Fun Netted Dragon Facts For Kids

Monika Sharma
Nov 16, 2022 By Monika Sharma
Originally Published on Sep 01, 2021
Edited by Luca Demetriou
Fact-checked by Gowri Rao
A very famous central netted dragon fact is these lizards develop an orange flush on their head during the breeding season.
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Age: 3-18
Read time: 6.0 Min

The Central netted ground dragon is one of the many lizards which find a home in Australia.  The central netted dragon is found living in semi-arid regions of Western Australia. This dragon, Ctenophorus nuchalis are very active in the daytime and often enjoys basking in the sun a lot. Adult males are found basking in the sun, perched at termite mounds and sandy areas. Although, these central netted dragon Ctenophorus do not enjoy heat when it's too intense. During the very hot parts of the day, they are often escaping the sun in their burrows.

It is interesting how this resident of Queensland has such strong limbs, despite its tiny body structure. These species can run at great speeds and also dig burrows. These species need to maintain a certain body temperature in such desert and semi-arid areas. To learn more about such amazing camouflaged friends, make sure to check out our interesting articles on the komodo dragon and bearded dragon.

Netted Dragon Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a netted dragon?

A netted dragon, Ctenophorus nuchalis is a type of lizard and is a species of agamid lizard. These species are found in the semiarid deserted areas of Australia and have a good distribution all across the continent. One can find these central netted dragons in sandy areas, northern territory, and also various zoos of Australia.

What class of animal does a netted dragon belong to?

Central netted dragons are spectacular species of lizards. This terrestrial lizard belongs to the reptilia class.

How many netted dragons are there in the world?

A netted dragon central is a terrestrial lizard, known for its net-like pattern. These species are very smart and run at great speeds when they sense danger from their natural predators. However, bigger reptiles remained to be a threat for central netted dragons, reticulatus, but these species maintain multiple burrows for the time of need and to escape from their predators. Their population seems to be increasing but no fixed figure has been obtained regarding that. These species are thriving more in western Australia even since their habitat is cleared and grazed.

Where does a netted dragon live?

Australia is home to many reptiles and wildlife species. The central netted dragon, Ctenophorus is a native resident of this country. Their distribution can be seen from the center of the country to the west. Areas such as new south wales, western Australia, Queensland are its home.

What is a netted dragon's habitat?

A dragon central netted is very fond of open areas and lives in regions such as woodlands and shrublands. These brown lizards dig their burrows at the base of a tree or similar locations such as near a spinifex grass. A netted dragon central is very clever when it comes to making their habitat, they often backfill the entrance of their habitat to prevent their predators to enter. Their burrows are also helpful for them to maintain their healthy body temperature in warm western Australia.

Who do netted dragons live with?

This reddish-brown sider often does not interact much with the neighboring reptiles in the wild. However, other species such as the six-eyed sand spider and monitor lizard are its wide known neighbors in Queensland and native desert areas.

How long does a netted dragon live?

A central netted ground dragon lives long when in captivity or as a pet when compared to its lifespan in wild. This dragon, Ctenophorus nuchalis, lives for around two to four years in the wild and a good eight to nine years as a pet. The central netted dragons mostly die due to predators but as pets, they don't have that threat, hence, they live longer, when compared to their natural habitat in new south wales.

How do they reproduce?

Reproduction season for the central netted dragon arrives during September and December and it lasts for around four months. A netted dragon, Ctenophorus nuchalis, male is very territorial and defends their territory from another dragon central netted male. Females lay two to six eggs on the sand and they are left to incubate alone for around 75-80 days. The babies of central netted dragon ctenophorus are left with the responsibility of their survival and feeding once they are hatched. Females and males do not protect their babies after the reproduction season.

What is their conservation status?

In areas such as Queensland and new south wales and their other natural habitat, these central netted dragons have a good population and hence are titled Least Concern.

Netted Dragon Fun Facts

What do netted dragons look like?

