Water dragon chillin’ in a tree

This Australian Water Dragon has draped itself over a tree branch, catching some sun on a cool wintry morning:

Here’s a close-up of that lovely head, eye closed in a lazy doze:

Australian Water Dragons (Intellagama lesueurii) are large dragon lizards, reaching a length of more than two metres. During the cold winter months, they burrow a hole for themselves, then slow down their metabolism and go into a state of brumation. We’re in the middle of autumn now — it must be about time for this one to head underground! They eat insects, flowers, and fruits such as figs and Lilly Pilly berries.

I spotted the Water Dragon at Manly Dam, north of Sydney, Australia. Here’s a zoomed-out view of the scene. You can see the lizard’s tail hanging down from the bush on the right-hand side of the dam:

About Sarah Maddox

Technical writer, author and blogger in Sydney

Posted on 2023/04/24, in Not a bird and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.

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