Dragons are reptiles, reptiles are cold blooded and have scales. Dragons are lizards, they have four legs and with five fingers and toes. Dragons are different from other lizards, they have upright posture with small rough non-glossy scales along their body and often have spines.
Dragons are very fast, they rely on speed to escape predators. Many can raise their body and run on their back legs. Some dragons rely on camouflage and look like their habitat, eg colour of stones on dry plains.
FACT: Bearded dragons and Frilled Neck lizards have stunning defence mechanism. They will open mouth to show bright colours inside and erect spines or frills to appear larger.
Ref: Wilson, S. & Swan, G. “A Complete guide to reptiles of Australia.” New Holland Publishers. |
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Key characteristics to look for when identifying species:
Spines
Crest, a row of spines along back of neck, back or tail
Dewlap, a fold of loose skin under the throat, look for presence and note size
Beard,
rows of spines around neck and chin
Shape of body
Snout Vent Length,
length of body from tip of snout to base of tail, or ‘vent.’ A vent is the external opening of the cloaca. The cloaca is the chamber where the reproduction and excretory ducts open.
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Kimberley Toad Busters |
TaTa Lizard or Gilbert’s Dragon
Amphibolurus gilberti
Snout Vent length: 13 cm
Distinguishing features: One crest, small spines along neck. Two broad pale stripes along each side of body (dorsolateral) from ears to hips. Grey, reddish brown to black in colour,
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females paler,males steel grey. Darker bars can be present on back. Often seen waiving front leg (ta ta).
Habitat: Woodlands, river margins, backyards
Distribution: Mid coast WA to QLD
Similar species: A.temporalis
http://www.canetoads.com.au |
| © Stuart MacDonald. Gulf of Carpentaria. |
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Kimberley Toad Busters |
Amphibolurus temporalis
Snout Vent length: 11 cm
Distinguishing features: One erectable crest. Very long limbs. Prominent pale stripes along each side of body (dorsolateral) continuous from nose to hips. Extremely long tail, 3 times snout vent length. Grey to reddish
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brown, darker blotches may be present.
Habitat: Tropical woodlands, prefers pandanus and paperbark line watercourses
Distribution: Kimberley to Cape York
Similar species: Ta Ta Lizard
Ref: Wilson S. & Swan G. “A complete guide to Reptiles of Australia”
www.canetoads.com.au
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Kimberley Toad Busters |
Chameleon Dragon
Chelosania brunnea
Snout Vent length: 12 cm
Distinguishing features: Short limbs with strong laterally compressed head and body. Granular eyelids with small eye openings. Distinctive flap of skin under throat (dewlap). Colour from grey to reddish browns. Broad bands on tail |
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with blunt tip. Dragon is secretive and infrequently seen.
Habitat: Tropical woodlands, climbs trees and branches Diet: Invertebrates
Distribution: Kimberley to NW QLD
Ref: Wilson S. & Swan G. “A complete guide to Reptiles of Australia” |
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Kimberley Toad Busters |
Frilled Neck Lizard
Chlamydosaurus kingii
Snout Vent Length: 26 cm
Distinguishing features: Loose frill of scaly skin attached to the neck. When on ground runs erect on hind limbs to nearest tree. When threatened frill is erected and mouth opened.
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Habitat: Tropical woodlands. Rare to see during the dry season, lives in tree canopy. Common during wet, descends to ground after rain.
Distribution: Kimberley to BrisbaneRef: Wilson S. & Swan G. “A complete guide to
Reptiles of Australia”
www.canetoads.com.au |
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Ring Tailed Dragon
Ctenophorus caudicintus macropus
Snout Vent Length: 6.5–10 cm
Distinguishing features: Dull reddish brown. Two rows of dark spots along body (dorsal), typically alternating with pale bands, tail is faintly banded.
Habitat: Rocky ranges and outcrops. |
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Basks on elevated perches, shelters under rocks. Diet: Invertebrates
Distribution: Sub-species, Kimberley to QLD
Ref: Wilson S. & Swan G. “A complete guide to Reptiles of Australia”
www.canetoads.com.au |
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Kimberley Toad Busters |
Central Military Dragon
Ctenophorus isolepis isolepis
Snout Vent Length: 7 cm
Distinguishing features: Row of enlarged scales curving under the eye. Row of spines on sides of neck. Reddish brown, with dark edged lighter spots. Pale unbroken stripes down each side of body. Pale rings around eyes.
