''Cryptagama aurita'', commonly known as the gravel dragon
or hidden dragon,
[Wilson, S., Swan, G. (2013) ''A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia'', New Holland Publishers, Sydney, New South Wales, ] is a species of
agamid lizard occurring in the arid north-eastern interior of
Western Australia
Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
and the adjacent area of the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...
.
[Cogger, H. (2000) ''Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia'', Reed New Holland, Sydney, New South Wales, ] ''Cryptagama aurita'' is the
only species in its genus.
Description
Adult ''Cryptagama aurita'' are very squat, with short limbs with a blunt-tipped tail that is shorter than its body. They range in colour from pale reddish brown to brick red, with pale brownish grey on its head and back. They reach a total length (including tail) of about . Living in areas of
spinifex and
gibber
A desert pavement, also called reg (in western Sahara), serir (in eastern Sahara), gibber (in Australia), or saï (in central Asia) is a desert surface covered with closely packed, interlocking angular or rounded rock fragments of pebble and c ...
plains, they have evolved to mimic the look of a gibber stone.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q13561451
Agamidae
Agamid lizards of Australia
Monotypic lizard genera
Taxa named by Geoffrey James Witten