{{Short description|Species of lizard}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{speciesbox | image = Hypsilurus spinipes - Southern Angle Headed Dragon - Boorganna Nature Reserve.jpg | image_caption = At Boorganna Nature Reserve, near Taree. NSW | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Melville, J. |date=2018 |title=''Lophosaurus spinipes'' |volume=2018 |article-number=e.T22566077A22566092 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T22566077A22566092.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref> | genus = Lophosaurus | species = spinipes | authority = (A.M.C. Duméril, 1851) }} The '''southern angle-headed dragon''' or '''southern forest dragon''' ('''''Lophosaurus spinipes''''') is a species of agamid lizard endemic to Australia.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Denzer|first1=Wolfgang|last2=Manthey|first2=Ulrich|title=Remarks on the taxonomy and nomenclature of the genus Hypsilurus Peters, 1867 (Reptilia, Agamidae, Amphibolurinae)|url=https://zse.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=7469|journal=Zoosystematics and Evolution|year=2016|language=en|volume=92|issue=1|pages=103–110|doi=10.3897/zse.92.7469|issn=1860-0743|doi-access=free}}</ref>
==Geographic range== ''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.
==Description== 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 {{convert|110|to|150|mm|in|abbr=on}}, additionally there is a long tail which takes the total length to {{convert|350|mm|in|abbr=on}}.
The colour varies from shades of brown, grey and green. Patterns where present consist of various irregular mottling, blotches and variegations.
==Behaviour== 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 buttress roots or old stumps. When disturbed, it tends not to dash for cover, but rather slides around the trunk until it is out of view.
==Diet== The diet includes insects and other arthropods such as spiders and centipedes.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Manning|first1=A|title=Diet of the Southern Angle-headed Dragon ''Hypsilurus spinipes''|journal=Herpetofauna|date=1992|volume=22|issue=2|pages=18–20|doi=10.5962/p.420554|doi-access=free}}</ref>
==Reproduction== Eggs are laid in shallow nests in rainforest clearings, including along road edges and walking tracks. There is some evidence that females will occasionally lay communal nests. The eggs are vulnerable to predation, particularly by goannas.
<gallery> Image:Hypsilurus spinipes - Sugar Creek Jan 1996.jpg|A small southern angle-headed dragon on a cabbage tree palm, near Forster, Australia </gallery>
== References == {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== * A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia - Steve Wilson & Gerry Swan {{ISBN|1-876334-72-X}} * https://web.archive.org/web/20090415081346/http://www.australianreptilepark.com.au/ * {{NRDB species|genus=Lophosaurus |species=spinipes }} * Torr, Geordie (2003). "Here be dragons". Australian Geographic. 69: 68–77. * Rummery, C.; Shine, R.; Houston, D.L.; & Thompson, M.B. (1995). Thermal biology of the Australian forest dragon, ''Hypsilurus spinipes'' (Agamidae). Copeia, 1995(4):818-827.
{{Taxonbar|from=Q3019604}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lophosaurus Spinipes}} Category:Agamid lizards of Australia Category:Lophosaurus Category:Reptiles described in 1851 Category:Taxa named by André Marie Constant Duméril