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Male has broad black stripe from chin to abdomen to limbs.
Habitat: Arid terrestrial, gathers food on bare ground between vegetation
Diet: Invertebrates
Distribution: North west cape (WA) to western QLD
Ref: Wilson S. & Swan G. “A complete guide to Reptiles of Australia”
www.canetoads.com.au |
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Central Netted Dragon
Ctenophorus nuchalis
Snout Vent Length: 11 cm
Distinguishing features: Blunt snout, robust with short limbs and tail. Small spiny crest on back of neck (nuchal). Yellowish brown with dark net like pattern. |
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Pale narrow stripe runs down vertebrate.
Habitat: Semi arid to arid. Common.
Diet: Invertebrates
Distribution: WA, NT, SA, QLD and NSW |
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Ref: Wilson S. & Swan G. “A complete guide to Reptiles of Australia” |
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Kimberley Toad Busters |
Diporiphora albilabris albilabris
Total Length: Up to 6 cm
Distinguishing features: External ear drum (tympanum). Robust with short limbs. Brown to reddish brown. Dragon as faint narrow grey strip down centre of back and two cream stripes down each side (dorsolateral) over the top of
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5-6 broad dark brown bars between neck and hips. Scales are raise above stripes. Throat is white.
Habitat: Grassy woodlands and rocky areas
Diet: Invertebrates
Distribution: Sub-species only occurs in Kimberley |
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Ref: Wilson S. & Swan G. “A complete guide to Reptiles of Australia”
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Arnhem Two-pored Dragon
Diporiphora arnhemica
Snout Vent Length: Up to 6.3 cm
Distinguishing features: External ear drum (tympanum). Strong fold of skin behind ear. One pore beneath the thigh on each side. Brown to grey with pale stripe down centre of back and two
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stripes down each side of body (dorsolateral) over the top of 8-9 dark reddish brown or brown bands between neck and hips. Throat streaked with grey.
Habitat: Likes woodlands with spinifex and speargrass
Diet: Invertebrates
Distribution: Kimberley to Arnhem Land
Ref: Wilson S. & Swan G. “A complete guide to Reptiles of Australia” |
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Diporiphora bennettii
Snout Vent Length: Up to 8 cm
Distinguishing features: External ear drum (tympanum). Strong spiny skin fold behind ear. Brown to reddish brown. Faint grey stripe down centre of back (vertebral) and cream stripes down each side of body (dorsolateral).
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Over the top of weak dark grey bars. Can be patternless except for black patch above forelimb. Male can develop flush of orange or greenish yellow.
Habitat: Woodlands with rocky areas, likes sandstone
Diet: Invertebrates
Distribution: Kimberley to NT |
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Ref: Wilson S. & Swan G. “A complete guide to Reptiles of Australia”
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Diporiphora convergens
Snout Vent Length: Up to 3.4 cm
Distinguishing features: External ear drum (tympanum). Slender with long limbs, strong folds of skin under neck (gular) and before shoulder (scapular). Distinctive scales along back, keels converge at midline. Brown with obscure pattern of faint narrow dark
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bars. Edge of eyelid is white.
Diet: Invertebrates
Distribution: Known from individual found at Crystal Creek
Ref: Wilson S. & Swan G. “A complete guide to Reptiles of Australia”
www.canetoads.com.au |
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Diporiphora lalliae
Snout Vent Length: Up to 7.6 cm
Distinguishing features: External ear drum. Strong fold of skin beneath neck. Pale brown to reddish brown. Broad grey stripe down centre of back, narrow white or cream stripes down each side of body overlying short dark bars.
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Can be patternless apart from dark or pale flecks. Male can have pink flush at tail-base.
Habitat: Arid woodlands, likes spinifex on heavy /stony soils
Distribution: Arid zone in Kimberley and NT |
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Ref: Wilson S. & Swan G. “A complete guide to Reptiles of Australia”
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Diporiphora magna
Snout Vent Length: Up to 8.7 cm
Distinguishing features: External ear drum (tympanum). Weak to moderate folds of skin behind ear (postauricular) and shoulder (scapular). No fold of skin beneath neck (gular). Yellowish to olive green. Pale grey stripe down centre of
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back (vertebral), narrow white or cream stripes down each side of body, overlying narrow dark bars. Lower surface white/yellow.
