Boyd's Forest Dragon
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Hypsilurus boydii or the Boyd's Forest Dragon
This forest dragon seems to have retained the appearance of a dinosaur, with both males and females having a dorsal crest of enlarged spines. Living in tropical coastal rainforests and tablelands from Townsville in the south and north to Mossman, they lead a fairly sedentary life. They can be found resting on the side of trees during the day, darting down to the ground to catch insects. This animal is one of the two species of forest dragon found in Australia, the other being the rainforest dragon of SE Queensland. Many more species of forest dragons are found in New Guinea and South East Asia.
Boyd's forest dragons possess excellent vision. This is relied upon in keeping a look out for insects, bugs and worms. The male of this species is very possessive of his territory, which leads to many scuffles with rival males. The dewlap (the flap of skin under the throat) is often displayed as a warning to one animal entering another's territory. Female Boyd's forest dragon lay on around 5 to 7 eggs per clutch, and a female may lay 3 clutches of eggs per season.
Did you know...
- This beautiful dragon seems to have retained the appearance of a dinosaur, with both males and females having a dorsal crest of enlarged spines.
- They can be found resting on the side of trees during the day, occasionally darting down to the ground to catch insects.
- The dewlap (the flap of skin under the throat) is often displayed as a warning to one animal entering another's territory.
- Female Boyd's forest dragons lay on around 5 to 7 eggs per clutch, and a female may lay 3 clutches of eggs per season.
Where in Australia Boyd's Forest Dragon thrives:
