#34 Observations of an Eastern Water Dragon

Having wildlife visit, or live in your garden provides a great opportunity to observe the habits of particular animals at length. A Water Dragon calls my fern garden home, and not only is he interesting to watch, he's also entertaining. My fern garden is on my back patio, so my resident dragon lizard can be easily seen basking, hunting and going about his daily life.

Are you talking about me?

When animals linger in my backyard for more than a fleeting visit, I give them a name - well I can hardly chat to my visitors without addressing them by name, can I? My Water Dragon is "Jacky", because upon first sight I presumed he was a Jacky Dragon (Amphibolurus muricatus), but comparing the two lizards, the differences are obvious.

This juvenile male Eastern Water Dragon (Physignathus lesueurii) arrived on my back porch in late February this year, disappeared for the three months of June, July and August for his winter rest (brumation), presumably in a sheltered spot in my fern garden, reappearing in late August.

Jacky crunches on a Green Carab Beetle (Calosoma schayeri). Presumably, lizards' taste buds are not well developed, because if this beetle tastes as bad as it smells, it should not make a very appetising meal.

Jacky has a routine: at first light he takes a dip in the pond in the fern garden, often sitting on a submerged rock with just his head out of the water. My pond is only small, so Jacky doesn't get the chance for a proper swim, but I have observed his swimming style: he tucks his limbs close to his body creating a streamlined form, and the side to side movement of the tail propels him through the water.

After his early morning swim, he perches on rocks at the front of the garden catching the morning sun, feeding on invertebrates at every opportunity.

In the afternoon when there is no sun on the garden, he often basks on a brick ledge in the sun, snatching hapless insects.

Teeth of an Eastern Water Dragon

Water Dragons (Physignathus lesueurii) do not lose and replace teeth throughout their life. They have a row of sharp pointed teeth adapted for grabbing and holding, fused to the jaw. The tongue is wide and thick. Both the tongue and interior of the mouth are pink.

I've seen my Water Dragon catch and eat cockroaches, slugs, worms, moths, ants, and a variety of small and tiny crawling and flying insects. He will only eat living invertebrates. He is extremely agile and swift.

Teeth of an Eastern Water Dragon

Scats (faeces) of a Water Dragon have a capping of white material at one end, which often becomes detatched. Droppings of my resident juvenile Water Dragon are about 10 to 12mm long.

Excrement of an Eastern Water Dragon

Learning to recognise scats of some locally common creatures, allows you to determine what animals visit your backyard. "Tracks, Scats and Other Traces - A Field Guide to Australian Mammals" by Barbara Triggs is a useful book.

Hearing of an Eastern Water Dragon

Reptiles do not have ear 'flaps' like mammals, but lizards have an external ear structure and therefore have adequate hearing.

The tympanic membrane, is a thin membrane that separates the external ear from the middle ear. The inner sinus in the middle ear cavity containing organs relating to balance and hearing, is filled with fluid in lizards and turtles, whilst in snakes, the recess is filled with air.

Airborn vibrations are picked up by the tympanic membrane. Snakes do not have a tympanic membrane, so can not 'hear', but detect substrate vibrations instead. The tympanic membrane of the Water Dragon is a small slightly-raised disc and can be seen in the close-up picture of the lizard head above. In some lizards, the Eastern Bearded Dragon (Pogona barbata), for example, the tympanic membrane is recessed.

An adult male Eastern Water Dragon

Hopefully, my resident Water Dragon will reach maturity and grow into a large impressive reptile as in the picture above. He will have to leave the security of my fern garden in order to grow to adulthood and breed.

But for the time being, Jacky must be eating well because he is currently moulting. Below is a series of images of the moulting process over two days.

The shedding of scales is called ecdysis, or, moulting or sloughing. Moulting serves a number of functions: my understanding is, firstly, the old and worn skin is replaced, secondly, it helps get rid of parasites such as mites and ticks. And as lizard scales do not grow with the body, moulting is necessary for growth.

The moulting started on the lower legs

The skin flaked off from bottom to top

At the end of day two, the skin peeled off the back

An Eastern Water Dragon (Physignathus lesueurii) is easily distinguished from similar dragon lizards by the presence of a thick black band running from the lower corner of the eye, extending over the tympanic membrane (ear), onto the neck.

