Lophognathus gilberti
Silhouette: Michael Scroggie · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
Lophognathus gilberti, also known commonly as Gilbert's dragon, Gilbert's lashtail, or Ta-ta lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to Australia. The specific name, gilberti, is in honor of English naturalist John Gilbert.
L. gilberti is found in the following Australian states and territories: northern Northern Territory, northwestern Queensland, and northern Western Australia. L. gilberti is found in a variety of habitats including coastal sand dunes, shrubland, savanna, and forest, and it has also been found in agricultural and urban areas.
L. gilberti is terrestrial and semi-arboreal. L. gilberti is oviparous, and sex determination is temperature-dependent. Boulenger GA (1885). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume I.... Agamidæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 436 pp. + Plates I–XXXII. (Physignathus gilberti, pp. 396–397).
Cogger HG (2014). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Seventh... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wildlife HQ Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Gilbert's Dragon sighting in Kakadu National Park on a given day, based on 27 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 11th most-seen of the 54 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, March and May
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Gilbert's Dragon in Kakadu National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April, the lowest month. Those are among Kakadu National Park's wettest months, with about 180 mm of rain a month against almost none in August.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Gilbert's Dragon sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Gilbert's Dragon sightings, Kakadu National Park ranks 2nd at about 30%. The best odds are in Litchfield National Park (Australia, about 40%).
Same family: Agamidae
The closest relatives of the Gilbert's Dragon that you can see in Kakadu National Park (family Agamidae, Dragons) are Frill-necked Lizard (about 40%), Northern Water Dragon (about 20%) and Northern Two-line Dragon (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Gilbert's Dragon is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Kakadu National Park (27 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
