There are eight bearded dragon species that live in the wild. Most popular is Pogona Vitticeps, and only four of the eight species are kept as pets.
Each type of Bearded Dragon comes native to Australia however, they differ in appearance.
The most commonly used shades are yellow, tan and olive-green. Red is also a popular color.
Herpetologists are able to mate bearded dragons to create different designs and hues. There are more than twenty morphs.
If you’re thinking of buying a pet and you want to know which colours are offered, continue going…
Different types of Bearded Dragons
There are eight bearded dragons which all belong to the Pogona family (i.e. genus).
Each of them is different in terms of size They also have distinctive colors and have their own unique set of behavior:
- Pogona barbata
- Pogona Henrylawsoni
- Pogona microlepidota
- Pogona minor minor
- Pogona minor minima
- Pogona minor mitchelli
- Pogona nullarbor
- Pogona vitticeps
Each species comes from the same habitat which means that each species is unique in its behaviours. One good example is Pogona barbata. It is the only species of its kind found in the eastern region of Australia and are more robust climbers due to the densely wooded regions found in this area.
The most popular breed of pet is Pogona vitticeps.
This species is superior to others species of bearded dragons because of their calm and docile nature.
Every kind of bearded dragon comes from Australia however they are found in different regions on the Island. The place they reside on the island determines their habitat preference.
| Species | Adult Size | Color | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pogona barbata | 24 inches | Red or gray | Eastern Australia |
| Pogona Henry Lawsoni | 12 inches | Tan or yellow | Western as well as Central Australia |
| Pogona microlepidota | From 4 to 6 inches | Tan or red | Northern Australia |
| Pogona minor minor | 14-18 inches | Brown or Tan | Western as well as Central Australia |
| Pogona minor minima | 12 inches | Brown or Tan | Houtman Abrolhos Islands |
| Pogona minor mitchelli | 18 inches | Tan or red | Northwestern Australia |
| Pogona nullarbor | 14 inches | Brown or tan | Southern Australia |
| Pogona vitticeps | 24 inches | Red or yellow | Central Australia |
Bearded Dragon Morphs
The Morphs belong to Bearded Dragons that have been selectively breeding to produce particular colors, looks or pattern, or a combination of all three. The breeding of Morphs is widespread among reptiles of all kinds.
The patterns, colors and scalation don’t all go to one gene, they are result of a range of genes interfering.
Genes are comprised of the DNA of an organism, which includes instructions for growth. Genes are the ones that create the characteristics. In the case of a bearded dragon’s morph, these traits comprise the species’ size as well as color and behaviour.
Many desirable traits are recessive, making them difficult to reproduce.
Certain varieties require breeding over many generations to produce unique colors or patterns. There are three major kinds of morphs:
- Scalation
- Pattern
- Color
The effort required to produce the desired color usually correlates with the cost – you will find an estimate of price below.
Bearded Dragon Colors A-Z List
The ability to predict the Bearded Dragon’s markings and color can be difficult.
Apart from the genetics of the animal, environmental conditions influence their color – especially in the case of black morphs.
They change their colors to blend better with their surroundings and regulate their temperature. Beardies can also sport the appearance of a black beard whenever they feel threatened.
| Sort | Color | Appearance | Prices ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Albino | Eyes that are red and white skin | |
| 5 | Black | Darker skin tone or black spots as a result of environmental conditions | |
| 2 | Blue | Translucent | $300-$400 |
| 4 | Citrus | Yellow with darker red stripes | From $100 to $200 |
| 11 | Citrus Tiger | More distinct orange stripes as opposed to a citrus | Between $100 and $200 |
| 16 | Green | Green and olive together with the traditional yellows | Between $200 and $300 |
| 20 | Lemon Fire | Bright and vibrant yellow | Between $200 and $300 |
| 10 | Orange | Different shades of orange, including burnt brown shades | Between $100 and $200 |
| 7 | Purple | The purple tint is translucent and the blue tint | $300-$400 |
| 1 | Red | Different shades of red, including brown shades as well as more vibrant, brighter shades | Between $50 and $150 |
| 19 | Ruby Red | Deep dark red | Between $200 and $300 |
| 13 | Sandfire | Tan or red, with various bands and stripes | From $100 to $200 |
| 17 | Sandfire Red | Red with yellow highlights and orange | Between $100 and $200 |
| 8 | Silkie | There are no spikes or scales | From $100 to $200 |
| 15 | Snow | White and completely clean with no marks | From $200 to $400 |
| 12 | Sunburst | The color is yellow, with highlights of orange. | Between $100 and $200 |
| 18 | Tangerine | The distinctive orange is accompanied by some yellow highlights | From $200 to $300 |
| 14 | Translucent | A light white to yellow, with an unmistakably blue stomach | $300-$400 |
| 3 | White | White, with occasional spots of color | $300-$400 |
| 9 | Yellow | Different shades of yellow, including Tan | Between $100 and $200 |
Red Bearded Dragon Morphs
Certain wild species show highlights and specks of red. The majority of completely red species can be morphs that were created in captive. These species were first introduced shortly after Beardies began to enter the reptile business in the 1990s.
They are available in a wide range of colors of red. Some are darker and have brown tones of red while others are vibrant red.
There are also ruby-red bearded dragons which are significantly darker and deeper red.
The ruby and red morphs are extremely desired and costly when compared with other morphs listed in this list.
Translucent Bearded Dragon
The breed that is translucent is named after its transparent scales and spikes. It also has lighter colors in comparison to other breeds on this list.
