Eastern Water Dragon

Physignathus lesueurii
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DESCRIPTION

245mm in length. Olive to brown in colour with dark stripe from eye to neck. Dark bands on body and red flush on chest.

The Water Dragon - Physignathus lesueurii - can be found on the eastern seaboard of Australia from Queensland, through New South Wales and into Victoria. Physignathus lesuerii howittii, known as the Gippsland Water Dragon, (which noticably lacks the stripe around the eye) occurs in the Gippsland area, Victoria and the Kangaroo Valley and Physignathus lesueurii lesueurii, known as the Eastern Water Dragon, extends north to Cooktown in Queensland. Both species thrive in cities such as Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane. The Eastern Water Dragon is a semi-aquatic, arboreal lizard, usually seen perched on tree branches overhanging water. When disturbed it will quickly drop into water and swim away. The diet consists of a variety of insects, aquatic organisms, including frogs, as well as other small terrestrial vertebrates. It will also feed on fruits and berries.