better already. Maybe my people were right, I do need more variety in my diet and more greens than bugs. However, they (thankfully) have not cut all the bugs out! Every couple days now, along with my salad, I get to have a couple of crickets or a few meal worms. I can live with this kinda menu. I cant wait to see what they feed me tomorrow! Until next time, A Full & Happy Frankie 6. Poem: Ode To Crickets You enter my tank from way up above You hit the ground running and scatter However, I am waiting, you are the ball, my mouth the glove As I run around trying to catch you I make a clatter Sometimes you get sneaky, hiding in a crack So I sit and wait, watching for a single twitch You cant get past me, go ahead and try Before you know it you are in my belly, a perfect snack I could eat so many in my side Id get a stitch I think youre all gone but Ill still watch in case one snuck by 7. About The Author My name is Indica Feole, I am 21 years old, I am an education major at UNC Charlotte and will graduate in the Spring of 2015. I created this project to inform about Bearded Dragons and decided to make it from the point of view of my Bearded Dragon, Frankie, because I thought it would be more enjoyable and fun to read. My intended audience is my boyfriend, Jacob, he loves Frankie, and he is definitely her favorite person as well, she lights up (literally starts glowing) when he acknowledges her.