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What the sources say

Frilled LizardChlamydosaurus kingii

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Frilled Lizard profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 44 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Chlamydosaurus kingii (Frilled Lizard). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page saysknown for the cape of skin that lies over its shoulders until something threatens it
The source saysThe frill lies like a cape over its shoulders until erected.
The page saysCornered, it usually turns to face its attacker and opens its pink or yellow mouth, and the frill rises around its neck
The source saysIf the lizard is cornered, it usually turns to face its aggressor and enacts the defense mechanism for which frilled lizards are most famous. The lizard erects the frill by opening its brightly colored pink or yellow mouth.
The page saysmeasuring almost 12 inches (about 30 cm) across when fully raised
The source sayswhich when fully erected may measure almost 12 inches acrossNote: about 30 cm converted from the source's 12 inches
The page saysof 290 millimeters and weigh at least 870 grams; females are much smaller, at 235 millimeters and 400 grams
The source saysadult males reaching a snout vent length (SVL) of 290 mm, and a mass of at least 870 g. Females are much smaller, reaching a SVL of 235 mm and a mass of 400gNote: the parenthetical after 'snout-to-vent length' defines the measurement, not a source claim
The page saysIts average length is 85 centimeters (33 inches)
The source saysIt is a large lizard, averaging 85 cm (33 inches) in length.
The page saysIt lives in grassy woodland and dry forest across northern Australia and southern New Guinea
The source saysThe frilled lizard is found across northern Australia and southern New Guinea ... The frilled lizard lives in the subhumid to semi-arid grassy woodlands and dry sclerophyll forests.
The page saysspending 90 percent of its time in trees
The source saysFrilled lizards are arboreal, spending 90% of their time in trees.
The page saysIt is well camouflaged there, and is usually noticed only after rain or when it comes down to feed
The source saysDue to its excellent camouflage, it is usually observed only when it descends to the ground after a rainfall or to search for food.
The page sayshas been known to take small mammals and pieces of meat
The source sayshave been known to eat small mammals and pieces of meat
The page saysIf the bluff fails, the lizard usually runs up the nearest tree
The source saysIf the "bluffing" doesn't work, the lizard usually runs up the nearest tree
The page saysit is well known for running on its hind legs alone
The source saysThe species is well known for its bipedal locomotion when running.
The page saysMostly small invertebrates, with harvester termites (Drepanotermes) a major part; known to take small mammals and pieces of meat
The source saysThey are insectivores and most commonly eat small invertebrates, but have been known to eat small mammals and pieces of meatNote: stats.diet; the Drepanotermes clause is diet-1996's 'Harvester termites from the genus Drepanotermes constitute a major component of the diet'
The page saysUsually, but not always. Animal Diversity Web says a disturbed frilled lizard usually dashes to the nearest tree, but it may instead hide beneath low vegetation or freeze, resting absolutely motionless
The source saysWhen disturbed, this bipedal lizard usually dashes to the nearest tree, but as an alternative, it may hide beneath low vegetation or go into a "freeze" mode. This predator response of resting absolutely motionless
The page saysThe frill comes out when it is cornered, sometimes with hissing, standing up on its hind legs, and leaping at or chasing the predator
The source saysIf the lizard is cornered, it usually turns to face its aggressor ... The lizard erects the frill by opening its brightly colored pink or yellow mouth. This sudden apparent increase in size and bright mouth color is sometimes accompanied by hissing, standing up on its hind legs, and leaping at or chasing the predator.
The page sayswhen the bluff fails it bolts on its hind legs alone
The source saysThe species is well known for its bipedal locomotion when running.Note: vibe.reason, task #807

Source
02

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

Lizard. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

The page saysFlaring the frill makes the lizard look much bigger than it really is, and a predator may decide to look for smaller prey
The source saysThe Australian frilled lizard has a “frill” of loose skin around its neck that can stick out when the lizard is frightened. This makes the lizard look much bigger than it really is, and a predator may decide to look for smaller prey.
The page saysAustralian dragon lizard that flares a bone-and-cartilage neck frill to startle predators, and if the bluff fails, runs off on its hind legs
The source saysThe Australian frilled lizard has a “frill” of loose skin around its neck that can stick out when the lizard is frightened. This makes the lizard look much bigger than it really is, and a predator may decide to look for smaller prey. If that doesn’t work, the lizard runs away on its hind feet.Note: tagline; 'dragon lizard' from ADW ('one of Australia's most distinctive and familiar dragon lizards'), 'bone-and-cartilage' from elastic-2019 (CBI bones and Grey's cartilages)

Source
03

AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Human Ageing Genomic Resources

AnAge entry for Chlamydosaurus kingii. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.

