F is for Frilled-Neck Lizard

Today in my A-Z of Australia series, I want to share another one of Australia’s unique animals with you – the frilled-neck lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingii) – King’s Cloaked Lizard.

The frilled-neck lizard is quite an unusual looking lizard – but I think he is quite pretty in his own way.

He’s quite a looker!

These little guys can be found in tropical rainforests from the Kimberley region in Western Australia across the Northern Territory to Cape York in north eastern Queensland.  They are also found in southern Papua New Guinea.

The “frill” lies folded against the neck and is used in a spectacular display to deter rival males and would-be attackers – but it’s mostly bluff, using it to look bigger and scarier!

Can’t catch me!

He makes a hissing sound with his mouth whilst running upright on his two back legs towards his predator – it’s quite a funny sight to see!

Watch this frilly-neck display

If his scare tactics don’t work, they usually run away, heading for the nearest tree to bolt up, but in spite of their ferocious appearance, they are quite harmless, eating mainly insects and spiders.

They range in colour from olive through greyish brown to almost black and the frill has a variety of colours from yellow to jet back, with bright orange and red scales.

Adults weigh about 500grams (17.6oz), reaching 70-95cm (27-37 inches) overall.

Hatchlings are 5-6cm (just over 2 inches) long.

Mating occurs around September and the female can lay up to three clutches of 8-20 eggs in a season.

The eggs are laid in November, in a hole in the ground and the tiny hatchlings start appearing early February. The temperature at which the eggs are incubated determines the sex of the baby frilled-neck lizard, but it does much more than that – the temperature affects things like the size, shape, behaviour and the running speed of the hatchling.

Once the eggs are buried, maternal instincts run out and the shallow nest is abandoned to incubate for 8-12 weeks. As soon as they hatch, the youngsters fend for themselves immediately.

They have quite a few predators – hawks, eagles and owls; also pythons, large snakes and goannas, dingoes and quolls – and sadly, humans (many being killed on the roads).  However, if they survive into adulthood, their lifespan can be anything from 6 to 20 years.

He is such a unique, interesting little lizard, and quite the character - 

and I’m happy to say that he is not on the endangered list.  

Cane Toads-Australia’s Pests

C is for Cane Toad

Australia is a beautiful country with white sandy beaches, a clean ocean to enjoy, and unique flora and fauna. Sure, we also have snakes and spiders, some of which are poisonous, BUT . . .  every country has a bad side, right? Australia is no exception.

I can cope with the spiders and snakes because I hardly ever see them, and they are more scared of humans anyway, so they keep out of the way. However, what I don’t like is the Cane Toad. They have a bad name in Queensland and the Northern Territory, and most Queenslanders have a very low tolerance for them because they prey on our native wildlife.

I may be passionate about pets, but I draw the line at the Cane Toad! 

Let me give you a better picture of this ugly fellow, warts an’ all.

Cane Toads (Bufo Marinus) are native to Central and South America, and were introduced into Queensland, Australia in 1935 in an attempt to control the cane beetles on sugar cane plantations – the cane beetles were destroying the crops.
However, the cane toads bred rapidly and now number in the region of 200 million. The thing is, there is no evidence that they have had an impact on the cane beetles they were introduced to predate, and now we don’t know how to get rid of them.

They can reach 15-23cm (4-9 inches) in length, can weigh up to 1.8 kilos (4lbs), and their skin is tough and warty; definitely not nice to look at – downright ugly in fact. 
They have two glands at the back of their head which contain poison, and they will release it when under stress – like when a lizard or large bird tries to attack them. They are a threat to many native species, and so any bird or animal large enough to eat the toad does so at their peril. However, the poison is not harmful to humans unless it gets into the eyes where it will cause a burning sensation. They also spread diseases which affect the local biodiversity.

Toads Hide in Shoes
As much as I try to avoid them, sometimes the inevitable happens; they hide in shoes if you leave them outside overnight, so I always check my gardening shoes before I put them on. Sure enough, one day a cane toad jumped out right onto my hand – I jumped sky high and immediately felt sick . . . seeing them is bad enough, but to actually feel them on your skin – ugh!

Toads in the Back Yard
In the evenings they are all over our back yard, and my dog Poppy has learned to avoid them – she seems to know they are bad. If the poison got into her eyes it would cause a burning sensation and temporary blindness. That’s when the hub reaches for his golf club, or anything else handy. WHACK, over the garden fence!

Woe betide any toads that were slinking around in our backyard when my sons used to mow the lawns – ermm, my boys had good aim! Sorry to any cane toad lovers out there!

Watch out Mr Toad!

It’s true – most Queenslanders hate the damn things – they are just not nice to have around.

Toads on the Roads
Yes, they are all over the roads at night and when I say all over, I mean ALL OVER – hundreds of them. You can hear them POP when the car tyres go over them – yuk! You can’t avoid them (even if you wanted to), there are so many.

I’d rather look at our native Green Tree Frog – he’s cute and does no harm.

Green Tree Frog on my back porch

Until we find a way to control their breeding, it looks like we are stuck with them, and in the meantime they are multiplying and spreading further afield, with reports that they have now crossed the border into New South Wales. They are not happy with us Queenslanders!

Fancy a chuckle at the expense of the Cane Toad?  Click here and find out what might have happened to Baz, the Toad. It’s a hoot, you have to watch it!

You might find this interesting – Toad survives 40 minutes in dog’s stomach

 

Related articles

• Cane toads lose their killer touch in east Australia (newscientist.com)

My A-Z of Australia – A is for Australia

Welcome to my A – Z of Australia

A is for Australia

Australia, (fondly known as the Land Down Under), is a multi-cultural society of people who share a dream of making a better life in this great land of opportunity. I am one of those people. I emigrated to Australia from the UK many years ago, and found sun, sand, beautiful beaches, amazing rainforests, unique flora and fauna – and a life that I had previously only dreamed about!

This country was only settled 223 years ago by the British in 1788, so we are still a very young country.

Aussies are a laid back and friendly lot, they take you as they find you, and that is so refreshing! You can be who you really are without putting on any airs and graces. Heck, most people call their doctor by their first name!
I live in the South East corner of Queensland, which is very casual and laid back because of the hot weather – it’s too hot to rush around and too hot to wear tights and ties! Shorts and T-shirts is the the way to go for normal every day wear – the fewer clothes the better!

Just a few facts ~

Australia has six States:-

• Queensland (Qld) Capital city Brisbane
• New South Wales (NSW) Capital city Sydney
• Victoria (Vic) Capital city Melbourne
• South Australia (SA) Capital city Adelaide
• Western Australia (WA) Capital city Perth
• Tasmania (Tas) Capital city Hobart

And two Mainland Territories:-

• Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Capital city Canberra
• Northern Territory (NT) Capital city is Darwin

Many people think Sydney is the capital of Australia, but it’s actually Canberra in the ACT.

Because of it’s size, Australia experience a variety of climates from stinking hot to freezing cold!  It can be below zero in the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales, to suffocating heat in the north-west. The temperate south has cool, wet winters and dry, warm summers, whereas the tropical north has a warm, dry season and a hot, wet season. Because we are in the Southern Hemisphere, our seasons are in reverse to the Northern Hemisphere like Europe and America, so, for instance, our summers are from December to February, our winters are June to August.

Enough facts for now; I just wanted to familiarize you with a few things so you can get a better picture of my country when you are reading my future posts on Australia.

 ”G’Day Mate”!