|
Incredibly, Shinglebacks are known to be monogamous. An extreme rarity in reptiles...
the Shinglebacks pair at the end of spring, and
spend 6-8 weeks together before actual mating takes place. They move about together, and even
share the same living quarters. They spend up to 75% of their time together during the
mating season, and subsequently, soon separate. The gestation period is five
months, and after being born, the offspring stay within their mother's
territory for the first years of their lives. The next year, the same female
and male pair again! If the pair get separated, both the male & the female will try to seek out their
partner. Their bond is quite strong particularly the female. Some males have been known to be a bit promiscuous.
There's an old story about a female Shingleback that was trapped in a wire fence & died. She had been dead for about two days before someone found her. The male was found next to her dead body.
|
Fun Information
• Unlike most blue tongues, Shinglebacks only give birth to 1-3 young. Other species such as the Northern, are known to have up to 20, sometimes 25 offspring.
• Shingleback babies are absolutely hilarious. They're spitting images of their parents, supporting enormous over-sized heads.
• Shinglebacks are often called the "two-headed lizard" because their tails are fat and blunt and often resemble the head. Another nickname is 'the sleepy lizard' as their eyes always look sort of droopy. A few others are the stumpytail, bobtail, boggi, and the pinecone lizard.
 
Read some funny stories about the Shinglebacks!
|
The Shingleback is found only in Australia
|
| |
®