Frilled-neck Lizard Frilled Dragon

Photo: Frilled Dragon with frill opened out

The frilled lizard is a meter long tree-dwelling lizard that lives in northern Australia and southern New Guinea.

he frill-neck lizard has a ruff of skin that it keeps folded behind its head. When frightened, this lizard stands on its hind legs, opens its mouth wide, and ruffles out a colourful red and yellow frill to scare off its attackers. If this doesn't work, it runs off in a big hurry.

The frilled lizard is also known as the Frilled Dragon and Frill-neck Lizard. Its scientific name: Chlamydosaurus kingii.

Frilled Lizard - Description What does a Frilled Dragon Look Like?

Photo: Frilled Lizard on a tree with frill folded

The frilled lizard is about a meter in length and weighs about half a kilo. Almost two-thirds of its body length is made up of its long tail. Males and females look similar, but the males are slightly larger than the female. It usually camouflages itself by blending in with its environment. For example, lizards living in dryer, desert environments will usually have orange, red, and brown tones. Those found in more tropical areas will tend to be in shades of grey or brown.

The most noticeable characteristic of the frilled lizard is its frill located around its head. Usually, this ruff is folded back against its body like a cape. But when frightened, the lizard opens it out scare off its predators. The large frill is supported by long spines made of cartilage which are attracted to its jaw bone. When the lizard opens its mouth wide, it pushes these spines back, forcing the ruff to open out like an umbrella. When fully extended, the frill can be up to 30cm in diameter.

This frilled ruff's primary purpose seems to be a scaring mechanism. However, it may also use its frill as a radiator to help the lizard regulate its body temperature. Being cold-blooded, spreading open its ruff in the early morning sunlight helps the lizard quickly warm up its body.

Frilled necked lizards have a large mouth with small sharp teeth along their jaws and two front and bottom canine teeth with which to grab their prey.

25 Frilled Neck Lizard Facts

The Frilled lizard is also known as the Frill-necked lizard and Frilled Dragon.
It grows to about a meter in length and weighs about half a kilo.
Its most striking feature is the ruff of skin it holds against the back its neck like a folded umbrella.
When startled or threatened, it has a unique trick to scare its opponents.
It stands on its hind legs and opens its yellow and orange mouth wide.
And springs open its ruff, like an open umbrella to frighten its opponent.
Hissing loudly, it may also run on its hind legs towards its attacker.

If this display doesn't scare off its attacker, it will turn tail and run away.
Even though it may look scary, this lizard is totally harmless.
It will run away rather than attack a human.
Because of the way it runs, it is some times referred to as the Bicycle Lizard.
Being cold-blooded, it also opens its frill to the early morning sunlight to warm its body quicker.
The frilled lizard is an arboreal tree-dwelling animal. It only comes to the ground to move from tree to tree.
It lives in the warm temperate forests of northern Australia.
Lizards living in desert environments tend to be orange, red, and brown.
Those in more tropical areas will tend to come in shades of grey or brown.
The lizard's large frill is supported by long spines attracted to its jaw bone.
When it opens its mouth wide, these spines are pushed back, forcing the ruff to spread.
The frilled lizard is a lay in wait predator. It waits for prey to come within reach and then pounced on them.
It feeds on insects such as spider, beetles, termites, cicadas and ants.
It also eats smaller lizards and animals.
The female lays 8-26 soft-shelled eggs in a nest below ground in a sunny location.
If the nest temperature is too hot or too cold, the young lizards will all be female.
When the temperature is within the ideal range, the babies will male and female.
Frilled lizards can live up to 20 years.

Photo: Frilled lizard habitat map

Frilled Lizard - Habitat Where Do the Frilled Lizards Live?

Frilled lizards live in the warm temperate forests of northern Australia. They are tree-dwelling lizards. They descend to the ground occasionally to move from tree to tree or to feed.

Frilled Lizard - Diet What do Frilled Lizards Eat?

Photo: Frilled Lizard with a grasshopper on its head

Frilled lizards are carnivorous. They eat insects, spiders, beetles, termites, cicadas and ants. They also prey on smaller lizards and mammals.

Frilled lizards hunt by lying in wait for prey to pass close by and then pounce on their victims.

Frilled Lizard - Reproduction & Life Cycle Frilled Lizard Babies

Frilled lizards breed around September and October. The female lays between 8 to 26 soft-shelled eggs in a nest 5-20 centimetres below ground in a sunny location. She then abandons the nest. The eggs incubate in about two and a half months. The temperature of their nest partially determines the gender of the baby lizards. If the temperature of the nest is too hot or cold, then the brood will be exclusively female. On the other hand, if the nest is within normal incubation temperatures, then there will be equal numbers of male and female baby lizards.

Baby lizards hatch as fully functionally little lizards and live independently from the moment they hatch.

The frilled lizard's life span is up to 20 years.

Photo: Frilled Lizard running away

Frilled Lizard - Threats and Predators Is the Frilled Lizard Surviving?

The major threats to the Frilled Lizard are eagles, owls, larger lizard, snakes, dingoes, and quolls. More recently they have also fallen prey to feral cats.

Frilled Lizard – Conservation Status Is the Frilled Lizard Endangered?

Frilled Lizards are not considered threatened or endangered. They can be kept as pets.

Frilled Lizard - Running & Attack Videos How a Frilled Lizard Defends Itself

Video: Watch a Frilled Neck Lizard attack

While the lizard with its yellow and pink coloured mouth wide open and its frill fully extended may look very scary, in fact, this lizard is totally harmless to humans. It will run away rather than attack a human. Its bite is painful but harmless.

Video: Watch a Frilled Dragon run

When frightened, the frilled lizard will unruffle its frill runs on its hind legs towards its attacker, hissing loudly and trying to intimidate them. If this display of bravado doesn't scare its attacker away, it usually turns tail and runs away at great speed. Because of the way it runs, it is some times jokingly referred to as the Bicycle Lizard.

While relatively harmless, it can bite if provoked.