Frill-Necked Lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii

Frill-Necked Lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii

Location: Papua New Guinea, West Papua, Australia

Region: Trans-Fly ecosystem of southern Papua New Guinea and West Papua along with northern parts of Australia.

The frill-necked lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii, also known as the frilled dragons or frill-neck lizards, are famous for their impressive neck frill that fans out dramatically when they feel threatened. The Trans-Fly savannahs of southern Papua New Guinea and Indonesian-occupied West Papua, have come increasingly under threat over the past decade by climate change-related extreme weather and deforestation. Anthropogenic threats include habitat destruction for timber and palm oil, climate change-related fires, expanding agricultural zones, road and infrastructure building and capture for the exotic pet trade. In Australia, these lizards eat poisonous cane toads that are deadly once ingested. This along with large-scale bushfires pose threats to Frill-necked #Lizards. Once abundant, these striking reptiles are now losing their ecosystems. Use your wallet as a weapon for them by defending New Guinea’s forests. Choose palm oil-free products and boycott the pet trade. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

The Frilled-Neck #Lizard 🦎💚 is an icon of #Australia 🇦🇺. Their #PapuaNewGuinea 🇵🇬 and #WestPapua populations are under threat from #deforestation 🌴🩸⛔️ along with #ClimateChange. Protect their home and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/11/09/frill-necked-lizard-chlamydosaurus-kingii/

With their dramatic frilled necks 🦎😻✨ and ability to run on two legs, Frilled-Neck #Lizards are arguably the most spectacular lizards in all of #Melanesia 🇵🇬 Help protect their #NewGuinea population #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/11/09/frill-necked-lizard-chlamydosaurus-kingii/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a44j267-nxE

Appearance & Behaviour

With their iconic neck frill, long limbs and ability to sprint upright on two legs, frill-necked lizards are one of the most distinctive reptiles in the world. New Guinean individuals typically feature vivid yellow frills that flare outward like a sunburst when they feel threatened—often accompanied by a hiss and an open mouth to appear larger than life. Their frill can reach up to 30 cm across, supported by hyoid bones and cartilage that fan the skin out in a flash. Colouration is variable, and in New Guinea, these lizards lean towards paler hues with distinctive white markings accenting their yellow frills.

Primarily arboreal, they spend over 90% of their time in the trees. They are solitary, territorial, and highly dependent on their frill to communicate and intimidate. During the wet season, they descend closer to the ground in search of food, only to retreat to the higher canopy during the dry months when food is scarce.

Threats

• Deforestation for palm oil plantations is rapidly fragmenting their native woodlands in the Trans-Fly region of West Papua and Papua New Guinea.
• Illegal capture for the pet trade—many specimens claimed to be ‘captive bred’ are actually wild-caught in Papua New Guinea.
• Late dry season fires increase mortality rates and reduce food availability.
• Predation by feral cats is an ongoing issue in some parts of their range.
• Climate change related extreme weather may impact their reproduction, as temperature influences sex ratios and growth rates.

Geographic Range

This species is found in northern Australia and across southern New Guinea, including both Papua New Guinea and Indonesian-occupied West Papua. In New Guinea, they inhabit the Trans-Fly savannah region—a unique landscape of seasonal woodlands and dry forests. These lizards avoid low-lying Melaleuca-dominated swamps and prefer elevated areas with well-drained soils and diverse tree species. However, their range in New Guinea is far more restricted than in Australia, making local threats far more significant to their survival.

Diet

Frill-necked lizards are insectivorous ambush predators. They rely on their sharp eyesight and camouflage to spot prey from high in the trees. Their diet consists mainly of insects like termites, cicadas, beetles, ants, and centipedes. During the dry season, termites are especially important, while the wet season sees them shifting to moth larvae. Occasionally, they will consume spiders, small rodents, and other lizards.

Mating and Reproduction

Mating occurs during the late dry and early wet seasons. Males engage in dramatic frill displays and combat to win over females. Females dig a shallow burrow where they lay 1–2 clutches of 4–20 eggs. Temperature plays a critical role in determining the sex of hatchlings—warmer nests produce more males, while cooler ones yield more females. Young frillies are independent within 10 days of hatching and can deploy their frills almost immediately.

