It runs like the child of satan!
The Frilled Lizard can be quite funny-looking and is one of the most weird animals to look at when it is running! This usually solitary beast will begin to run on all four legs before getting up on its hind ones, open up its mouth (which causes the frill around its head to spread open like an umbrella) and hiss maddeningly as it reaches surprising speed. The weird thing about it is that this is not always its attack mode but also how it escapes predators. If it cannot escape a fight it will hit its tail on the ground and jump forward in defiance to finally resort to biting if need be. They are not known for being dangerous to humans.
The Frilled Lizard’s skin is made of scales and it belongs to the dragon family of lizards. The opened frills display a bright orange color and is quite spectacular. The beast will grow to a maximum length of 95 cm – which is mostly due to its tail. It spends the great majority of its time in trees (the tallest possible) with which they blend in rather easily because they are of the same range of colors as the barks.
These strange animals are disappearing….
Nowadays, this lizard is found mainly in northern Australia where there is little population and it used to be featured on two-cents coins in that country. It used to be found on the entire island but its natural habitat has suffered much with the advent of man. It is now a protected species by law in Australia. It is found in New Guinea as well.
Sun loving dragon freaks, that’s what they are
Being cold blooded, these weird animals spend a lot of time in the sun as they the need the warmth to function properly. Frilled Lizards are active by day and nourish themselves mainly with insects such as caterpillars. They are in turn the food of eagles, owls, snakes and other large predators. Aborigines used to hunt them down for food as well.
They mate during the wet season, which begins in September in Australia. When not mating, males and females hardly interact with each other. The males are ferociously territorial – especially when courting females.
How about letting these weird looking animals live in the wild?
It is unknown how old they are able to live in the wild but in captivity they usually last from 15 to 20 years – not that there are any good reasons to remove these beautifully weird animals from nature and put them in cages, if you ask us. Besides, look at them, they are prone to tantrums.
