Good news for those who have been following the tale of the Lynnwood teen and the bearded dragon (which can be viewed here): No one came forward to claim the exotic animal found recently at the Mountlake Terrace disc golf course, so she gets to keep him.

According to Jessica Briarmoon, her daughter Laurissa has been working extra hard to earn some money to give Varian – named in honor of an anime character — a good home.” The teen’s good fortune continued when she was able to acquire a tank for free at a local pet store because it had a crack on one side and was therefore considered unsellable.

“My husband used some clear silicone to seal the crack and make sure it won’t bust,” Jessica Briarmoon said. “It’s not perfect, but it’s nice and clear and a good size for Varian.” Her daughter added a heat lamp and other various items to make the tank into a cozy home environment for her new pet. “He’s a pretty calm, seemingly quite happy little guy,” Briarmoon added.

The family reported that Varian has been enjoying a variety of foods, including dandelion leaves, crickets and a special moist pellet food made for reptiles, which he is particularly fond of. Laurissa said it has been interesting for her to learn more about bearded dragons and that she was especially impressed “that their scales change color depending on how they are feeling.”

“It’s fun to have a friend to do things with,” said Laurissa, who is an only child. She noted the two even seem to have similar tastes in entertainment when hanging out together. “I think it’s fun when he listens to music with me and can tell he’s listening to the music and will bob his head. He likes to watch shows with me and will angle his head to check out what’s going on”.

The teen added that she feels very lucky to have found the bearded dragon, who likes a lot more hands-on care than she would have previously anticipated. “He loves attention,” she said. “He really likes cuddling and sleeping in my lap.”

— By Nathan Blackwell