Eastern Water Dragon
Part of the Lizards and Snakes: Alive! exhibition.
Water Dragon exit strategy
1. Always perch above water.
2. When danger threatens, let go.
3. Swim away--or submerge--for an hour or more!
Tail
Side-to-side movement of its muscular tail propels this lizard through the water.
Legs
When swimming, the Water Dragon tucks its limbs close to its body, creating a streamlined form.
Teeth
Most lizards lose and replace teeth throughout life, but the teeth of Water Dragons and their relatives are permanent and are fused to their jaws. This gives these animals a precise bite, more like that of mammals than of other squamates.
Crest
The crest and spines are larger in males than in females. Bigger spines make the body look larger from the side and may help males attract mates.
Heart
The heart of this lizard beats very, very slowly while the animal is submerged, hiding from predators. This means the lizard needs less oxygen, which is why it can stay under water so long.
Meet the Family
The large family to which the Water Dragon belongs--Agamidae--is a group of 420 species sometimes called the chisel-toothed lizards. Unlike human teeth, "chisel teeth" are fused to the jawbones and may last a lifetime. Chisel teeth appear in 80-million-year-old Mongolian fossil lizards.
Common Flying Dragon
Draco volans
This Southeast Asian lizard glides between trees by extending modified skin-covered ribs and steering with its tail.
Moloch or Thorny Devil
Moloch horridus
No, that's not an acorn. When threatened, a Moloch tucks its head between its legs and presents this large knob to predators.
Fast Facts
Name: Eastern Water Dragon; Physignathus lesueurii
Size: 0.8 to 1 meter (2.5 to 3 feet)
Range: Eastern Australia
Diet: Aquatic insects, small vertebrates, fruits and berries