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Australia: The Land Where Time Began |
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Shingle Back Lizard (sleepy lizard) Trachydosaurus rugosus (30-40 cm long) Theses lizards have a thick, fat-storing, tail that looks very much like their head. It is thought the similarity between the head and the tail may confuse predators. They are closely related to the bluetongue. The large, thick scales protect it from predators and are very resistant to water loss through the skin. When threatened, it curves its body into a semicircle and opens its mouth and poking out its dark blue tongue and hisses. It is found across the southern part of the arid areas of Australia. It is found in a variety habitats, living under bark, litter, logs, sand burrows, etc. It is a slow-moving lizard that eats almost anything - insects, carrion, fruit, flowers, foliage, berries. It apparently prefers flowers, especially yellow ones. Unusual for a lizard, this lizard mates for life. The females produce eggs for more the 20 years. They have a habit of sunning themselves on roads, and because they are slow moving they can't get out of the way and are sometimes killed by passing cars. Shingle backs have been seen next to a dead mate, nudging it occasionally, for several days. Reproduction is also unusual. They reproduce by ovovipary, the eggs being retained within the body until hatched. The large young are born full-formed, at birth 2 young can be about 1/3 the weight of their mother, limiting the number of eggs that can be hatched at a time.
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Author: M.H.Monroe Email: admin@austhrutime.com Sources & Further reading |