Bearded dragons are lizards of the genus
Pogona from the
subfamily Agaminae of the family
Agamidae.
These large, omnivorous lizards are native to Australia, and are very popular amongst amateur herpetologists and herptile keepers.
Despite the fact that there are at least nine species of Pogona, only two are regularly found in the herp trade: P. vitticeps and (less frequently) P. henrylawsoni. The other species are rarely, if ever, available due to Australia's strict protectionist policies vis-a-vis their fauna and flora.
The reason the common name of these animals is "bearded dragons" is that the males have very developed sub-mandibular scales. When excited or angered, the males puff out the skin under their jaws, and due to these scales look as if they had very long Amish-style beards.
They also make the cutest huff-huff sounds when they're angry...