JACKY Amphibolurus muricatus (White,ex Shaw, 1790)
Averaging 30 cm, this lizard is found along the coast and ranges of South-East Australia. When cornered this lizard will puff up and open its' mouth wide open, exposing a bright orangy colour. Males and females have different colour patterns, (see photos) and colour darkness responds directly to temperature at the given time. (The hotter the lizard the lighter). Found in woodlands, sclerophyll forests and heaths, this species appears to become particularly abundant in areas recently affected by bushfires, often moving in from unburnt adjacent less preferred habitats. When pursued in the bush it readily takes to a tree, which it will actively keep between itself and the aggressor. An insect feeder, lays from four to twelve eggs in late spring/early summer. Hatchlings measure about 7 cm.
The above was from the book Australian Reptiles and Frogs by Raymond Hoser and now available on a fantastic CD-Rom along with a vast amount of other information, papers and the like on reptiles, frogs and other wildlife.