FAQs

How many Frill-necked lizards are left in New Guinea?

There is no precise population estimate for New Guinea, but while the species is locally common in parts of Australia, their populations in the Trans-Fly region are under pressure. Their limited range, coupled with the impacts of deforestation and trade, may mean local declines are already occurring.

How long do Frill-necked lizards live in the wild?

Frill-necked lizards in the wild can live up to 6 years for males and around 4 years for females. Hatchlings grow rapidly during the wet season and reach sexual maturity by about two years of age.

Do Frill-necked lizards make good pets?

Absolutely not. These sensitive reptiles are wild animals with complex needs. They are difficult to breed in captivity, meaning many sold in pet markets are likely wild-caught, contributing directly to population declines. Keeping them as pets fuels this harmful trade and leads to suffering. If you care about frill-necked lizards, do not support the exotic pet industry.

Take Action!

Support local and indigenous-led resistance to palm oil deforestation in West Papua and Papua New Guinea. Boycott palm oil products entirely—there is no such thing as “sustainable” palm oil, all of it causes deforestation. Say no to the exotic pet trade, which is stripping these unique lizards from the wild and pushing them towards decline. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

Support Frill-Necked Lizards by going vegan and boycotting palm oil in the supermarket, it’s the #Boycott4Wildlife

Support the conservation of this species

This animal has no protections in place. Read about other forgotten species here. Create art to support this forgotten animal or raise awareness about them by sharing this post and using the #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife hashtags on social media. Also you can boycott palm oil in the supermarket.

Further Information

O’Shea, M., Allison, A., Tallowin, O., Wilson, S. & Melville, J. 2017. Chlamydosaurus kingii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T170384A21644690. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T170384A21644690.en. Accessed on 06 April 2025.

Harlow, P. S., & Shine, R. (1999). Temperature-dependent sex determination in reptiles: insights from frillneck lizards. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 68(3), 197–211. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3893081

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Frilled lizard. Wikipedia. Retrieved 7 April 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frilled_lizard

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

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https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

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Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

#animals #Australia #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #bushfires #climateChange #climatechange #deforestation #fires #ForgottenAnimals #FrillNeckedLizardChlamydosaurusKingii #hunting #illegalPetTrade #insectivore #lizard #lizards #Melanesia #NewGuinea #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #PapuaNewGuineaSpeciesEndangeredByPalmOilDeforestation #PapuaNewGuinea #petTrade #poaching #Reptile #reptiles #timber #WestPapua #WestPapua

Crested Capuchin Sapajus robustus

Crested Capuchin Sapajus robustus

IUCN Status: Endangered

Location: Brazil (southern Bahia, eastern Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo). In Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, where morning mist clings to ancient trees, the crested capuchin moves through their shrinking world with quiet intelligence.

The crested capuchin stands as one of Brazil’s most endangered primates. Their distinctive scarlet crests catch filtered sunlight as they navigate forest fragments between the Jequitinhonha and Doce rivers. With only 14,400 individuals remaining, these intelligent tool-users face extinction as palm oil plantations, soy agriculture, and urban sprawl devour their ancestral homes. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife every time you shop and be #Vegan to help their survival.

https://youtu.be/tu9-T8Aapg8

Cheeky Crested #Capuchins are gregarious tool-using #monkeys, #endangered in #Brazil 🇧🇷 from #palmoil 🌴⛔️ meat 🥩🐮⛔️ and soy #deforestation and the illegal #pettrade 🏹 Help save them, when you shop #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/06/12/crested-capuchin-sapajus-robustus/

Main threats to Crested Capuchins are agriculture, urban sprawl, deforestation, increasing energy matrix, increasing road matrix habitat fragmentation, habitat reduction, hunting, harvesting and extensive areas of monoculture eucalyptus and pine.

IUCN red list

Appearance and Behaviour

The Crested Capuchin’s most striking feature blazes against the Atlantic forest canopy —a conical crest of brilliant scarlet adorned with a black spot. Their crests may extend around their faces, creating elegant black beards. Their robust bodies measure 33-57 centimetres with tails reaching 40-47 centimetres. Males weigh up to 3.8 kilograms.

