Lizard is the common name used for all squamate reptiles other than snakes, encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The grouping is paraphyletic as some lizards are more closely related to snakes than they are to other lizards. Lizards range in size from chameleons and geckos a few centimeters long to the 3-meter-long Komodo dragon.
Agamidae is a family of over 550 species of iguanian lizards indigenous to Africa, Asia, Australia, and a few in Southern Europe. Many species are commonly called dragons or dragon lizards.
Ctenophorus is a genus of lizards, commonly known as comb-bearing dragons, found in Australia. They are in the dragon lizard family, known as Agamidae.
The thorny devil, also known commonly as the mountain devil, thorny lizard, thorny dragon, and moloch, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to Australia. It is the sole species in the genus Moloch. It grows up to 21 cm (8.3 in) in total length, with females generally larger than males.
Ctenophorus maculosus, commonly known as the Lake Eyre dragon or salt-lake ground-dragon, is a species of agamid lizard endemic to South Australia. C. maculosus mainly inhabits the edges of salt lakes in South Australia, from which its common names are derived. It survives in this harsh habitat through adaptive mechanisms to tolerate high temperatures and lack of free water. The female C. maculosus possesses unique male rejection techniques which are currently the focus of further research.
The central netted dragon or central netted ground dragon is a species of agamid lizard occurring in a wide range of arid to semiarid regions of Australia. It is widespread across the continent, commonly found in open, sandy, desert habitats. It is a popular pet and can often be found in zoos.
Ctenophorus pictus, commonly known as the painted ground-dragon or painted dragon, is a species of lizard from the family Agamidae. It is endemic to the drier areas of southern and central Australia.
The Barrier Range dragon is an agamid lizard which has been newly described (2013) as a separate species from the tawny dragon. This species is endemic to Australia, restricted to just three sites in western New South Wales (NSW).
The Mallee military dragon, also commonly known as the Mallee dragon and the Mallee sand-dragon, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is native to the arid parts of southern Australia.
Ctenophorus isolepis, commonly known as the central military dragon, military dragon or military sand dragon, is a species of agamid lizard occurring in the arid parts of central and western Australia.
Ctenophorus rubens, commonly known as the reddening sand-dragon or rufus sand dragon, is a species of agamid lizard occurring in the arid sandy areas of shrublands and spinifex of the Exmouth Gulf and the adjacent interior of Western Australia, with an isolated population also occurring in the sand dunes south of Hamelin Pool, Western Australia. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of C. isolepis.
Ctenophorus butlerorum, also known commonly as Butler's dragon, the Shark Bay heath dragon and the Edel heath dragon, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
Ctenophorus caudicinctus, commonly known as the ring-tailed dragon or ring-tailed bicycle-dragon is a native species of agamid lizard occurring in rocky ranges and outcrops of Australia. Ctenophorus caudicinctus is most commonly found in the Pilbara region and offshore islands of Western Australia. The ctenophorus has 28 known species in the northern, southern, and western parts of Australia. It is recognized to be the most speciose group of Australian agamids.
Ctenophorus clayi, also known commonly as the black-collared dragon, the black-shouldered ground-dragon, and Clay's dragon, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
Ctenophorus cristatus, commonly known as the crested dragon, bicycle dragon or crested bicycle-dragon, is a species of agamid lizard occurring in semi-arid woodlands in south-western Australia.
Ctenophorus maculatus, commonly known as the spotted military dragon, spotted dragon, or spotted sand-dragon is a species of agamid lizard occurring in semi-arid to arid shrublands and hummock grasslands of Western Australia and a small part of South Australia.
Ctenophorus mckenziei, more commonly known as the dwarf-bicycle dragon, is a species of endemic Australian lizard within the family Agamidae and genus Ctenophorus. Originally identified as the agamid Amphibolurus mckenziei, the lizard had been identified within the regions of Western Australia and South Australia in which it occupied the shrubbery and woodland areas as its habitat. It was subsequently transferred to the genus Ctenophorus along with other Agamid species in which it shared similar morphology and characteristics. The name mckenziei is in reference to Norman Leslie Mckenzie, who was a zoologist and discovered the existence of the lizard. Listed on the IUCN red list page, threats to its population numbers are evaluated as least concern; however, their numbers are threatened by habitat loss, climate change, and feral predators.
Ctenophorus parviceps, commonly known as the Gnaraloo heath dragon or northwestern heath dragon is a species of agamid lizard occurring in pale coastal sands and shell grit with open heaths and beach spinifex, between the North West Cape and Carnarvon, Western Australia and on Bernier Island. The Gnaraloo heath dragon is a lizard that can be found along the coast of Western Australia between Exmouth Gulf and Shark Bay, and is also known as the northwestern heath dragon. It is native to Australia and usually inhabits sandy coastal dunes. The species' longevity is 3–50 years and its population density is extremely low. The Gnaraloo heath dragon is a member of the Agamidae family, which contains 15 genera. The lizard is under the Ctenophorus genus which has up to 33 species. This genus shows the most morphological and ecological diversity out of the three large agamid genera. 83% of the lizards in this genus lack a crest, while 17% possess crests. They are smaller than most agamids but do have relatively large heads. The Gnaraloo heath dragon can be differentiated from related species by a series of spines on the tail's base, a pale-grey brown broad vertebral band along its back, and hour-glass bars extending upwards to meet the pale vertebral band. It is usually 45mm in terms of length, measuring from snout to vent.
Ctenophorus rufescens, commonly known as the rusty dragon or rusty-crevice dragon is a species of agamid lizard occurring in granite outcrops featuring open expanses strewn with exfoliated rock, in arid north-western South Australia, south-western Northern Territory and adjacent Western Australia.
Ctenophorus spinodomus commonly known as Eastern Mallee Dragon, is a species of agamid lizard endemic to the arid and semi-arid regions of southeastern Australia. Belonging to the genus Ctenophorus, which comprises a diverse group of 35 species this small lizard is characterised by striking colours and unique behaviours. Commonly known as dragon lizards, spinodomus is derived from the Greek words "spinos" (thorn) and "domos" (house), referring to its preference for burrowing habitats among spiny vegetation. They are curious creatures and can be found darting between the safety of Triodia grass clumps or basking on the red sand.
