My first hatchling frilly who could rest on my index finger (SVL 5.3cm). It didn’t appear to have residual yolk reserves left, so the frilly was likely a week or two old. When I spotted the dragon in my peripherals I initially thought it was a strange gecko because of the ringed tail, but I was delighted to see it was my first baby frilly. The tail was arched against the branch, and the frilly undulated its tail in a worm-like manner each time I stepped too close. This could be an antipredator adaptation – the tail might be used as a lure to entice predators to go for the tail instead of the head. However, frilly tails do not detach easily, and I’m not sure if this behavior has been observed before in the wild. Once I find more hatchlings I will be able to confirm if this is the case.
Photographed in situ [1]
