Species Fact Profile: Frilled Lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingii)

                                                            Frilled Lizard

Chlamydosaurus kingii (Gray, 1825)

Range: Southern New Guinea, Northern Australia

Habitat: Tropical Savannah, Open Woodland, Semi-Desert

Diet: Arthropods, Small Rodents and Lizards

Social Grouping:  Solitary

Reproduction:  Breed in the early wet season (September through October).  Females lay 1-2 clutches of up to 25 soft-shelled eggs a few months after breeding (November-February) in a burrow in a sunny area.  Incubation takes 2-3 months, with incubation temperature determining offspring sex.

Lifespan: 10-15 Years (Wild), 20 Years (Captivity)

      Conservation Status: IUCN Least Concern

• Body length up to 85 centimeters.  500 grams to 1 kilogram.  Males larger than females.
• Brown-gray coloration with irregular dark splotches (sometimes of an orange or red color), giving the appearance of mottled tree bark
• Namesake feature is the large fold of skin, usually laying flat behind the head but capable of being erected into a fan-like display (about 30 centimeters across) when startled or angered.  The frill is bright red or orange on the inside, which, coupled with the gaping pink or yellow interior of the lizard's mouth, can startle predators and intimidate rivals.  The frill is supported by spines of cartilage which are connected to the jawbones 
• Primarily arboreal.  Usually comes to the ground just to feed or engage in territorial conflict.  If startled on the ground, capable of running bipedally (though usually move on all four legs)
• Adult males fight for access to females.  If displays do not intimidate one of the combatants into standing down, they will bite each other aggressively
• Predators include birds of prey, monitor lizards, large snakes, and quolls, as well as introduced dingoes
• Scientific name translates to "King's Cloaked Lizard," honoring early Australian explorer Phillip Parker King, who collected the first specimens for western science

Zookeeper's Journal: One of the most iconic scenes of the blockbuster sci-fi movie "Jurassic Park" features the villainous Dennis Nedry being confronted by a predatory Dilophosaurus.  Shortly before attacking, the dinosaur fans out a massive, colorful thrill, terrifying its victim before pouncing and devouring him.  The frill (which there is no fossil evidence of) is the hallmark of the frilled lizard, one of the most remarkable and visually striking of Australia's lizards.  I've worked with this species at two zoos and seen it in several others - and yet I've never actually seen one frill up.  I've noticed a lot of zoo animals don't display their defensive behaviors because they are comfortable with their caretakers and don't feel threatened, which is a good thing, of course, but slightly disappointing if you were hoping to witness a really cool behavior.  Even on the one occasion when an irate frilly (as they are often called) objected to being weighed and nipped me when I picked it up, there was no frill.  In fact, the closest I ever saw to the behavior being displayed was when I would tong-feed them pinky mice as a special treat, which they absolutely loved.  They had to be tong-fed these favored items or the male (housed with a trio of females) would monopolize them all.  Right before taking a mouse, each lizard would make a sort of hiccup-motion, presumably of excitement, and the frill would flicker out a little bit - but only a little, and only for a second.