Are you looking into bearded dragons and wondering which kind you may want to get?
Do you already have one, and now you’re wondering, “What kind of bearded dragon do I have?”
To figure out what kind of bearded dragon you have, you need to learn about the different species of bearded dragons, their morph variations, and the colors they can appear in. Even so, chances are you have a Central bearded dragon either in standard morph or hypomorph.
Continue reading for details on the different types of bearded dragons and the shared qualities of each type.
Table of Contents
Types Of Bearded Dragons
The different kinds of bearded dragons are broken into different categories.
The biggest category to split bearded dragons into is the different species.
The next category is the “morph” types.
Bearded Dragon Species
There are 8 or 9 different species of bearded dragons depending on whom you talk to.
One species may not be a true bearded dragon.
Let’s look at the eight accepted species of bearded dragons.
Pogona Barbata
This species is known as the Coastal or Eastern dragon.
They are most commonly found in eastern Australia but are also found more rarely in the central or southern regions.
The natural habitat for this species is dry and wooded.
They tend to climb more than other species and are known for being territorial.
This bearded dragon grows up to 24″ inches long.
Pogona Henrylawsoni
This species is commonly known as the Lawsons dragon.
It comes from the western and central regions near Queensland, Australia.
Like most bearded dragons, it prefers the hot, dry climate of the desert.
Though these bearded dragons only grow to about 12″ inches in length, they are more active climbers than other bearded dragons.
Pogona Microlepidota
This species is also known as the Drysdale river bearded dragon.
Unlike most bearded dragons, this one is found naturally on the coast and woodlands of North Kimberley, Australia.
This beardy is small; it only gets to 4″ – 6″ inches in length.
These bearded dragons are extremely rare, so the chances of this bearded dragon being the one you have are slim to none.
Pogona Minor Minor
This species’ nickname is the Dwarf bearded dragon.
These are pretty rare and prefer rocky, dry environments like those found in western and central Australia.
These grow out to 14″ – 18″ inches in length.
Pogona Minor Minima
Another small bearded dragon species, this beardy is known as the Western bearded dragon.
This kind is found rarely, but it prefers the dry woodlands of areas along the Houtman Abrolhos Islands.
It grows out to around 12″ inches in length.
Check out our post on why some bearded dragons are small to learn more about these species and other reasons why some of these lizards don’t grow as big as others.
Pogona Minor Mitchelli
Many call this species the Mitchells bearded dragon.
This rare reptile grows out to 18″ inches in length and prefers the semi-tropical woodlands and deserts of northwestern Australia.
This is another rare species to safely eliminate from what kind of bearded dragon you may have.
Pogona Nullarbor
This beardy is creatively (not) nicknamed the Nullarbor bearded dragon. These are native to southern Australia.
They prefer flat, brush environments and can grow around 14″ inches in length fully grown.
The rarity of this species makes it safe to eliminate from your list.
Pogona Vitticeps
Also known as the Central bearded dragon, Pogona Vitticeps is found in central Australia.
This bearded dragon thrives in dry environments such as brush fields, dry forests, and deserts.
This beardy grows to be around 24″ inches in length as an adult.
The Central bearded dragon is active during the day but has a calm, natural personality. It loves to climb and is very gentle.
This is a common option for a pet bearded dragon species.
If you enjoyed reading the above section check out our post on species of bearded dragons.
We've cut out all the confusion of owning bearded dragons in this easy-to-read ebook. It'll help you save money and ensure your pet lives its best life!
- Save Money
- Save Time
- Avoid Mistakes
- Longer Pet Lifespan
Bearded Dragon Morph Types
Inside the species of bearded dragons are different types of morphs.
“Morph” is a catch-all term for any variations in the color, size, or skin type of the bearded dragon from how it’s commonly found in the wild.
Here are the standard dragon morphs and a brief explanation of what the term means.
Hypo – Hypomelanistic bearded dragons have lighter colors in the scales, nails, and eyes.
Trans – Translucent bearded dragons have skin and scales which are slightly see-through. Often their eyes are solid black.
Hypo Trans – As the name may suggest, this type of bearded dragon has both a lighter coloration of the scales, nails, and eyes as well as translucent qualities to their skin.
This combination often creates a unique bearded dragon.
Het Hypo – This type of bearded dragon is primarily a quality just for breeders to be interested in.
In this kind of beardy, the hypo qualities are in the DNA of the reptile but not present visually.
