Crested Dragon/Bicycle Lizard Ctenophorus cristatus

This is possibly a Crested dragon or Bicycle lizard seen at Mt Matilda in the Wongan Hills in the wheatbelt, WA.

View from Mt Matilda Wongan Hills

 

It is 110mm in length from snout to vent.

Prefers semi-arid woodlands in southern Australia from southern interior of WA to Spencer Gulf in SA.

Called a Bicycle lizard due to the way it runs at high speeds with a bipedal stride.  We didn't see it run at high speed as it stayed around a small area returning to these rocks where it wanted to sun itself in the early morning sun.  Not that you would think it would need to sun itself when the temperature the night before was still 38 degrees C at 10.pm.  It did raise its tail high when it ran in short bursts.


Like many dragons this dragon can change its colour.  It can change from vivid orange to dull grey within minutes.

 

 What does it eat? 

This dragon feeds on a variety of arthropods, particularly ants and grasshoppers. To collect the ants the dragon will sit near the trail with its head held close to the ground where the ants come up to its lip, when there are enough on the lip it licks them in.  Occasionally smaller lizards are eaten which are chased.

 

Text
"Australian Reptiles A Photographic Reference to the Terrestrial Reptiles of Australia" by Stephen K Wilson, David G Knowles.
CD Rom "Australian Reptiles and Frogs" by Herald Ehnann and Micheal Tyler

 

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