About Boyd’s Forest Dragons

These prehistoric looking lizards are really descendents of dinosaurs. Only found in a small area of North East Queensland’s tropical rainforest, The Daintree, home to over 150 species of reptiles and is estimated to be over one hundred and thirty five millions years old. The Daintree being a rainforest is a naturally wet place and receives about 3500mm of rain per year. Most of this rain falls in the wet season January to April. The rest of the year remains relatively dry with odd heavy spurts of rain throughout the day. Temperatures in the Daintree fluctuates between 24-30 degrees. Boyd’s Forest Dragons live under the tree canopy so temperatures are only mildly hot and the air is humid but still cool.

Boyd’s Forest dragons will normally be seen wrapped around a vertical branch or tree stump about a 1 meter from the ground. This is where they will remain for most of the day waiting to ambush food beneath him. The Boyd’s Forest Dragon can be quite tricky to spot sometimes blending into what ever surroundings they are around making them Australia’s king of camouflage. They will also very slyly move to the back of the branch as you are looking for them.

The male has a territory of about a 1000sqm and does not overlap another males territory. But may contain 1 to 3 females territories. Movement is done mostly in summer but they are still active in the cooler months. The Boyd’s like all reptiles need heat to get moving they do like to bask in the sun however this is usually not possible beneath the tree canopy so the Boyd’s can heat themselves by thermo conforming. Thermo conforming is where the lizard regulates its body temperature to conform with the air around it. The Boyd’s body temp is within a degree of the temperature around it.

Boyd’s Forest dragons are at risk of becoming extinct in the wild this is due to climate changes and the way the Boyd’s Forest Dragon regulates their body heat. There is also a risk of its home becoming unliveable by 2050.

Food

Boyd’s Forest Dragons main diet consists of Insects and other invertebrates. Ants are their most common diet in the wild but also will take crickets, small grasshoppers and worms. They may also eat rainforest fruits and berries but it is not considered their main diet.

Size

Adults can grow up to 40cm in length but most are around 15-30cm.

Lifespan

The average life of a Boyd’s Forest Dragon is about 10 years

Breeding

Breeding is normally brought on by the stormy weather in December. The female Boyd’s have small clutches of eggs (between 1 to 6 eggs.) And will lay them in a shallow dug out hole.

Boyd’S Forest Dragon Enclosure

Click on Pictures for More Information on our Boyd’s Forest Dragon Enclosure