Bearded dragons are not really dragons, but they are pretty close. They are lizards from the deserts of Australia, and they got their name from the pouch of spiky scales under their chins. When a bearded dragon feels threatened, it puffs out this pouch like a beard, opens its mouth wide, and turns its skin dark to look as scary as possible.
They are about two feet long, including the tail, and they spend most of their day basking on rocks. They are calm and friendly when handled, which is why they are one of the most popular pet reptiles in the world. They are also unusually social for lizards.
One of their strangest behaviors is “arm waving.” A bearded dragon will slowly raise one front leg and rotate it in a wide circle, almost like a person waving. Scientists think it is a way of telling other bearded dragons “I see you, I am not a threat.” It works between male and female dragons and between bigger and smaller ones.
