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Why does a bearded lizard "wave its paw" like a human?

Imagine you walk up to your terrarium and your lizard slowly raises its front paw and circles it in the air. It feels like it's waving at you like a good friend. And guess what? It's actually "communicating"—just not with you.

Bearded lizards, named for the skin "beard" under their chins, which they can puff up and darken when frightened, live in the deserts of Australia and have been popular pets for many years.

This strange gesture — a slow waving of the front paw — is called "arm waving" by scientists. The lizard stands on three paws, slowly raises one up and makes a smooth circle with it. This lasts 1-2 seconds.

Why? With this gesture, the lizard says to other bearded lizards: "I see you. I'm not a threat. I know you're the boss here." This is how small and young lizards show respect to the big ones. The female can also wave her paw at the male to say: "I accept you, don't fight." This is real language - without words, only with movement.

Besides paws, bearded lizards have other "words." A nod of the head is a sign of "I'm in charge here!" A dark beard means "don't come near!" A light pink beard means "I'm fine.".

If your bearded lizard is waving its paw at you, not figuratively - literally - it means that it has seen its reflection in the glass or perceives you as another large lizard. And it is politely saying: "I see you. I respect you.".

Isn't it amazing? A lizard can say hello better than some people.