A male can be recogised by the bright brick-red colouration of the belly. A male also has a more prominent spiny crest and more yellow patterning on the face and flanks.

I'm off for a swim

My resident Water Dragon is a regular source of interest and amusement as he scurries amongst the plants, leaping from vantage points to catch a feed. It is very satisfying to know that I am creating habitat for native creatures in my backyard that was a bare block of land a couple of years ago. I have recently planted many native shrubs and ground covers in an attempt to provide further habitat for small creatures and birds.

More Water Dragon observations and images can be viewed at my blog entry #12.

#17 Cute little Skinks

Southern Rainbow Skinks are busy little lizards that commonly take up residence in urban and rural gardens. Providing ground-hugging vegetation and a cat-free environment appears to be all these cute little reptiles require for their home range.

Peeping out from a ground cover of native violets

The Southern Rainbow Skink, Carlia tetradactyla, belongs to genus Carlia comprising 24 described Australian species, which are referred to as Four-fingered or Rainbow Skinks.

Habits and habitat

The range of the Southern Rainbow Skink extends from Benalla in northern Victoria, along western slopes of the Great Dividing Range to the Darling Downs in south-eastern Queensland.

Although their natural habitat is open dry forest, particularly those with tussock-dominated ground cover, they are very much at home in gardens with sufficient ground cover.

A brightly coloured breeding male

I have Southern Rainbow Skinks living and breeding amongst ferns and violets, herbs and ground-hugging natives. However, since a young Eastern Water Dragon, Physignathus lesueurii, has made a home of my fern garden, the skinks have vacated the fern garden in favour of other leafy habitats around my yard.

They are active, sun-loving lizards, and forage amongst mulch and leaf litter, feeding on insects, spiders and other invertebrates. Being terrestrial (ground dwelling), they rarely climb, but take advantage of rocks and other structures as viewing posts.

All Carlia species have four fingers and five toes, unlike other skink genera which have five digits on each limb.

A juvenile, 60mm total length, in my garden

Lizards are usually measured from snout to vent (SVL). Adult Southern Rainbow Skinks are about 65mm (SVL) and up to about 150mm including tail. They have a thin whippy tail, and can often be seen waving the tail in curved motions in the air. I am unsure if there is a reason for this tail-wagging.

Breeding

Breeding males take on bright orange lateral stripes and blue-green neck colouration, making a handsome sight from October to May. Females lay parchment-shelled eggs (paper-like) in a secluded spot during the warmer months.

A youngster taking cover under a leaf

Adult hunting amongst garden mulch

And a male eyes me suspiciously as I point my camera at him to capture his brilliant breeding colours

These cute little skinks scurry around my gardens chasing insects and each other. Although they are secretive in their habits, they can be watched at length by a still and patient observer. Create a suitable habitat and they will move in. Enjoy them.

#12 A Dragon in my Pond

Having the opportunity to closely observe a Water Dragon in my garden has been a rewarding experience. It is the most entertaining lizard I have encountered, and I delight in watching the antics of his everyday life.

Meet my resident Eastern Water Dragon

I presume he came from the Hunter River which is about 100 metres from my home, and I also assume he will head back there as he matures. But for now, I consider myself fortunate to have this juvenile reptile utilise my fern garden and small pond for his home.

Making good use of my garden pond

Physignathus lesueurii, Eastern Water Dragon, is a common lizard around waterways in eastern Queensland and New South Wales.

Habits and habitat

Water Dragons are often heard but not seen as they drop from overhanging branches, and land with a 'plop' in calm or slow-flowing streams pursuing insects. My garden pond is small, but has two levels, and I often hear my lizard belly-flop into the lower pond, presumably pouncing on a meal.

Striking pose, the Water Dragon snaps up ants

I've noticed two feeding poses: in the image above, the lizard lays low snapping up small black ants that trail by him, whereas in the picture below the dragon assumes a position of height and makes a dash or pounce at the target when an invertebrate is spotted within striking range. He scurries around the garden amongst the native violets and ferns seeking prey. These terrestrial and semi-arboreal lizards are omnivores.

The Dragon assumes a position of height from which to strike at or pounce upon passing invertebrates

The Eastern Water Dragon (Physignathus lesueurii) is active from first light, unlike the Eastern Bearded Dragon (Pogona barbata) which basks for long periods before becoming active. Throughout the day, the Water Dragon will lay in the sun for short periods.

