At Terra Natura Benidorm we have welcomed the birth of four frilled lizards, also known as collared lizards (Chlamydosaurus kingii), in our facilities. This is the first time the park achieves the reproduction of this species. The female had laid nine eggs, from which the four small lizards were finally born.

The parents arrived at Terra Natura Benidorm along with two other specimens in 2017. In total, there were three females and a male called Delta, Echo, Blue and Charly. After almost six years, they have reached their longevity and it is now that they have managed to have their first babies. The life expectancy of these lizards is usually between six and seven years.

When it was detected that the female had laid nine eggs, they were transferred to the artificial incubator by the team of herpetologists and keepers. They were placed in the incubator in order to ensure more accurate environmental parameters. After two months in the incubator, four lizards were born, as the rest of the eggs had been infective, something that occurs naturally in first-time females of this species.

The four lizards born at Terra Natura Benidorm have been named Beta, Red, Gosth and Tiger by their keepers. The babies are in perfect health and you can now see them in the large installation located inside the Terraceratops restaurant, which is set in the Jurassic period. These animals usually measure around 12 centimetres when they are born, although in their adult stage they can reach up to 95 centimetres.

The diet of these lizards is based mainly on insects, and on some occasions, they eat flowers or small vertebrates. They are well known because of the way they have their neck, using it as a deterrent as they open their mouths. If this method of defence is ineffective against a possible predator, they choose to run away on their two legs until they reach the nearest tree. This species is found in areas of New Guinea and Australia.