Frilled lizard
The frilled lizard, (Chlamydosaurus kingii), a reptile found in Australia and New Guinea, can run standing on its hind legs with its front legs and tail raised in the air. The scales around the neck are used as an important part of the lizard’s defensive posture. Usually, the dewlap, often as wide as a lizard, lies like a cape over the shoulders. When the lizard is excited or threatened, it can raise its frill perpendicular to its body, allowing it to surprise its predators by suddenly revealing a head many times its normal size.
Chlamydosaurus kingii averaged 85 cm (33 inches) in length and spent most of its time in trees eating insects and small mammals.
Types Of
While the frilled lizard is the only one of its kind in the genus Chlamydosaurus, there are 420 species in the same family (Agamidae) as the frilled lizard, also sometimes known as the family of chisel-toothed lizards. The frilled lizard is the only one of its kind that has this distinctive frill. Here are a few members of the Agamidae family:
- Australian Water Dragon (Intelligama lesueurii)
- Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)
- Thorny Devil (Moloch horridus)
- Red-headed Rock Agama (Agama agama)
- Philippine Sailfin Lizard (Hyrosaurus pustulatus)
Appearance And Behavior
Frilled lizards have gray-brown scales and are usually about 3 feet long. Although its size is quite large, it weighs just over a pound. Line up two and a half bowling pins and you’re looking at the length of a three-foot frilled lizard. A fried lizard weighing a little more than a pound is about the same weight as a can of soup.
This reptile has a long tail and claws designed to cling to tree trunks and climb quickly. This lizard’s gray-brown scales help it camouflage in trees.
Frilled dragons are solitary and are almost always alone except during the breeding season.
Fried Lizard Neck Frill
This lizard gets its name from the fold of skin, also known as the frill, that surrounds its throat. Mostly, this fold of skin lies flat like a superhero cape on a lizard’s body. However, when this reptile is threatened by a predator, it will raise its neck, open its mouth and hiss. This makes the lizard look larger and more threatening. In short, the animal does this on purpose to frighten the predator. Its neck frill is about 12 inches in diameter. Although frilled lizards may look scary, they are generally not dangerous and prefer to run away from threats rather than bite.
Raising the neck frill often confuses the predator long enough for the lizard to start running on its hind legs toward the tree. It makes sense. A confused predator will most likely let a frilled lizard escape! By the way, the awkward way this reptile runs is an amazing sight.
Habitat
Fried lizards live in northern Australia and New Guinea. This reptile lives in warm environments. Its habitat includes forest savannas as well as temperate and tropical forests.
These reptiles spend most of their time in trees. Their dull, gray-brown skin helps them blend in with tree trunks and branches. The scales on this lizard’s dewlap help prevent moisture loss in its warm environment. Stag dragons are very agile and can move up and around tree trunks at a rapid pace.
These lizards do not migrate. They are more active during the rainy season (October to April) than during the dry season. Although they do not hibernate as traditionally, they reduce running and other activities and eat less during the dry season.
Diet
These lizards are carnivores that feed on the most abundant food sources in their tropical habitat.
What do fried lizards eat?
Birds of prey such as eagles, owls and hawks, snakes, dingoes, larger lizards and wild cats are the predators of these lizards.
What do fried lizards eat?
Insects play an important role in the diet of frilled lizards, also known as frilled lizards. Cicadas, spiders, beetles, ants, termites, moths and butterflies are all on the menu. These reptiles also eat small mammals such as mice and rats. They are also known to eat smaller lizards as well.
When hunting, dragons wait near mouse holes or near dry tree stumps where termites live. Then, when the animal appeared, the lizard grabbed it and refused to let go. These lizards hunt at dawn and dusk.
These reptiles are known to consume hundreds of thousands of termites in one sitting, then not eat again for months. A termite colony can contain up to 1 million termites and weigh up to 1,000 pounds. Imagine a grand piano and you’re imagining something that weighs 1,000 pounds.
Predators And Threats
The breeding season of this lizard lasts from September to October. Male lizards compete for females by fighting and showing off their neck frills. Additionally, males shake their heads up and down to attract the female’s attention. Female lizards lay eggs between November and February. Eggs are laid 1 to 8 inches below ground. These lizards often choose to dig holes in sunny places so that the sunlight can bring warmth to their eggs. A female lays 8 to 14 soft-shelled eggs in a clutch. Incubation time is from 2 to 3 months. Each egg is less than an ounce in size. Some females lay two clutches of eggs per season.
Baby lizards can survive without any care from their parents after they hatch. Each baby is as long as an adult’s little finger! And yes, baby lizards have full access to their neck frills. They can eat small insects including ants and termites. Typically, a lizard will stay with its siblings for about 10 days before leaving to establish its own life.
The lifespan of this lizard can be up to 20 years! In fact, a 20-year-old frilled lizard living in captivity holds the record for being the oldest lizard of its species.
These lizards can become sick due to vitamin D and calcium deficiency. This causes lethargy and lack of appetite. Fried lizards need a certain amount of ultraviolet light every day to receive vitamin D and absorb calcium to keep them in good health.
In Culture
A frilled neck lizard was featured on the reverse side of the Australian 2-cent coin until the early 90s. A frill-necked lizard named “Lizzie” was the mascot for the 2000 summer Paralympic games. Additionally, an anthropomorphic version of “Lizzie” reappeared as the mascot for the Australian team of the 2020 Paralympic games. The lizard features on the emblem of the Northern Australian regiment.
So, the frilled lizard has been seen throughout different countries and continues to be a part of Australian culture.
