Frill-necked Lizard
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| Chlamydosaurus kingii Gray, 1827 |
Image:Chlamydosaurus kingii1.jpg
The Frill-necked Lizard, or Frilled Lizard also known as the Frilled Dragon, (Chlamydosaurus kingii) is so called because of the large ruff of skin which usually lies folded back against its head and neck. The frill is supported by long spines of cartilage, and when the lizard is frightened, it gapes its mouth showing a bright pink or yellow lining, and the frill flares out, displaying bright orange and red scales. The frill may also aid in thermoregulation.
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[edit] Characteristics
Frillnecks are usually grey, brown, or reddish-brown. They may grow up to one metre in total length. They often walk bipedally when on the ground. When frightened they begin to run on all-fours and then accelerate onto the hind-legs (Shine and Lambeck 1989). In Australia, the frill-necked lizard is also known as the "bicycle lizard" because of this behaviour. The lizard is found in southern New Guinea, the Kimberley and across northern Australia. It primarily inhabits savanna woodlands, but may also be found in tropical to warm temperate forests, and where there is an open scrub or tussock grass understorey. It is semi-arboreal, and hunts in the trees for small arthropods (including caterpillars and cicadas), and on the ground for ants and termites, spiders, or small vertebrates (e.g. other lizards).
The lizards are less active during the dry season (April-August) (Shine and Lambeck 1989).
Males are significantly larger than females both as juveniles and when mature (Harlow and Shine 1998). The "Frilled Lizard" mate in September. The female lays up to 23 eggs and the eggs hatch five months later.
The only reported predators are Morelia sp. (Bedford 1995).
[edit] Uses of the frill
It has been commonly believed that the frill of the lizard was used for courtship and self defence. Although this is true, the frill may also be used as a parachute to help the lizard land to safety after being cornered in a burning tree during a bushfire. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). The frill is also thought to aid in thermoregulation.
[edit] Breeding
During breeding season (early wet season, September-October), adult males fight for mates, displaying their frills and biting each other. One to two clutches of 4-23 eggs are laid in the early to mid-wet (November-February) in a nest 5-20 cm below ground, and usually in sunny areas (Shine and Lambeck 1989). Incubation takes two to three months. Sex is partly temperature determined, with extreme temperatures producing exclusively females, and intermediate temperatures (29-35C) producing equal numbers of males and females (Harlow and Shine 1998).
[edit] Olympics and Paralympics
A frill-necked lizard featured on the reverse of the Australian 2 cent coin, until 1991.
The 2 cent coin was withdrawn from circulation in 1992 — following which the 2 cent coins and 1 cent coins were melted down to make bronze medals for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.
A frill-necked lizard, named "Lizzie" was the mascot for the 2000 Paralympic Games.
[edit] In popular culture
- The frill-necked lizard is the fauna symbol used for the Australian wildlife television program called Totally Wild.
- In the film Jurassic Park, the dinosaur Dilophosaurus also has a neck frill on a larger scale, which is raised during attack, although there is no evidence that the real Dilophosaurus had this feature.
[edit] References
- Bedford, G. S. 1995. Anti-predator tactics from the Frilled Neck Lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii. Journal of the Victorian Herpetelogical Society 6(3): 120-130.
- Harlow, P. S. and R. Shine. 1998. Temperature dependent sex-determination in the frillneck lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii (Agamidae). Herpetologica 55(2): 205-212.
- Shine, R. and R. Lambeck. 1989. Ecology of frillneck lizards, Chlamydosaurus kingii (Agamidae) in tropical Australia. Australian Wildlife Research 16: 491-500.
- From The Centre: Kakadu. Australian Broadcasting Corporation 2002.de:Kragenechse
es:Clamydosaurus kingii nl:Kraaghagedis ja:エリマキトカゲ pl:Agama kołnierzasta ru:Плащеносная ящерица fi:Kauluslisko