They also have dark, dark eyes. This is an unusual characteristic. Their eyes usually change between being black and yellow at least a few times during their lives.
The babies with a transparent appearance have blue, clear stomach. Their blue color normally disappears after a couple of months as they develop.
Bearded dragons of purple and blue are rare and only occur when this transparent species is able to keep their color throughout adulthood.
White Bearded Dragon
The snow-bearded dragon is rare white transforms with no pattern or color and may cost as much as $400.
The color of the white bearded dragon changes with the temperature:
- They appear gray in colder climates.
- They’re white in hotter climates.
White forms (pictured below) result from the breeding of a snow and an white beardie ( a patternless morph).
They have a similar appearance to snow-like species, but are smaller in the dark spots.
Black Bearded Dragon Morphs
Certain bears naturally have more color in their skin , and appear more dark in appearance. Yet, completely black bearded dragons are not common.
The species may appear black due to their habitat or aggression.
Reptiles have ectotherms and therefore need to control their body temperatures in relation to the surrounding environment. If they’re too cold, they will change color and become darker to take in more heat.
Some may dye their beards to black when they’re sick stressed, anxious, or at risk.
Albino Bearded Dragon
A reptile that is albino can be described as one which is not producing melanin, and also has eyes with red.
Albinos are able being born natural. However, they do not survive beyond the age of a few weeks because they are unable to absorb UVB radiation and effectively process calcium.
Many breeders that advertise albino morphs available for sale aren’t true. They actually are the leucistic (pictured above) snow bearded or white bearded dragons.
Yellow Bearded Dragon Morphs
In addition to the typical yellow color, there are four additional yellow variations. In terms of the amount, yellow as well as the patterns that go with it are different for each species:
- Citrus.
- Green.
- Lemon Fire.
- Sandfire Gold.
The species of citrus have the most well-known yellow species and feature darker red-orange stripes running down the middle of their backs and along their sides of their bodies. Between the vertical stripes of orange, they have horizontal gray-blue marks.
As the hatchlings develop, citrus morphs appear green or olive in color.
Some hatchlings of citrus retain their green color throughout their the adulthood stage and are referred to as Green Bearded Dragons.
The lemon fire bearded dragons are not as well-known as the citrus species. They are extremely bright and vibrant yellow color that’s unlike any other form of. Gold bears with Sandfire appear tan with stripes on their bodies.
Orange Bearded Dragon
The bearded dragons of red and yellow Morphs are crossed to create orange morphs.
These are among the most brilliant as well as most striking morphs found in captivity.
The four most commonly used orange varieties are:
- Orange.
- Tangerine.
- Sandfire.
- Sunburst.
The orange beardies have a solid color, and do not have the vibrant colors that are found in these morphs: Tangerine, Sandfire and Sunburst morphs. Tangerine morphs sport a distinctive orange body that is bright that has yellow accents. Some of them have an orange-yellow appearance.
Sandfire red morphs feature red bodies with highlights of orange and yellow.
Leatherback Bearded Dragon
Super Red Leatherback
Leatherbacks are the perfect illustration of scalation transformations.
The size, amount and location of a bearded dragon’s horns and spikes are subject to a wide range of variations.
There are many scalation variations which are developed by enthusiasts. The most popular being the Leatherback, Silkie, Microscale and Dunner.
Smooth scales are characteristic of leatherbacks. They are breed by heterozygous genes. They do not have spikes on their backs or the limbs. The only spikes they’ve got are on both sides of their bodies.
Silkies are a different type of scalation-related morph that has been bred from homozygous recessive gene.
They’re unique to any other morph since they completely do not have scales or spikes that are found on any other species of bearded dragons.
The name comes because of their vividly colored silky smooth skin. Breeders say this morph is among the hardest to manage in captivity due to due to the inability to scale. They also struggle with regulating UV rays due their unique skin. There is a push to eliminate silkies from the market since they are struggling in captive.
A microscale beardie can be described as a third of the morphs that are scalation.
Microscales have spikes only on their heads and beards. The spikes are smaller than normal bearded dragon’s spikes. They are extremely rare and costly.
In addition, Dunner bearded dragons have scales that face towards the sides instead of moving across the entire body. Dunners also feature horizontal bands of colors, instead of the usual horizontal bands. In addition to being an scalation morph, this Dunner is also an a pattern morph.
Paradox Bearded Dragon
A common bearded dragon features bands of colors on their tail and back.
But the Paradox form is bred to produce its distinctive pattern. They are Tiger Stripe along with Witblit are being selectively bred to produce their distinctive patterns:
- Paradox’s patterns are totally distinctive and consist of a variety of different colored patches.
- Tiger stripes feature dark horizontal gray stripes and horizontal orange on their backs.
- Witblits are bred as they do not have stripes or bands.
Reptile lovers are awestruck by pattern morphs due to their unique and distinctive appearance.
Summary
It is believed that there are eight types of dragons with bearded faces within the Pogona family.
The Pogona Vitticeps is among the most loved reptiles to keep as pets because of its peaceful and gentle nature.
Bearded dragon morphs have carefully bred over the past two decades, with new patterns, colors, and scalations emerging each year.
There are more than 20 different morphs available in captivity.
Unfortunately, some species (e.g. Albino or Silkies) have many health problems and it is essential to conduct your own research prior to purchasing any of the rarer species.
Tell us about your most preferred morphs in the comments section below.
