Yes. Bearded dragons have ears with a great sense of hearing despite not having the pinna or auricle – the external protruding parts whose role is to collect sound.
Their ears appear like holes bearded dragon, and they are located slightly beyond and above the edge of their mouth. If you carefully observe it, you will notice a small film covering it, which is the tympanic member (eardrums).
1. How do they hear?
Besides not having the pinna, their ears work similarly like ours where sound gathered makes their tympanic membrane to vibrate and the vibration is picked by three tiny bones them it goes to the cochlea that is fluid-filled in their inner ear.
As the fluids move in the cochlea, the present hairs (cilia) move too, and the nerves at their base pick the movement and send a signal to the brain for interpretation.
2. Do they maintain balance?
Yes. Like in humans, they have fluid-filled semicircular canals with hairs. As these lizards move their head, these hairs get displaced and send a signal to the brain via the nerves at their roots for interpretation.
3. Should I clean them?
No. avoid cleaning their ears. Don’t even attempt to remove any dirt you may notice on their ears. In case of an ear infection, talk to your veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.