According to one of my reference books 'Australia's Reptiles - A photographic Reference to the Terrestrial Reptiles of Australia' by SK Wilson and DG Knowles, Eastern Water Dragons are able to remain submerged for over an hour.

Notice the pink tongue and mouth interior

These lizards appear comfortable in a variety of habitats, and along with their obvious liking for freshwater waterways, are found in rocky areas adjacent to beaches as well as mangrove environments.

Breeding

Adult males are known to be territorial, controlling a harem of females, often fighting with other males during breeding season. Clutches of 6 to 18 eggs are laid in summer in a burrow or concealed location and hatch about 80 days later.

Notice the prominent dark band behind the eye, and vertebral ridge of spines

Elaborate displays of social interactions occur between both sexes and all ages. These include head bobbing and licking of substrate. They are extremely agile and swift. I have observed my juvenile Water Dragon leaping from rock to rock and from the ground to vertical brick walls.

Adult males develop bright brick-red bellies and yellow facial markings. I am presuming my resident Dragon to be a male as it has the beginnings of the red under surface.

Framed! Portrait of an Eastern Water Dragon

As its natural habitat is destroyed or degraded by urban and industrial sprawl and pollution, this adaptable lizard will seek a livelihood amongst human habitation and weed infested areas. If you are lucky enough to find one in your garden, ensure its safety by controlling pets, because after all, it is humans that are displacing them from their natural environment.

More observations and photos of my resident Water Dragon, including teeth, prey, hearing, and shedding of skin, can be viewed at my blog entry #34.

#2 A Dragon's New Clothes

Meet Scruffy the Dragon, one of my delightful Christmas visitors

Don't be fooled by what appears to be a cheeky grin. This is one of the dragon's agressive poses, but more about this reptile's defense strategies later.

Eastern Bearded Dragons, Pogona barbata, are large robust lizards found in dry woodlands in the east from Cooktown in far north Queensland to the southeastern corner of South Australia. Luckily, for nature lovers, the Bearded Dragon's territory often extends into urban and rural areas.

I was surprised to find a visiting dragon lounging on the garden bench in my backyard. Dragon lizards can often be seen basking on top of roadside fence posts in the sunshine and once you learn to recognise their distinctive pose with flattened head pointing skyward, their normally well camouflaged shape will stand out.

A Bearded Dragon's typical basking posture

If approached slowly and quietly, these lizards are easily observed. I sat on the garden edge a metre from this lizard to check out it's features, but they'll let you know if they feel threatened by your presence.

A Bearded Dragon's defense strategies

The Bearded Dragon is so called because of it's ability to flare out the skin in the throat region to produce what appears to be a rigid spiny plate or 'beard' when it feels threatened or is showing dominance in territorial or mating disputes. The defending lizard will also raise it's head high and open it's mouth wide to display a bright yellow mouth interior.

Once my backyard visitor showed me who was boss, we got along just fine

A Bearded Dragon will also raise it's body in an arch on outstretched legs in an attempt to intimidate whatever creature is menacing it.

A smaller Bearded Dragon in my backyard in an upstretched defensive position

After Scruffy got used to me pointing my camera at him, he just lay there sunning himself like a lizard. He even allowed me to share the seat with him.

Flat out like a lizard in the sun

A small patch of flakey opaque skin on the back of the neck indicated that the lizard was beginning to moult. It was still wandering around my backyard late in the afternoon so I was lucky to observe it's 'before and after' appearance.

Shedding the skin

Bearded Dragons are quite leisurely about shedding, dropping patches of old skin as they move about. This fellow left a trail of skin fragments as it negotiated my garden.

The Dragon's skin clearly shedding in patches

Humidity and water can aid a lizard's shedding process, so perhaps the dragons were attracted to my yard by the dish of water I have burried to ground level in my herb garden. Rocks half fill the dish so that no small creatures will find themselves in water that is too deep. There were plenty of remnants of lizard skin in and around the dish of water.

I was almost tempted to give his scruffy face a good scratch under the chin like a dog

As the Bearded Dragon's habitat shrinks due to urban and suburban sprawl, you might find that these charming characters visit you regularly.

Enjoy their company if they wander into your yard, ensuring their safety by supervising pets and children.