FRILLED NECK LIZARDS – Erakina

The largest reptile species in the dragon family of lizards which are native to Australia.

These lizards have folds near the neck and shoulders which cover near its throat and are large, extensive that rise abruptly. 

Scientific Classification

Kingdom              Animalia

Phylum                 Chordata

Class                     Reptilia

Order                    Squamata

Family                  Agamidae

Genus                   Chlamydosaurus

Species                 kingii

The frilled lizard, also known as the frilled neck lizard, frilled dragon, or dragon lizard, is a distinctive reptile with a frill around its neck. Even though they are only found in Australia and New Guinea’s arid woods, they are well-known around the world for their unusual defense method when threatened, the lizard expands its scarlet frill, opens its jaws wide, and hisses angrily. The unusual frill around its neck is formed out of cartilage spines. The spines of the frill neck are attached to the jaw bone. It extends its jaw and erects the spines that support the flap of skin around its neck to expand the frill.

These are in red, yellow, orange color with distinct black spots. The furious aggressive show, if timed perfectly, can intimidate even the largest land creatures, although the cold-blooded frilled-neck lizard is not at all hazardous. The entire outburst of aggression is merely a ruse to fool the enemy. They can run fast with a two-legged sprint. They keep their tail upwards to maintain balance while running. These are arboreals that prefer dry habitat, dense trees, and less rainfall. Woodland trees provide camouflage property.

The frilled lizard spends the majority of the day atop a tree’s bark, surveying the ground for prey. When the lizard spots a prey item, it crawls down and rushes on its hind legs to catch it before it escapes. Its food consists primarily of small insects, spiders, and small lizards because it lacks the venom or muscle required to take down larger animals. Although a frilled neck lizard bite can cause painful wounds, it is seldom lethal. The lesser lizard retreats at the end of the conflict, and the stronger lizard wins the territory, leaving no one hurt. because they cannot risk being hurt in territorial clashes, the frilled necks engage in safe combat. In the Australian forests, a wounded lizard can quickly fall prey or die of starvation in a couple of days because of the harsh nature of its environment.

A frilled lizard reaches sexual maturity at the age of 18-20 months, these prefer Polygynous mating which occurs when an adult male mates with a large number of females in a single mating season. They can mate numerous times per year. 

Frilled lizards mate in the early wet season in Australia and New Guinea, which is September to November. They must compete with many competitor males during mating season to mate with as many females as possible.

Males are born at higher temperatures, and female hatchlings are found in colder burrows. Despite being entirely independent, hatchlings stick together for 8-10 days despite the lack of parental care. As soon as they are born, they can hunt and use their frill. The hatchlings, however, are very vulnerable to predation due to their small size and lack of experience. Baby frilled lizards are commonly eaten by small birds and snakes. As a result, only a small percentage of them reach adulthood.

The frilled lizard fights habitat loss, predation, and the pet trade on an ongoing basis. Dry woodlands are being cut down at an alarming rate, resulting in significant habitat loss for frilled-necked turtles. Once the lizard’s camouflage is disrupted, they have no defensive weaponry, making them an easy meal for predators. They are popular as unusual pets in many nations throughout the world due to its unique frill and running style. Thus, the species is not currently threatened with extinction, hence there are no conservation measures in place.