What Lizards Can Live Together With Frilled Dragons?

Frilled dragons are lizards native to Australia and Papua New Guinea. Named for the flap, or frill, around their head and face that they can extend when frightened or angry, frilled dragons are popular pets among reptile enthusiasts. If properly cared for, this lizard can live upwards of 10 years. A handful of other lizard species are compatible with frilled lizards in captivity.

  1. Bearded Dragons

    • Frilled dragons and bearded dragons are closely related species, though there are significant differences between the two. This close genetic connection works well when the two are in captivity. Three types of bearded dragons are compatible living with frilled dragons in the same reptile tank, according to Tim Brooks of the Western Sydney Institute of Teaching and Further Education: the eastern, Kimberly and central bearded dragons.

    Varanidae

    • The group of lizards known as Varanidae includes the genus Varanas, a family of carnivorous lizards that includes monitors. Monitors, like bearded dragons, are compatible living in the same area or enclosure as frilled dragons. Monitors and frilled dragons share similar dietary habits. Eight varieties of monitor are known to get along well with frilled lizards in captivity: the spiny-tailed monitor, common ridge-tailed monitor, island ridge-tailed monitor, northern ridge-tailed monitor, Kimberley Rock monitor, Pilbara Rock monitor, spotted tree monitor and freckled monitor.

    Scincidae

    • The Scincidae group of lizards includes blue-tongue lizards, shingleback lizards and a variety of skinks. There are 13 species in the Scincidae group known to be compatible with frilled lizards in captivity. Western blue-tongue lizards and northern blue-tongue lizards pair well with frilled lizards. Rottnest Island, southwest, Shark Bay and common shingleback lizards are also compatible with frilled dragons. The Cunningham, pygmy spiny-tailed, Stoke's, Baudin Island, western gidgee, Houtman Abrolhos and eastern gidgee skinks are all also suitable for pairing with frilled dragons.

    Intraspecies Compatibility

    • Male frilled dragons are territorial and thus may not do well when housed together in captivity, according to Brooks. If multiple males are housed together, a hierarchy of dominance usually develops. Alternatively, housing a single male with multiple female frilled dragons can work, and housing multiple females together is also usually a workable arrangement.