Frilled Lizard
The frilled lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingii) is a large agamid of northern Australia and New Guinea, known for a huge neck frill it unfurls when threatened. It can run on its hind legs.
The frilled lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingii) is a large agamid of northern Australia and New Guinea, known for a huge neck frill it unfurls when threatened. It can run on its hind legs.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Frilled Lizard in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Reptilia lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
The Frill: A Bluff Display
When a predator approaches, the lizard opens its mouth wide, hisses and flares the frill, which is supported by rods of cartilage extending from the hyoid. The sudden display makes the lizard look much larger. If bluffing fails, it runs for a tree on two legs.
Life in the Savanna
Frilled lizards spend most of their time in trees, coming down to feed on insects and spiders. Their activity peaks in the wet season. The frill may also help with temperature regulation.
Agamid Lizards
Agamids like the frilled lizard and the thorny devil are Old World relatives of iguanas. See Thorny Devil.
Frilled Lizard at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Chlamydosaurus kingii |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Reptilia |
| Order | Squamata |
| Family | Agamidae |
| Field Guide group | Reptilia (Reptiles) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Large pleated cartilaginous ruff neck frill that unfurls rapidly when threatened, bipedal running locomotion. |
| IUCN Red List status | Least Concern (LC), assessed 2017 |
| Family | Agamidae |
| Display | Frill flared with gaping mouth |
See Also
- Thorny Devil — another Australian agamid
- Green Iguana — a distant relative