ID please

[Isac]

This was taken by my BIL in Meekatharra and we don't know what it is. It was 75mm long (about 3" for you oldies). I reckon it is some sort of chameleon but what would I know.

[seaslug]

No idea Isac and don't see anything remotely close on the net. If no-one else here knows either it would be worth sending the pic. to the Australian Museum for ID.

[Alan]

Ditto - I can't find anything resembling it on the web

I don't have reptile reference books, but it certainly looks interesting

[Isac]

Thank guys, I'm going to keep trying - the museum sounds good.

[P Plates]

Can't help with ID but an interesting looking creature. Its body is rather fat in proportion to its tail. Will be interested to hear when you get an ID what it is - and thanks for the dual measurement, I visualise much better in imperial.

[Isac]

All done my friends. The wonderful guys at the Austrlian Museaum tell me it's a Gibber Dragon or Earless Pebble Dragon Tympanocryptis cephalus. It mimics the rocks and pebbles on the arid stoney flats where it lives, and will crouch down and pretend to be a couple of rocks when danger approaches, with its tail resembling a dry wisp of grass.
They asked if they can keep the images (6 of them) for their future fact sheets. I said yes but credit to go to my BIL. Here's a couple more...

[Alan]

Thanks Isac - good result.

I wonder why we found it difficult to find it on the web?

[Isac]

I think it's in the wording in your search. When I typed in "reptiles of australia" this came up on page 1 of Google.
http://reptilesofaustralia.com/

[seaslug]

Good stuff!

[Isac]

Thanks Greg. Very hard to see because they blend in to the pebbles and soils and only 75mm long. Heaps of people would have walked straight past them I reckon.