Het Trans – As with the last type, the trans qualities are present in the genetics of the bearded dragon, but you won’t see them visually.
Double Het – As with the last two types, trans and hypo qualities are present in the breeding but not visually.
Trans Het Hypo – In this bearded dragon, translucent qualities are visual, but the hypo qualities are hidden although present in DNA.
Hypo Het Trans – This is the opposite of the previous type.
Hypo qualities are visible, but trans attributes are hidden in the genes.
German Giant Bearded Dragons – By selectively breeding larger bearded dragons, breeders can create beardies up to 50% larger than the standard bearded dragon.
These are often combined with attractive colors (from above).
Leatherback Bearded Dragons- Some bearded dragons have a mutated gene that prevents their scales from growing fully.
This gives them smoother skin and a unique look.
Silkback Bearded Dragon – By breeding two leatherback bearded dragons, a silkback dragon may be produced.
This type has little to no scales and utterly smooth skin.
Check out our silkback bearded dragon care guide to learn more about this one.
And if you want to see some cool morphs check out our post showing 13 bearded dragon morphs with pictures.
What Is The Most Common Bearded Dragon?
By far, the most common type of bearded dragon is the Pogona Vitticeps or Central bearded dragon.
Its calm nature, long lifespan, hardy health, and many of them available have made them the ideal choice for bearded dragon pets.
Other nicknames for this species include Inland bearded dragon and Yellow-headed bearded dragon.
Not only is this the most common bearded dragon, but the Pogona Vitticeps is the most common pet lizard in the entire pet industry.
Chances are, if you have a pet bearded dragon, you have the Central bearded dragon.
We've partnered with XYZ Reptiles to bring you an excellent selection of pet reptiles and the supplies you need to keep them healthy.
What Is A Hypo Bearded Dragon?
Many people often wonder what a hypo bearded dragon is precisely.
They are the most common type of morphed bearded dragon you may come across.
As we discussed above, “hypo” is short for hypomelanistic.
This means the bearded dragon is much lighter in color than the standard variant.
The scales, nails, and eyes are much lighter in the hypomorph than the “normal” bearded dragon.
Hypo bearded dragons are bred by breeding two bearded dragons which have hypo or het hypo genes.
Check out this breeding chart for how hypo beardies are bred.
| Normal | Hypo | Het-Hypo | |
| Normal | 100% Normal | 100% Het-Hypo | 50% Normal 50% Het-Hypo |
| Hypo | 100% Het-Hypo | 100% Hypo | 50% Hypo 50% Het-Hypo |
| Het-Hypo | 50% Normal 50% Het-Hypo | 50% Hypo 50% Het-Hypo | 50% Het-Hypo 25% Normal 25% Hypo |
If two hypo bearded dragons mate, there is a 100% chance the offspring will also be hypo.
This is the only way to guarantee a hypo offspring.
It is possible to produce a hypo if at least one of the beardies is a het-hypo, but this is much less likely.
But, a clutch of eggs comes in groups of around 20.
This means even if two het-hypo bearded dragons mate, it’s possible 10 of the beardies will be het-hypo, five will be normal, and five will be hypo bearded dragons.
Many people enjoy hypo bearded dragons because of their unique look, and they require slightly less UVB due to their coloration.
What Colors Can A Bearded Dragon Be?
Bearded dragons can come in various colors, although tan and brown are the most typical colors you see.
Selective breeding can result in different color palettes.
They turn red, yellow, or white through this process.
Specific red colors include:
- Red bearded dragon
- Bloody-red bearded dragon
- Ruby red bearded dragon
- Sandfire red bearded dragon
- Orange bearded dragon
- Citrus tiger bearded dragon
- Sunburst bearded dragon
- Tangerine bearded dragon
Specific yellow colors include:
- Gold bearded dragon
- Lemon fire bearded dragon
- Citrus bearded dragon
- Sandfire gold bearded dragon
- Yellow bearded dragon
Specific white colors include:
- Albino bearded dragon
- Snow bearded dragon
All morphs and color variant bearded dragons are called fancy bearded dragons.
Check out our article on what is a fancy bearded dragon for more info.
Conclusion
We hope you found this article helpful in figuring out what kind of bearded dragon you have.
Narrowing down your pet by species, morph, and then color can give you an exact match on what type you have.
Now you know what to look for when you get next beardy too!
