Lizzie’s Retirement Announcement

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We are pleased, and a little bit saddened to pass on the news that after years of loyal service, Lizzie, ACES’ bearded dragon, decided to hand in her two weeks notice and retire to a comfortable Aspen apartment at the end of March.  As one of Hallam Lake’s most beloved indoor animals she has educated and entertained thousands of visitors, campers and school children during her tenure. 

She took great pains in personally training her replacement, Spike (native of Glenwood Springs), for all of the difficult tasks he has been assigned such as sitting on hands, sitting on rocks, being petted, sunbathing, taking baths, and eating in front of visitors.  She believes he is more than up for the task.  
 

 

Lizzie plans on spending her retirement doing things she enjoys like basking on her heated rock, eating mealworms, and taking long baths.  Moreover, she will be fulfilling a lifelong dream of going on a spring roadtrip with her life partner, local gnome Zelfin Lookingglass on a roadtrip in a 1994 Toyota Previa to see the Great Plains of the Great State of Kansas where the seemingly endless land and sky compete for one’s admiration. 
 

Bearded Dragon Facts:

• Bearded dragons are named after the pouches of skin under their chins that they can inflate and change color to attract mates, intimidate rivals, or threaten predators.

• They can change their color to increase or decrease the amount of heat they absorb from the sun.  If they are warm, they become lighter to reflect solar energy.  If cold, they can turn nearly black to increase heat absorption.

• Bearded dragons are native to Australia.  They are a very adaptable species that can survive in woodlands, shrublands, grasslands, or deserts where they eat insects, fruits, and other plant matter.

• Some populations use their claws to live arboreally in trees, while others use them to excavate burrows and live underground.

• Their adaptability and ease of keeping has made them the most popular reptile pet in the world.  They are bred in captivity.  Prospective pet owners should know that they can live 15 or more years with proper care.  All of ACES’ indoor animals are surrendered pets.
   

– Grayson Bauer, Hallam Lake Site Coordinator