Jacky Dragon

Description:

You'd be hard-pressed to find a smaller, cuter dragon than this - the Jacky Dragon. The colour of its scales made it hard to spot in the undergrowth and leaf litter - it blended into the environment perfectly, but with keen eyes watching for any sign of movement, I managed to keep track of it. I doubt this little fellow would have been any more than 15-16 cms (6 in) in length. It's an Australian native and belongs to the reptile family Agamidae. The species is well known for its bright yellow mouth and well-developed vertebral crest, as well as the temperature-dependent sex determination of its offspring. Insects compose most of the diet of the Jacky Dragon, and these include flies, moths, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and small beetles. But they also fall prey to small mammals, feral cats, snakes and larger lizards, and birds such as Kookaburras and Currawongs.

Habitat:

Usually found in dry sclerophyll forests and woodlands along the southeastern coast of Australia. This spotting was amongst the rocks and large boulders, leaf litter and branch debris, in a well-shaded area of native vegetation, mostly eucalypts and wattles. Mt. Norman track in Girraween National Park, SEQ. Here's some park info - http://www.rymich.com/girraween/