Frilly facts

COMMON NAME There is no generally agreed upon common name. Among those widely used are frillneck lizard, frilled lizard, frilled dragon and frill-necked lizard – all of which are often shortened to frillie. The species is known as the bemmung to the Gagadju people of the Kakadu region. SCIENTIFIC NAME Chlamydosaurus kingii (King’s cloaked lizard) WEIGHT Typically 500–750g, but the heaviest individual Christian has caught weighed 840g. LENGTH 70–95cm, including tail BREEDING Mating takes place in September. Females lay clutches of 8–20 eggs in November and hatchlings emerge about February; the temperature at which eggs are incubated determines the hatchlings’ gender. DIET Mostly insects and other invertebrates; occasionally small vertebrates ABORIGINAL RECORD Gurndamen, the frillneck lizard, is a Dreaming figure of the Gunwinku people of Gunbalanja (Oenpelli) in north-western Arnhem Land.…