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Frilled Lizard
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- Order: Squamata (scaled reptiles)
- Suborder: Lacertilia (=Sauria) (lizards)
- Family: Agamidae (agamid lizards)
- Genus: Chlamydosaurus (frilled lizards)
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| Also known as: frilled
dragon, "frillie" |
Scientific Name: Chlamydosaurus
kingii Gray, 1825 |
| Habitat: Dry forests
and woodlands. Can be found basking and foraging on the
ground, but is also arboreal. |
Chlamy="outer garment (frill)," saurus="lizard,"
kingii in honor of King
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| Length: Large specimens
reported to 5 feet total. |
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| Food: Insects and
small vertebrates. |
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This is one of several frilled lizards I saw, both
alive and dead. Initially, the ones I saw were basking
either in the middle of, or alongside, paved roads. The
first one I saw was as I was driving north into the "Top
End" of Northern Territory. I didn't even recognize it
as a lizard; it just looked like a tree stump in the road, due to
the way they sit upright (like in the picture at right).
When my mind finally registered it as a lizard, I turned around
and backtracked to the spot, but several motorcycles had just
passed and scared it off into the woods. |
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| The DOR specimen I found was very
brightly colored, with orange on its chest and frill. The
living ones were fairly shy, although I've heard of them actually
chasing people. I followed one live lizard off the road and
watched it climb to the top of a small tree. It kept turning
to position itself on the opposite side of the tree from me; hence
I could not get very good pictures/video of it. |
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| The lizard pictured here was the
last one I saw on my trip. I found it around 0800 local time
on 06 April 2002 in Kakadu National Park, approximately 25
kilometers south of Jabiru. It sat still long enough for me
to turn around and drive back to it, and get out and take a little
video. When I got too close (about 5 feet away, picture
below), it turned and ran off on its hind legs into the brush. |
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| The road sign on this page is an
advisory to keep bush fires to a minimum! There were other
designs, but this was the only reptile-related one. |
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