The page saysThe longest-lived frilled lizard in the AnAge ageing database reached 9.9 years, in captivity
The source saysMaximum longevity 9.9 years (captivity)

Source
04

Griffiths & Christian 1996

Griffiths & Christian (1996). Diet and habitat use of frillneck lizards in a seasonal tropical environment. Oecologia.

The page saysA two-year study of a wild population in Kakadu National Park found harvester termites of the genus Drepanotermes were a major part of its diet
The source saysA population of frillneck lizards, Chlamydosaurus kingii, was monitored by mark-recapture and telemetry over a 2 year period in Kakadu National Park ... Harvester termites from the genus Drepanotermes constitute a major component of the diet
The page sayswhich the study calls unusual for a sedentary forager
The source saysthe prevalence of termites in the diet of sedentary foragers in a tropical environment is unusualNote: the gloss 'one that waits for food rather than roaming after it' defines the term, not a source claim
The page saysIt eats a diverse range of other invertebrates too
The source saysFrillneck lizards feed on a diverse range of invertebrates in both seasons
The page saysGrowth is restricted to the wet season, when food is plentiful, and is minimal in the dry season, when food is scarce
The source saysGrowth in C. kingii was restricted to the wet season, when food availability was high, and growth was minimal in the dry season when food availability was low.
The page saysA wild population followed for two years in Kakadu National Park fed on a diverse range of invertebrates in both the wet and the dry season, even though the dry season had far less food
The source saysA population of frillneck lizards, Chlamydosaurus kingii, was monitored by mark-recapture and telemetry over a 2 year period in Kakadu National Park ... Frillneck lizards feed on a diverse range of invertebrates in both seasons, even though there is a substantial reduction in food avail-ability in the dry season.Note: 'two years' is the source's '2 year period'
The page saysRadio-tracked lizards picked significantly larger kinds of tree in the dry season
The source saysTelemetered lizards selected a significantly different distribution of tree species than was randomly available, and they selected significantly larger tree species during the dry season.
The page saysAdult males kept their body condition fairly steady all year, while females varied considerably, which the researchers put down to the sexes' different roles in breeding
The source saysAdult male body condition remained relatively stable throughout the year, but females experienced considerable variation. These differences are attributed to different reproductive roles of the sexes.

Source
05

Montandon, Fofonjka & Milinkovitch 2019

Montandon, Fofonjka & Milinkovitch (2019). Elastic instability during branchial ectoderm development causes folding of the Chlamydosaurus erectile frill. eLife.

The page saysTwo of its bones support the lower sides of the frill, and a pair of cartilages holds the upper sides
The source saysthe ventral sides of the ruff are supported by the two ceratobranchial I bones (CBI) of the hyoid apparatus ... and the dorsal sides are held by the so-called ‘Grey’s cartilages’Note: 'Two of its bones' is the quote's 'two ceratobranchial I bones (CBI) of the hyoid apparatus'; ventral/dorsal rendered as lower/upper
The page saysThe frill goes up when these move together, and it needs the mouth open
The source saysErection of the frill is caused by the coordinated movements of the CBI bones and Grey’s cartilages and requires the opening of the mouth.
The page saysRaises a neck frill held up by hyoid bones and cartilages, with its mouth open, in a startle display; if that fails it usually runs for a tree on its hind legs
The source saysErection of the frill is caused by the coordinated movements of the CBI bones and Grey’s cartilages and requires the opening of the mouth.Note: stats.superpower; startle display from uncovering-2019 (conforms to deimatic display theory); the run from ADW ('If the "bluffing" doesn't work, the lizard usually runs up the nearest tree'; 'well known for its bipedal locomotion when running')
The page saysResearchers showed that the embryo's neck fold enlarges and wrinkles, forming three ridges on each lobe of the frill
The source saysWe also show that the Chlamydosaurus embryonic neck fold dramatically enlarges and its anterior surface wrinkles, establishing three convex ridges on each lobe of the frill.
The page saysIt starts in the embryo, before the lizard hatches
The source saysthe transition from two to three ridges observed during embryonic development of the dragon’s frillNote: hatching (not live birth) from ADW: 'This species is oviparous.'
The page saysThey suggest the ridges do not come from extra growth where each ridge sits: the skin grows evenly, but because it is attached to the tissue around it, it buckles into folds
The source saysWe suggest that this robust folding pattern is not due to localised increased growth at the positions of the ridges, but emerges from an elastic instability during homogeneous growth of the frill skin frustrated by its attachment to adjacent tissues
The page saysTheir physical models and 3D computer simulations reproduced the switch from two ridges to three seen in real embryos
The source saysOur physical analog experiments and 3D computational simulations, using realistic embryonic tissue growth, thickness and stiffness values, recapitulate the transition from two to three ridges observed during embryonic development of the dragon’s frill.

