lophognathus temporalis

aus Greer, A.E. 2004. Encyclopedia of Australian Reptiles. Australian Museum.Version date: 16 December 2004.

Lophognathus temporalis
Distribution.
Habitat. The species occurs in savanna woodland (Christian et al., 1999). It also occurs in degraded habitats such as city parks (Blamires, 1999; Christian et al., 1999).
Daily activity. The species is diurnal (Blamires, 1999; Christian et al., 1999) and semi-arboreal (Blamires, 1999; Christian et al., 1999).
Seasonal activity. The species is much more conspicuous and hence probably active during the warmer wet season than it is during the cooler dry season (Christian et al., 1999). During the dry season, the lizards are often inactive high in the trees (Christian et al., 1999).
The species’ physiology also changes between the wet and dry seasons. Its field metabolic rate, resting metabolic rates and water influx are all significantly higher during the wet season than during the dry season. In part the metabolic differences are due to cooler temperatures and the lizard’s diminished activity, but they are also due in part to the lizard’s lower inherent levels of metabolic activity during the dry season (Christian et al., 1999).
Furthermore, the animals gain mass during the wet season and lose it during the dry season (Christian et al., 1999).
Thermal relations. The species’ mean preferred body temperature is 34.5º C during the wet season and 34.1º C during the dry season. There is no significant difference between the two seasons (Christian et al., 1999).
Density. In a park in Darwin, Northern Territory the mean density was 107 lizards/hectare during the wet season when subadults and adults are prevalent in the population and 125 during the dry season when juveniles are prevalent (Christian et al., 1999).
Diet
Reproduction. In the Northern Territory, females can be gravid at a snout-vent length as small as 80 mm (Christian et al., 1999).
In the Northern Territory, females are gravid in the wet season (January)( Christian et al., 1999).
Defence. The rapid rotation of the forelimb apparently occurs in all age classes and both sexes of the species. And the fact that it is a "signal" given in the apparent absence of other individuals of the same species but in the presence of a potential predator (the human
observer) suggests that it may work to either distract a predator or let a predator know it has been seen (Blabbers, 1998 ).
Head bobbing may also be a threat issued to predators. Mature males head bob potential predators(the human observer) in the absence of other individuals of the same species (Blamires, 1998 ).
When in a tree and approached by a predator, the species may either move around to the opposite side of the branch or drop to the ground and run to cover. Lizards on the ground always run to cover, that is, apparently not to a tree (Blamires, 1999).
Conservation. The fact that the species can “thrive” in parks (Blamires, 1999) suggests that the dragon can adapt to very degraded habitats and hence has a future.
Literature. Blamires, 1998, 1999; Blamires and Christian, 1999; Christian, Bedford, Green Griffiths, Newgrain and Schultz, 1999.