The Frilled Lizard is a species of lizard that is native to much of the Northern parts of Australia. They can also be found in parts of New Guinea.
These lizards are sometimes referred to as Frilled Dragons, the Frilled-Necked Lizard or the Frilled Agama.
The Frilled Lizard is famous for the fold of skin on its neck that it raises when it feels threatened.
Frilled Lizard Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The Frilled Lizard belongs to the Agamidae family of lizards. These lizards are commonly called Agamids and are often referred to as ‘Dragons’.
The Agamid family is a very large family of lizards with over 300 recognised species. They are native to Africa, Asia and Australia while a few species can also be found in Southern Europe.
Agamids are part of the infraorder Iguania which contains other popular families of lizards including Iguanas, Chameleons and Anoles.
The species in this family often have a somewhat similar appearance to iguanas and usually have strong powerful legs.
They also often share characteristics with chameleons such as the ability to slightly change color to regulate their body temperature.
Genus
The genus that the Frilled Lizard belongs to is called Chlamydosaurus. This genus was created for the Frilled Dragon and no other species are recognised.
The name Chlamydosaurus is derived from two Ancient Greek words which translate into ‘Cloaked Lizard’, in reference to the fold of skin on the lizards neck.
Species
The Scientific name for the Frilled Lizard is Chlamydosaurus kingii and there are currently no recognised sub-species.
This species was first described in 1825 by a British zoologist named John Edward Gray.
Frilled Lizard Description
The Frilled Lizard can grow to around 3 feet in length. However, the tail makes up a large portion of this length.
They are a relatively strong bodied lizard with long limbs and a relatively long tail.
They typically have a grey-brown base color while their tail is striped with dark grey bands.
This dark grey coloration often extends up onto the lizards back, creating a pattern that can extend down the side of the lizard towards its belly.
The most distinguishable feature of the Frilled Lizard is the fold of skin around the lizard’s neck that it raises when it feels threatened.
When this ‘frill’ is fully extended, it can have a diameter of up to 12 inches in large adults. This makes the lizard appear larger and more intimidating to potential threats.
When the frill isn’t extended, it lies flat against the neck and over the shoulders of the lizard, almost like a cape.
The Frilled Lizard is a sexually dimorphic species with males being larger and much heavier than females.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Frilled Lizard is native to much of the Northern parts of Australia. However, their distribution doesn’t extend too far inland where the conditions become too arid.
They can be found right across the Northern Coast of Australia with their range extending from Western Australia, right across to Queensland.
In Western Australia, the Frilled Lizard can be found in the Kimberley region in places such as Broome and Fitzroy Crossing.
They can also be found in the Northern Territory where much of the population can be found from Darwin to the Kakadu National Park.
They can also be found all along the Coast of Queensland, where they can be found as far South as Brisbane.
The Frilled Lizard likes to lives in sub-humid to semi-arid habitats such as grassy areas, woodlands and dry forests.
This is an arboreal species of lizard that will spend most of its time resting on the trunks of trees or among the limbs and branches of trees.
They are very well camouflaged and very difficult to spot as they blend into the background of the canopy.
Frilled Lizard Behaviour
The Frilled Lizard is a diurnal species meaning it is mostly active during the hours of daylight and sleeps during the night.
They are an arboreal species and will spend most of their time resting on tree trunks and low-lying branches.
They are very much a seasonal animal and will drastically change their behaviour throughout the year.
They become far less active during the dry season and will spend most of their time perched in the canopies of large trees.
They are known for their ability to rise up and run on their back legs. They usually do this when they get startled or feel threatened.
They will run on their back legs to the nearest tree which they will then climb to safety, although they sometimes hide beneath low-lying vegetation.
Another technique used by the Frilled Lizard is to remain motionless. If this doesn’t work, it will turn and face the threat.
The lizard will then extend out the fold of skin on its neck and open its mouth. This is what these lizards are most famous for.
This is usually accompanied by hissing while the lizard stands on its back legs. This display is often enough to scare off a potential threat.
Frilled Lizard Diet
The diet of a Frilled Lizard primarily consists of a variety of different insects but they are also known to eat other prey.
They are an arboreal species spending the vast majority of their time in trees. However, they will descend to the ground to feed.
While the majority of their diet consists of insects and other small invertebrates, they will consume the occasional small mammal.
Reproduction
The Frilled Lizard is an oviparous species meaning that the females lay a clutch of eggs as opposed to giving live birth.
The mating season for these lizards is dictated by the wet season and typically begins in October or November and lasts until February or March.
The males can become very territorial during the mating season and seem to use their frill as a display to try and attract a potential mate.
The females lay their eggs during the wet season after they have mated with a male. It then takes around 70 days for the eggs to hatch.
The eggs are usually laid in sandy soil that is surrounded by grasses and leaf litter. However, the eggs themselves usually aren’t covered.
The Frilled Lizard can have a clutch size that ranges anywhere from 4-13 eggs. However, a typical clutch size is about 8 eggs.