Mid-sized stocky agamid with prominent spines along its sides and a large, essentially triangular shaped head. Forming a sort of shield around the snout is a jaw pouch which, when swollen, looks like a beard. This wide ranging species has considerable geographic variation; its ground color varies from shades of brown, gray, and reddish-brown to bright orange. Coloration of the ventral surface ranges from pale to dark gray with white elongated spots edged laterally with black. Mature males have dark beards which become black at time of courtship and breeding. Adults can grow as large as ten inches in body length, two feet in total length. Males are larger than females.