Creature Feature: Lizard Week- Frilled Lizard

Raise your hand if you have seen Jurassic Park. C'mon, don't be shy; we all went to Blockbuster and collected merch for The Lost World when it was about to come out.

(I'll take a photo of my plush dinosaur haul a bit later, LOL.)

If you have never seen Jurassic Park, know that there was a Dilophosaurus in it. It spat poison and had a neat frill that functioned similarly to a cobra's hood.



There is no fossil evidence for the frill or the venom, but it did cause a spike in interest for a certain real lizard.

That frill is similar to that of the frilled lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingii). The frilled lizard is yet another cool critter from Australia, and feeds on insects. (Oh, Agamidae, you so CRAY-zy!) True to its name, it spreads a giant frill around its neck when startled.



Then it proceeds to run on its hind legs away from the threat. This totally merits a Benny Hill sequence; it's HILARIOUS to watch, and has earned it the name "bicycle lizard."

Screw Jurassic Park. Australia is full of dinosaurs.