These remarkable and gregarious primates reveal intelligence through sophisticated tool use. They employ eleven distinct actions including hammering, probing, and sponging. The social structure of Crested Capuchins features linear hierarchies spanning both sexes, with dominant males commanding respect from highest-ranking females.

Diet

Crested capuchins are master foragers. As frugivore-insectivores, they feast on fruits from 56 native species, protein-rich arthropods, tender shoots and leaves, and occasionally small mammals. Their nimble little hands extract seeds from tough-shelled fruits with craftsperson precision. Crested capuchins maintain preferences for wild forest fruits even when exotic options become available, allowing them to maintain home ranges of approximately 120 hectares.

Reproduction and Mating

Groups of capuchins ranging from 12 to 27 individuals create dynamic communities. Males typically disperse from natal groups seeking new territories. Females remain within birth communities, creating matrilineal bonds spanning generations. Dominant males secure priority access to females during breeding seasons. Mothers teach essential foraging skills and social behaviours determining offspring survival prospects.

Geographic Range

Once ranging broadly between the Doce and Jequitinhonha rivers across Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, and Bahia, crested capuchins now survive primarily in forest fragments. Climate projections predict significant habitat deterioration by 2070. Their extent of occurrence spans greater than 119,000 square kilometres, yet actual occupancy remains unknown as habitat fragments into smaller islands.

Threats

Cattle ranching, timber, palm oil and soy deforestation

Palm oil plantations strip away multilayered canopy, replacing complex ecosystems with sterile monocultures. Soy cultivation and cattle ranching carve geometric scars across landscapes. Roads slice through forest fragments, creating barriers preventing genetic exchange. Energy infrastructure fragments habitat further. Urban sprawl consumes forest edges with relentless appetite. Pine and eucalyptus plantations replace native forest with fast-growing exotic trees providing neither food nor shelter.

Hunting and illegal wildlife trade

Hunters target crested capuchins for bushmeat near human settlements. The illegal pet trade tears infants from mothers’ arms, condemning them to stress, loneliness, and early death. Young capuchins suffer psychological trauma often proving fatal. Local communities facing economic hardship may turn to hunting as protein sources. Law enforcement struggles to patrol vast fragmented areas.

Climate change

Rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns disrupt seasonal rhythms. Prolonged droughts stress fruit trees, reducing food source abundance. Earlier or delayed fruiting seasons create mismatches between peak food availability and energy demand periods. Extreme weather events caused by climate change destroy habitat and force populations of crested capuchins into marginal areas.

Take Action!

Use your wallet as a weapon and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife every time you shop. Reject soy-fed meat and adopt a vegan lifestyle protecting wild and farmed animals. Support indigenous-led protection and agroecology. Refuse products containing palm oil and meat, which is driving Atlantic Forest deforestation. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife and go plant-based every time you shop.

FAQs

What is the current population of crested capuchins?

The total remaining population of Crested Capuchins is estimated at 14,400 individual monkeys based on census data in protected areas. Population densities range from 2.47 sightings per 10 kilometres in protected areas to 0.22 groups per 10 square kilometres in degraded habitats. Groups of capuchins typically consist of 12-15 individuals, though larger assemblages of up to 27 individuals show remarkable fluidity. The species faces ongoing population decline of at least 50% over three generations due to continuing habitat loss.

How long do crested capuchins live?

Related capuchin species typically live 15-25 years in the wild and potentially longer in captivity. Their longevity depends heavily on habitat quality, food availability, and human disturbance levels. Dominant individuals may enjoy better access to resources and greater longevity. However, ongoing deforestation and declining food availability may be reducing average lifespans of Crested Capuchins as individuals face increased stress and greater exposure to human-related mortality factors.

What are the main conservation challenges facing crested capuchins?

The primary challenge is relentless destruction of their Atlantic Forest habitat, with less than 12% of original forest remaining in small, isolated fragments. Palm oil plantations, soy cultivation for livestock feed, and cattle ranching continue converting forest into monocultures. Climate change compounds pressures by altering rainfall patterns, potentially making suitable habitat uninhabitable by 2070. Hunting for bushmeat and illegal pet trade further reduce numbers while disrupting social structures. Their restricted range makes them particularly vulnerable to local extinctions.

