Lophosaurus spinipes
Silhouette: Michael Scroggie · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The southern angle-headed dragon or southern forest dragon (Lophosaurus spinipes) is a species of agamid lizard endemic to Australia. L. spinipes is native to eastern Australian rainforests and rainforest margins from around Gosford in New South Wales to near Gympie in Queensland. It is also present in Barrington Tops National Park, New South Wales.
The southern angle-headed dragon has a large and continuous nuchal crest with a moderately large vertebral crest. The angular brow is pronounced on both adults and juveniles. The snout to vent length is around 110 to 150 mm (4.3 to 5.9 in), additionally there is a long tail which takes the total length to 350 mm (14 in).
The colour varies from shades of brown, grey and green. Patterns where present consist of various irregular mottling, blotches and variegations. Primarily arboreal, the southern angle-headed dragon is cryptic, slow moving and well camouflaged. It's sometimes encountered basking in sunlight after rain but is mostly a thermoconformer, allowing its body temperature to fluctuate with the ambient temperature. It is usually seen perching on the trunks of small trees or on... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adelaide Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Snakes Downunder Reptile Park & Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Angle-Headed Dragon sighting in Springbrook National Park on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 19th most-seen of the 27 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–March and November–December
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Angle-Headed Dragon in Springbrook National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April to September, the lowest months. Those are among Springbrook National Park's wettest months, with about 160 mm of rain a month against 45 mm in August.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Southern Angle-Headed 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 Southern Angle-Headed Dragon sightings, Springbrook National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Lamington National Park (Australia, about 40%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Southern Angle-Headed Dragon is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Springbrook National Park (13 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.