Source
06

Perez-Martinez, Riley & Whiting 2019

Perez-Martinez, Riley & Whiting (2019). Uncovering the function of an enigmatic display: antipredator behaviour in the iconic Australian frillneck lizard. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society.

The page saysResearchers tested the display against a model bird of prey and found it fits deimatic display theory
The source saysWe used behavioural assays with a model avian predator to demonstrate that their display conforms to deimatic display theory.
The page saysA deimatic display startles a predator for a moment, resulting in a pause or retreat
The source sayssome animals engage in a deimatic display to startle the predator momentarily, resulting in a pause or retreat
The page saysThe frill reveals patches of white and red-orange skin plus a yellow mouth lining, and to a bird of prey's eyes the lizard switches from camouflaged to conspicuous
The source saysthe display revealed three colour patches (white and red–orange patches on the frill; yellow mouth palate) that facilitate a transition from a cryptic to a conspicuous state as perceived by a raptor visual system
The page saysThe display is performed with movements that amplify its effect
The source saysthe display was performed with movements that amplified its effect
The page saysThe frill is larger in males than females, hinting it might double as a signal in contests between rival males too
The source saysThe frill area was larger in males than in females, which suggests that the frill might also be co-opted for male–male contests.
The page saysThe frilled lizard flares its frill with movements that amplify the startle
The source saysthe display was performed with movements that amplified its effectNote: vibe.reason, task #807

Source
07

Ujvari, Dowton & Madsen 2007

Ujvari, Dowton & Madsen (2007). Mitochondrial DNA recombination in a free-ranging Australian lizard. Biology Letters.

The page saysMitochondrial DNA is normally inherited from the mother only, with no mixing between the two parents' copies
The source saysThe frequent use of mtDNA in such analyses derives from the apparent simplicity of its inheritance: maternal and lacking bi-parental recombination.
The page saysBy sequencing the frilled lizard's entire mitochondrial genome, 16,761 base pairs, researchers found evidence of recombination (mixing) in a hybrid zone, where two mitochondrial lineages meet
The source saysBy sequencing the entire mitochondrial genome (16 761 bp), we present evidence for mitochondrial recombination in the hybrid zone of two mitochondrial haplotypesNote: 16,761 with a comma, from the source's '16 761 bp' (space as thousands separator)
The page saysIn hybrid zones, the father's mitochondria can leak through
The source saysHowever, in hybrid zones, the reproductive barriers are often not completely developed, resulting in the breakdown of male mitochondrial elimination mechanisms, leading to leakage of paternal mitochondria
The page saysThe authors knew of no documented example of this in any wild land vertebrate population before
The source sayswe know of no documented example of recombination of mtDNA in any terrestrial wild vertebrate population

Source
08

Ujvari, Dowton & Madsen 2008

Ujvari, Dowton & Madsen (2008). Population genetic structure, gene flow and sex-biased dispersal in frillneck lizards (Chlamydosaurus kingii). Molecular Ecology.

The page saystags: savanna
The source saysa homogenous savannah woodland in tropical AustraliaNote: task #807; with Griffiths & Christian 1996's wet and dry seasons ('a substantial reduction in food availability in the dry season')

Source
09

O'Shea et al. 2017

O'Shea et al. (2017). Chlamydosaurus kingii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T170384A21644690.

The page saysThe IUCN Red List rates the frilled lizard Least Concern
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC).

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.