Based on the size of these bones, Barbaturex morrisoni is estimated to have been about 1 metre (3.3 ft) from snout to vent,[1] and possibly up to 6 feet (1.8 m) including the tail.

[3] The genus's name is a portmanteau of the Latin words Barbatus and rex, meaning "bearded king", in reference to ridges along the mandible and the lizard's large size.

It is thought to have been herbivorous, living within a typical Eocene fauna composed of hyaenodonts, basal primates, various artiodactyls and soft-shelled turtles.

A phylogenetic analysis published with its initial description placed Barbaturex as the sister taxon or closest relative of the group Uromasticinae, which includes the living Uromastyx, a genus of short-skulled herbivorous agamid lizards.

Below is a cladogram showing the relationship of Barbaturex to other members of Acrodonta:[1] Leiolepis †Barbaturex Uromasticinae Chamaeleonidae Hydrosaurus Physignathus Amphibolurinae Agaminae Draconinae