The netted dragon, Ctenophorus nuchalis is a reddish-brown lizard with yellow hues. They have their signature net-like pattern and their head and body are about 10 cm in length. They have very short legs and a low crest along the top of their neck. Around their head, one can see a series of small spines. Although, a netted dragon, Ctenophorus nuchalis, is medium length lizard, its legs are relatively short.

The central netted dragon enjoys basking in sun very much. They can often be found in open areas in the morning enjoying the sun

How cute are they?

Their cute orange head looks very cute during the mating season, the low crest along the top of their neck gives them a very wonderful overall look.

How do they communicate?

Communication is common among many lizards from Western Australia and all across the world. A netted dragon, Ctenophorus nuchalis, communicate by bobbing their heads and also through waving their relatively short legs. They very skilfully rotate their head in relation to their leg to scare off other males.

How big is a netted dragon?

A central netted dragon is almost twice larger in size when compared to a texas horned lizard and a little larger in size when evaluated against a lava lizard.

How fast can a netted dragon move?

A central netted dragon ctenophorus moves very fast and dig burrows quite well.

How much does a netted dragon weigh?

A central netted dragon ctenophorus weight is yet not evaluated.

What are the male and female names of the species?

Both sexes in central netted dragons are introduced with a similar name and they do not have different names assigned to them.

What would you call a baby netted dragon?

A baby central netted dragon (Ctenophorus nuchalis) is called a neonate.

What do they eat?

Diet for these brown desert lizards is variable. Insects, flowers, and some vegetation to provide the body needed nutrition form the ideal diet for these western brown central netted dragons.

Are they poisonous?

No, a central netted dragon is not poisonous, they rather use the head in relation to their legs, to bob their heads and wave their legs to scare away predators.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, central netted dragons are considered very good pets, they often live long when taken from the wild as pets.

Did you know...

During the mating season, the netted dragon, Ctenophorus nuchalis, males develop an orange color head and neck, to attract females.

An average central netted dragon has around five to seven burrows at different locations.

Is netted dragon endemic?

No, central netted dragons are not endemic, rather their population is increasing and is very healthy.

How to spot netted dragon?

To spot a central netted dragon its must that one knows the head and body area is around  9.8-11.02 in (25-28 cm), they are medium-sized. Their body also has bars and marks of dark brown color.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these thorny dragon and southern house spider facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable central netted dragon Lizard coloring pages.

Netted Dragon Facts

What Did They Prey On?

Insects and flowers

What Type of Animal were they?

Omnivorous

Average Litter Size?

3

How Much Did They Weigh?

Not Evaluated

What habitat Do they Live In?

semi-arid regions

Where Do They Live?

australia

How Long Were They?

9.8-11.02 in (25-28 cm)

How Tall Were They?

N/A

Class

Reptilia

Genus

Ctenophorous

Family

Agamidae

Scientific Name

Ctenophorus nuchalis

What Do They Look Like?

Grey black

Skin Type

Dry scales

What Are Their Main Threats?

large reptiles, snakes, big birds

What is their Conservation Status?

Least Concern
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Written by Monika Sharma

Bachelor of Science specializing in Electronics and Telecommunication

Monika Sharma picture

Monika SharmaBachelor of Science specializing in Electronics and Telecommunication

With a passion for crafting engaging and informative content, Monika brings a wealth of writing experience to our team. Her Bachelors in Electronics and Telecommunications from Symbiosis Institute Of Technology adds a unique perspective to her work, allowing her to effectively communicate complex ideas in a clear and concise manner. Over the past two years, Monika has perfected her writing skills through her roles as a content writer, content manager, and digital marketer for reputable companies in both the USA and India. This hands-on experience has provided her with a deep understanding of industry trends and best practices, ensuring that the content she produces is always of the highest quality. She stays current with the latest field developments,continuously refining her skills to deliver exceptional content.

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