Lizards are the most commonly seen reptiles in backyards. If you have a warm spot in your backyard, you probably have a lizard buddy! From the tiny skinks scurrying along the garden path to the Blue-tongued lizard sunning itself near the backyard shed. They are some of our most well-known backyard buddies.
Bearded Dragons have spines under and around their throats that give them their distinguishing feature and name. These spikes are actually quite rubbery, not sharp, and fool predators into thinking that this is a dangerous lizard. Both male and female Bearded Dragons have beards. Wild Bearded Dragons only live in Australia, and right across the mainland. The Eastern Bearded Dragon lives in Queensland, New South Wales, Australi…
Australia is home to six species of blue-tongued lizards. They are usually grey with broad brown stripes across their back and tail, and of course their most unique distinguishing feature is their blue tongue. You will start to see blue-tongues in spring as they begin emerging from their winter homes to look for mates. They are only active during the day which makes them easy to spot. The reason for their blue tongues is so th…
This clever gecko is a master of disguise. Its distinctive tail is used as a decoy to confuse predators. A smooth tail is a sign that it has been lost and regrown. The Broad-tailed Gecko grows up to 15 cm in length including its tail. They have scales all over their bodies, which are pointed. Their rocky appearance gives you a clue as to where they live – they blend right in to the rocks. Sandstone outcrops are certain to ho…
The Burton's Legless Lizard is often mistaken for a snake at first glance, and it's an easy mistake to make. However, the Burton's Legless Lizard is actually more closely related to geckos than to snakes. There are key differences between snakes and this deceptive looking lizard. A good one to look for is the shape of its face. A Burton's Legless Lizard has a wedge-shaped snout that sets it apart from both snakes and other liz…
Around February and March, you may find some baby geckos around your place. They could be juvenile Bynoe's Geckos, just hatched from eggs laid from October to early January. Bynoe's Geckos are found all over most of Australia, in an amazing variety of patterns and colours, blending in easily to the environment. Despite their scaly appearance, they are soft to touch. These geckos usually sport at least two prominent colours, ra…
Around March, be on the lookout for some Eastern Bearded Dragon youngsters emerging from the soil. Eastern Bearded Dragon adults mate from August to December each year, and the hatchlings emerge about 45 to 79 days later. At 9 cm long, these babies might be easy to miss, but what they lack in size, they make up for in numbers. The mother lays up to three clutches during the breeding season of 14 to 31 soft shelled eggs, which …
The Eastern Water Dragon Physignathus lesueurii is about half a metre long with rough scales, sharp spines and ancient features that resemble fairytale dragons. They are semi-aquatic and live along the east coast of Australia around creeks, rivers or lakes. They can remain submerged for up to 30 minutes and will rise to the surface where they need to breathe. You will be lucky to catch a glimpse of the Eastern Water Dragon who…
In April, Eastern Water Skinks are busy preparing for the start of winter. They will bask in the warmth of the sun and feed as much as they can to keep warm during winter. These skinks live from Cooktown in northern Queensland to south-east New South Wales, and inland to South Australia through the Murray-Darling basin. The Eastern Water Skink can be tricky to spot, even though it is a large skink and can grow up to 30 cm long…
They may be shy and quick to hide when you approach, but garden skinks are some of the most common and well known buddies in Australian backyards. Male skinks are highly territorial and aggressively attack other males during spring. You might even find several skinks locked together in a big jumble, all holding on to each other. Odd to see, but this is thought to be a kind of territorial behaviour. Skinks are great backyard bu…
Geckos are nocturnal hunters with eyes that are up to 350 times more sensitive at night than human eyes. Most geckos can't blink as they don't have any eyelids. So instead, they clean the dust and dirt away by licking their eyes with their long tongues. Most geckos spend the day hiding under the bark of a nearby tree. Australian native geckos can be found everywhere except for Tasmania. Geckos are the super communicators of th…
Lace Monitors live in eastern Australian forests and coastal tablelands. They spend most of their time in trees, coming down to hunt for food and to breed. They move with sudden speed when threatened. Warm weather helps reptiles like the Lace Monitor (a type of goanna) to become more active, as they're solar powered. In order to move quickly, they need sunlight and warmth to heat them up. Look out for Lace Monitors at your nex…
Also known as Gould's Monitors or Racehorse Goannas, Sand Monitors are voracious eaters and will eat almost anything that is smaller than them, including other lizards. Their exceptionally strong legs are just made for digging, and they put their sharp claws and snout to work, too. They live in burrows, often setting up a home in an abandoned rabbit warren. These burrows do double duty, as protection from the elements and pred…
Around November, you may see a Shingleback Lizard out and about with its mate. For most of the year, a Shingleback leads a fairly solitary life. But from September to November they spend up to 75% of their time with their partners, which is unusual lizard behaviour. Year after year, many Shinglebacks find the same mate by scent trails and remain as mostly monogamous pairs for many years. The Shingleback can be spotted in most …
The tiny Tree Dtella is highly variable in colour and pattern, although their predominant colour is grey, brown or blue-grey, with darker brown markings that form a net pattern. The markings can often be so prominent that it will lend it the appearance of being blotchy or dark with light markings, rather than the other way around. It has dark markings on the sides of its head. Its underside is also much paler than the rest of …
