Kingdom Animalia Subphylum Vertebrata Order Squamata Scientific name Rankinia adelaidensis | Phylum Chordata Class Reptilia Suborder Iguania Rank Species | |
Similar Haworthia coarctata, Ctenophorus, Tympanocryptis, Ctenophorus reticulatus, Morethia | ||
Rankinia adelaidensis is a species of heath dragon, small agamid reptiles, occurring in southern regions of Australia.
These dragons are pale in colour, usually grey-brown, although males develop a reddish hue in the breeding season. They are timid in their behaviour, and will only briefly break from the cover of vegetation. Their burrowing behaviour is unique in Australian dragons; they will cover all but their snouts with a shuffling action, burying themselves in the sand. This behaviour may help the dragons to regulate their temperature.
Classification of species
The species in southwest Australia is represented by two subspecies of Rankinia adelaidensis; one at the western coast, another along the southeast coast of the region. The common name for these subspecies is western (R. a. adelaidensis) and eastern heath dragon R. a. chapmani, respectively.