|
|
Frilled Lizard
Frilled lizards live in forests in Australia's hot north.
They
are covered with scales.
They eat insects and spiders.
They
have a neck frill they open when they need to look fierce.
Frilled
lizards are also called frill-neck lizards or frilled
dragons. They belong to the family of lizards called 'dragons'.
Like other reptiles, the Frilled Lizard is active during the day, relying on the sun to warm its body.
Habitat
Frilled Lizards live in dry forests and woodland, in the northern and north-western parts of Australia. They are often found in trees, moving easily between branches.
Appearance
A frilled lizard can be up to 95 centimetres long. Its colour matches the colour of the land and the trees it lives on. This is called camouflage. Male frilled lizards are more brightly coloured than females.
Behaviour
Frilled Lizards generally live alone, and are territorial. To escape an enemy, a frilled lizard can move very fast on its two hind legs. When it is frightened, the frilled lizard opens its mouth wide which causes it to ruffle out its red and orange, scaly frill. The frill like an open umbrella. The lizard hisses loudly too and may thrash its tail on the ground. Frilled lizards will bite an enemy with its strong teeth if it is forced to fight.
Frilled
lizards are not poisonous or harmful to people.
Frilled lizards are usually active during the day, hunting insects,
ants, spiders and small mammals and lizards.
Life Cycle
After mating with a male frilled lizard in September, the female lays up to 23 tiny eggs. The young hatch about 8 to 12 weeks later and are left to look after themselves.
Frilled lizards may be an endangered species because the land where they live is being cleared. Main predators are birds of prey such as Wedge-tailed Eagles and owls, larger lizards, snakes and dingoes.
Read more about frilled lizards here
http://www.arazpa.org.au/Education_FactSheets_FrilledLizard.htm
If you use any
of this information in your own work acknowledge this source in
your bibliography like this:
Frilled
lizard (2000).
[Online], Available: www.kidcyber.com.au
updated December 2006