30 Bearded Dragon Facts (Must-Read for Reptile Enthusiasts!)

Bearded dragons are one of the most popular pet reptiles!

They are straightforward to look after and have interactive personalities.

Bearded dragons are well known for their interesting behavior, such as head bobbing and their famous arm wave.

We’ve listed some of the most impressive bearded dragon facts below.

There are also answers to more basic questions such as ‘Where are bearded dragons from?’.

In This Article

In Short

In this article, you’ll find answers to common questions about bearded dragons and also learn even more about these interesting lizards, such as:

In the wild, the central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) lives in inland and eastern Australia.

Nowadays, many bearded dragons live in domestic settings due to the pet trade.

The bearded dragon lives in a variety of habitats down under!

A bearded dragon’s habitat includes:

A bearded dragon’s skin is different depending on the appearance of their home.

Scientists have discovered that bearded dragons have the ability to change color to match their habitat.

Bearded dragons are semi-arboreal and love to climb trees!

The gender of exotic pets can be difficult to work out.

Here we have listed some key differences between female and male bearded dragons for recognition at home and in the wild:

Behavior – The ‘head bob’ is behavior more often found between two competing males. The ‘arm wave‘ is more frequently displayed by female animals.
Use of scales – Males use their spiny scales to show they are ready for mating; females use them when they are scared.
Femoral pores – Femoral pores are more prominent in male individuals.
Digging activity – Males dig holes for ‘brumation‘. Females dig holes to lay their eggs.
Tail morphology – Male bearded dragons have a thicker tail than females.
Hemipenal lumps – When shining a light through their tail, you can see two ‘hemipenal’ lumps in male animals and one lump in females.
Head morphology – Females have a smaller beard than males.

Here we have listed facts for those new to the world of beardies:

1.	Their size ranges between 18 to 22 inches.
2.	Their average weight is between 10 and 18 ounces.
3.	Bearded dragons live between 4 and 10 years of age.
4.	Like other lizards, bearded dragons do not like cold weather.
5.	Like other lizards, bearded dragons use their short tongue to catch prey.
6.	A slow bob signifies submission, and a fast head bob shows dominance.
7.	The most common species for pet owners is the central bearded dragon.
8.	They are omnivores, meaning they consume both plants and meat (small rodents) as food.
9.	Bearded dragons are ‘diurnal,’ meaning that they’re active in the day and at night.
10.	When a dominant dragon male is ready to mate, his beard becomes black. This color change is where the name ‘bearded dragon’ comes from!

Potential pet owners can read facts that are especially important if you’re thinking of getting a bearded dragon:

11.	These lizards communicate via body language.
12.	When brumating, bearded dragons may only drink water sporadically and stop eating altogether.
13.	Male bearded dragons can be aggressive towards other males, so it is best to keep them apart.
14.	If bearded dragons feel threatened, their defense mechanism is to make themselves look larger by inflating their beard to display dominance.
15.	These cold-blooded animals must be allowed to exhibit a specific behavior called basking. Basking enables bearded dragons to maintain an optimum body temperature.

Here are some dragon facts to make you laugh:

16.	Beardies love carrots!
17.	A bearded dragon can run using only two legs.
18.	Bearded dragons can recognize humans and wave to them.
19.	A bearded dragon will lie wherever it can to absorb more UV rays – even on top of each other!

Here we have compiled some especially intriguing facts:

20.	A bearded dragon can move in water in a swimming motion.
21.	Don’t be mistaken by their slow bob. Bearded dragons can travel at speeds up to 9 mph!
22.	A high incubation temperature of male chromosomes results in the development of female baby bearded dragons.
23.	After the mating season, a female dragon can store sperm from a male to use when needed in future breeding seasons.
24.	When bearded dragons lose any front teeth, they can regrow them within their strong jaws. The rest of their teeth, besides the front teeth, are permanent.
25.	It is possible to tell the mood of a bearded dragon looking at its spiny scales. If they are calm, the scales will lay flat, whereas if they are stressed, they become rigid.

Some unexpected facts about these popular lizards:

26.	Their scales puff out when they are feeling stressed.
27.	A dragon puffing out its scales can be backed up by a hiss or bite.
28.	They can change skin color within their lifetime after each shedding.
29.	Signs of a dragon feeling vulnerable include head bobbing, hissing, and biting.
30.	A dragon can sleep just on two legs (hind legs). Bearded dragons can lock their hind legs to enable them to sleep standing up.