Altogether there are 8 species of bearded dragon.
However throughout history, when these reptiles were gradually discovered, much controversy and confusion arose.
As a result there are many different common names for some species of dragon and in some cases they may even have a variation to their scientific name as well.
To complicate matters further, some people only recognize 6 species and 2 subspecies.
Whilst I could go into more detail about the history of bearded dragon discovery, I thought I'd just bring the resulting confusion to your attention and move onto the important facts about each species.
Bearded dragons were named because of the beard that they display when they feel threatened.
The first species discovered was the eastern beardie (pogona barbata).
You may have noticed the scientific name for the eastern beardie is barbata.
Can you guess why? Well barbate comes from the word barber.
I think the scientist who made the discovery though it needed a shave! These lizards grow to just under two feet in length making it one of the biggest bearded dragons.
They can be found along the east coast of Australia in a variety of areas including open forest and dry scrublands.
Unfortunately these dragons are prone to harm from human contact as they love to bask on roads for warmth.
This can be quite dangerous! Now if you're looking for a dragon to keep, you're more than likely going to stumble across the inland bearded dragon (pogona vitticeps) as they are the most popular and readily available in the pet trade.
They're also known as the central bearded dragon because they live in the center of Australia.
These guys are also the largest of all bearded dragons, growing to two feet in length.
They live in desert areas, dry forests and scrublands.
The nullabor dragon (pogona nullabor), a type of beardie, is only found in Australia and therefore not available overseas.
They're a fairly small dragon, reaching only 8 - 10 inches in length and live quite obviously on the nullabor plain of south west Australia, hence the scientific name.
These beardies are unique because of the white bands that extend along their back.
The other species named after the small habitat in which it is found is the Drysdale River Bearded Dragon (pogona microlepidota).
The Drysdale River National Park is home to these spectacular lizards.
This is literally the only place they can be found as they're not available in any other counties.
So if you want to see these dragons you'll have to make a trip down under.
Lawson's Bearded Dragons are also members of the beardie clan and whilst they can be found overseas, they're diminishing in number as they are difficult to breed.
They grow to a length of 10 inches and can be found in the plains of central Australia, a habitat that is very hot and dry.
Now you would think that this next beardie would be the smallest of the lot, however funnily enough this is not the case.
The Dwarf Beardie (pogona minor) can be found on the east of Western Australia and inland regions of South Australia and the Northern Territory.
They grow to 8 - 10 inches and are similar in appearance to the Western Beardie.
This is one of the beardies that can be categorized as a subspecies of the Dwarf Bearded Dragon.
The Western Bearded Dragon (pogona minima) can be found overseas and grow to be 20 inches in length.
Called the western beardie because they're mostly found in south west Australia, inhabiting coastal dunes and dense forest.
The Mitchell's Dragon (pogona mitchelli) is native to northwest Australia in dry woodland, and desert areas.
They grow to be about 8 inches in length and can not be found overseas.
Therefore these fantastic dragons are not available in the pet trade.