Habitat: Dry areas, grassy woodland on heavy soils
Diet: Invertebrates
Distribution: Kimberley, NT and western QLD
Ref: Wilson S. & Swan G. “A complete guide to Reptiles of Australia”
www.canetoads.com.au |
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Diporiphora pindan
Snout Vent Length: Up to 9 cm
Distinguishing features: External ear drum (tympanum).Moderately slender, weak fold of skin at shoulder (scapular). Reddish brown. Broad grey stripe down centre of back (vertebral), narrow grey to white stripes down each side of body (dorsolateral), interrupting or displacing
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a pattern of 8 dark bars between neck and hip.
Habitat: Grassy woodland, acacia thickets, on reddish sandy soils
Diet: Invertebrates
Distribution: Kimberley to Great Sandy Desert |
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Ref: Wilson S. & Swan G. “A complete guide to Reptiles of Australia” |
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Diporiphora superba
Snout Vent Length: Up to 9 cm
Distinguishing features: Very slender, long thin limbs and tail. Folds of skin, pale stripes and dark bands absent. Pale lime green to greenish yellow with prominent lemon yellow blotch on inside of flanks (side of body between ribs and hip). Lower (ventral)
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surfaces yellow. Slow moving.
Habitat: Lives completely in shrubs (arboreal), sandstone plateaux
Diet: Invertebrates
Distribution: Only found in Kimberley |
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Ref: Wilson S. & Swan G. “A complete guide to Reptiles of Australia”
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Thorny Devil
Moloch horridus
Snout Vent Length: Up to 11 cm
Distinguishing features: Spectacular large thorn like spines all over body. Unique spiny hump on neck. Orange red to yellow. Females are larger than males. Walks slow and jerky, tail held in
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upward curve.
Habitat: Arid to semi arid sandy regions
Diet: Small black ants, up to 5000 per meal
Distribution: WA, NT, SA and QLD
Ref: Wilson S. & Swan G. “A complete guide to Reptiles of Australia”
www.canetoads.com.au |
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Small Scale Bearded Dragon
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Small-scaled Bearded Dragon
Pogona microlepidota
Snout Vent Length: Up to 18 cm
Distinguishing features: Narrow head, no row of spines across throat, therefore poorly developed beared. 3-5 rows of spines along flanks (ribs to hips). Dull yellowish brown to reddish
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brown with pale faint narrow broken bands. Tail can be greyish and banded with yellowish brown.
Habitat: Woodlands and sandstone
Diet: Omnivore
Distribution: Found only in the Kimberley |
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Ref: Wilson S. & Swan G. “A complete guide to Reptiles of Australia”
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Dwarf Bearded Dragon
Pogona minor mitchelli
Snout Vent Length: Up to 16 cm
Distinguishing features: Board head. Poorly developed beard, with spines only on rear of jaw and across head. One row of spines along flanks. Grey to greyish brown, two rows of pale
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blotches between neck and hips. Inside mouth is pinkish white.
Habitat: Woodlands and shrublands
Diet: Omnivore
Distribution: Sub-species, north of Pilbara to Kimberley
Ref: Wilson S. & Swan G. “A complete guide to Reptiles of Australia”
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Centralian Earless Dragon
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Centralian Earless Dragon
Tympanocryptis centralis
Snout Vent Length: Up to 5.5 cm
Distinguishing features: Small and squat. Ear drum hidden by scaly skin, rough scales on top of head. Neck narrower than base of head.Greyish to reddish brown. Narrow pale stripe
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down centre of back (vertebral) and down each side of body (dorsolateral), over 6-7 wide dark bars between neck and hip. Stripes may only be visible when crossing bars.
Habitat: Stony hills and plains
Distribution: Southern Kimberley, central NT and SA.
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Ref: Wilson S. & Swan G. “A complete guide to Reptiles of Australia”
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Kimberley-Lined Earless Dragon
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Kimberley-lined Earless Dragon
Tympanocryptis lineata
Snout Vent Length: Up to 5.8 cm
Distinguishing features: Small and squat. Ear drum hidden by scaly skin, rough scales on top of head. Neck as broad as base of head. Colour is variable, brown, grey to brick red.
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Narrow palestripe down centre of back and down each side of body (dorsolateral), disrupting around 5 dark bands between neck and hip.
Habitat: Dry to arid open habitats
Distribution: Disjunct: WA, NT, SA, Vic, NSW and QLD
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Ref: Wilson S. & Swan G. “A complete guide to Reptiles of Australia”
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