Frilled lizard
The frilled lizard is a member of the Agamidae family and is also known as the ‘frilled dragon‘. It is found only in northern Australia and southern New Guinea. The colour of the frilled lizard varies greatly depending on the region, ranging from orange-brown to black. Nevertheless, it is not divided into different subspecies.
The neck frill
With its strikingly large head and long tail, it can grow to almost one meter (3.3 ft) in length. The lizard normally wears its eponymous frill close to its body. It consists of a skin membrane and cartilaginous bars. In case of danger, the lizard raises its frill, opens its mouth, hisses and wags its tail. In addition to deterring predators, it is also used in fights against rival frilled lizards. When stretched out, it has a diameter of up to 30 cm (12 in). In Steven Spielberg's famous 1993 film 'Jurassic Park', it was the inspiration for the dinosaur 'Dilophosaurus', which in reality had no frill and could not spit venom.
Locomotion on two legs
Frilled lizards are excellent climbers and spend about 90% of their lives in trees. They only come down to the ground for a few minutes. However, they can stand up and run on their hind legs, which are considerably longer than their front legs. Frilled lizards use this form of locomotion both when hunting and when fleeing from predators.
Facts
- Binominal name: Chlamydosaurus kingii
- Other names: Frillneck lizard, frilled dragon
- Family: Agamidae
- First described: 1825 (John Edward Gray)
- Distribution: Northern Australia, southern New Guinea
Frilled lizard Folding Card
This special souvenir note from the Australia Series is dedicated to the frilled lizard. Printed on genuine security paper, it features a lizard as a gold foil patch, motifs in UV color and haptic elements. While the vertically designed obverse depicts a frilled lizard, the reverse shows the famous sandstone formation Uluru or Ayers Rock in Central Australia and Aboriginal art. Uluru is 348 m (1,142 ft) high and is revered as a sacred place by the Aboriginal people of the area. Under UV light, a road sign with a frilled lizard becomes visible. The Australia Series, which comprises a total of eight souvenir notes, is also available in a booklet with lots of information and pictures.
Obverse: Frilled lizard, stylized lizard, map of Australia
Reverse: Uluru or Ayers Rock, sandstone formation in Central Australia, Aboriginal art, stylized sea turtle
| Dimensions: 145 x 70 mm (5.71 x 2.76 in) Material: Paper |
