Towards the beginning of the year, CHS obtained a new member of its clan that is still continuing to entertain the student body – Pete the bearded dragon! Discovered by Principal David Yaffie on his driveway, Pete seemed lost and without an owner, so Yaffie brought him to Clements and he has made a wonderful addition to the school.

“In all honesty, Pete found it difficult adjusting to a new place and wasn’t thrilled about being moved,” said Lindsay Brewer-Munoz, the new librarian, “but the students and faculty made him feel at home.”

Right off the bat, students showed interest in getting to spend time him.  

In order to ensure the best care possible for Pete, Brewer-Munoz, began research on bearded dragons since the day he came in; apparently, they’re a hard pet to please. Pete prefers a warmer climate so his tank has a light above it set at 185 degrees Fahrenheit so that heats the inside of his tank to around 105 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, he often experiences mood swings so he can only expect visitors on certain days; however, students are welcome to observe him throughout the day. In fact, there is now a section set aside in the library for students to ‘sit with Pete’ and enjoy their lunch! Pete loves meal pellets and on special days, he’s treated with worms, which Ms. Brewer-Munoz says is the equivalent of our donuts.

Pete experienced trouble answering some questions, so after talking to Ms. Brewer-Munoz, the discovery of an extremely interesting fact about Pete came about (or who may now be called, Patricia). After all that research, she said that she began to notice something different about the anatomy of Pete and what scientific sources said to be the anatomy of a male bearded dragon.

“At the underbelly of the dragon, there are bumps. Pete has one bump which equals female – if he, well now ‘she’, had two bumps, it would be a male,”  Brewer-Munoz explained.

UPDATE:  So how about that – Pete is now Patricia!. It is shocking to think this went unnoticed for some time, but thankfully now the librarian knows and can cater ‘Patricia’s’ care accordingly.

Bottom line, the new school pet – female or male – is a remarkable species and can be viewed any time the library is open.