What are some interesting and unusual facts about crested capuchins?

Crested capuchins display remarkable intelligence through sophisticated tool use, employing eleven distinct actions including hammering, probing, and sponging. They modify tools for specific tasks and learn from watching companions. Their most distinctive feature is the brilliant scarlet conical crest adorned with a black spot. They show remarkable dietary flexibility, maintaining preferences for wild forest fruits even when exotic cultivated options become available. Their social groups can reach up to 27 individuals with remarkable fluidity, sometimes forming temporary subgroups.

Do crested capuchins make good pets?

Absolutely not. Crested capuchins suffer extreme stress, loneliness, and early death in captivity. These highly social primates have complex needs that cannot be met domestically. The illegal pet trade rips infants from mothers’ arms, causing severe trauma while removing breeding individuals from critically endangered populations. They require sophisticated social interactions, diverse natural foods, and extensive territories. Legal ownership is prohibited under Brazilian law, making possession illegal and unethical.

Further Information

Chiarello, A. G. (1999). Effects of fragmentation of the Atlantic forest on mammal communities in south-eastern Brazil. Biological Conservation, 89(1), 71-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3207(98)00130-X

Fragaszy, D. M., Izar, P., Visalberghi, E., Ottoni, E. B., & de Oliveira, M. G. (2004). Wild capuchin monkeys (Cebus libidinosus) use anvils and stone pounding tools. American Journal of Primatology, 64(4), 359-366. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.20085

Martins, W. P., de Melo, F. R., Kierulff, M. C. M., Mittermeier, R. A., Lynch Alfaro, J. W., & Jerusalinsky, L. (2021). Sapajus robustus (amended version of 2019 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T42697A192592444. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T42697A192592444.en

Santos, P. M., Bocchiglieri, A., & Chiarello, A. G. (2023). Impacts of climate change and habitat loss on the distribution of the endangered crested capuchin monkey (Sapajus robustus). American Journal of Primatology, 85(11), e23548. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23548

Steinberg, D. L., Lynch, J. W., & Cartmill, E. A. (2022). A robust tool kit: First report of tool use in captive crested capuchin monkeys (Sapajus robustus). American Journal of Primatology, 84(11), e23428. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23428

You can support this beautiful animal

There are no known conservation activities for this animal. Share out this post to social media and join the #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife on social media to raise awareness

Further Information

Donate to help orphaned capuchins that are rescued from traffickers. At Merazonia Wildlife Sanctuary

Martins, W.P., de Melo, F.R., Kierulff, M.C.M., Mittermeier, R.A., Lynch Alfaro, J.W. & Jerusalinsky, L. 2021. Sapajus robustus (amended version of 2019 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T42697A192592444. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T42697A192592444.en. Downloaded on 06 June 2021.

Wikipedia

Reduced range of the endangered crested capuchin monkey (Sapajus robustus) and a possible hybrid zone with Sapajus nigritus

Crested Capuchin Sapajus robustus

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

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3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

#Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #Brazil #bushmeat #capuchin #Capuchins #climateChange #climatechange #CrestedCapuchinSapajusRobustus #deforestation #endangered #EndangeredSpecies #hunting #illegalPetTrade #insectivore #meatAgriculture #meatAndSoyDeforestationInBrazil #monkey #monkeys #palmoil #petTrade #pettrade #Primate #primates #SouthAmericaSpeciesEndangeredByPalmOilDeforestation #vegan

Au Québec, depuis 2010, plusieurs espèces de chauves-souris ont subi une réduction de leur population de 90 à 95 %. Les biologistes du Zoo de Granby se lancent dans une mission de préservation et sollicitent l'aide du public pour trouver des colonies de chauves-souris brunes de la région. https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2176376/projet-preservation-especes-danger

Et puisque Radio-Canada ne donne jamais les liens externes, voici le site du projet : 👉 https://chauve-souris.ca/

#Québec #Biodiversité #ChauveSouris #Insectivore #Estrie #Biologie