One of our favourite daily distractions is watching a family of Jacky Dragons from the

kitchen window. They sit atop the dense flowering bushes, feasting on the

smorgasbord of beetles, flies and other pollinators. With a lunge and snap! a

fluttering butterfly is reduced to an awkward mouthful of wing and leg. 

We have a darker skinned dad, mum with her belly full of eggs and various skittish kids. They’re

easily identifiable by their size, colour, bright yellow inner mouth and spiny crest that

runs down their back to their long tail. On a lichen covered rock, however, they are

almost perfectly camouflaged. Adults are about 25 cm long.

Jacky Dragons are not endangered but many of our scaly friends are in trouble.

Urbanization has been disastrous for many of the 850 reptile species that call

Australia home, with 25% listed as endangered. Suburban sprawl, over-zealous

ground clearing, plus predation by dogs and cats have all taken their toll. The

Hawksbury has an incredible diversity of geckos, lizards, dragons, skinks and legless

lizards, but we need to look after them.

Reptiles are a key component of a biodiverse backyard. They pose little or no threat

to you or your pets, quite the opposite, their presence will enhance the beauty of

your garden and provide natural pest control, for free.

Just like us, lizards require shelter, warmth, variety and a water supply. We’ve all

heard of bird baths, but I propose a new backyard project for you and the kids this

summer. Drumroll please: The Lizard Lounge. As they say, build it and they will

come!

1. Select a spot in your garden that already has some bushy plants present,

offering sun and shade.

2. Collect broken ceramic pots or pipes, rocks and tree hollows, and stack them

to create a solid hide for reptiles and safety from predatory birds (kookaburras

and currawongs love a lizard lunch) and from pets that may try to dig them

out. Please DON’T remove bush rock to create your lizard lounge – its already

someone else’s home.

3. Add Australian plants that include groundcovers and native grasses – these

attract insects for the lizards to eat and provide extra shelter. Lizards will also

eat the berries on ground covers (bobtails love strawberries!).

4. Mulch the area using a natural mix that contains bark, sticks and leaves for

smaller lizards to hide under. This also attracts the grubs and insects lizards

love.

5. Install a broad flat rock or bricks in a sunny spot for basking. Lizards need to

warm up in order to hunt and digest their food.

6. Provide a water source at ground level in a shaded spot – anything other than

plastic (which will perish) works well. If it is deep, add an escape rock so that

smaller reptiles don’t fall in and drown. The water bowl will need to be cleaned

and refilled twice weekly, especially in warmer months.

For more ideas, you’ll find videos on youtube on how to build a lizard

lounge in your garden.

Once your haven is complete, keep pets away and remember that you no longer

need to use insecticides, pesticides or snail pellets. These products can kill lizards

directly, as well as eliminate their food sources. Whipper snippers and lawn mowers

can also kill or maim larger lizards, so watch out while mowing.

Now sit back on your lounge and watch your scaled friends enjoying theirs!