Eastern Water Dragon Portrait Auckland Zoo New Zealand
Photo & Vacation Spot

An Eastern Water Dragon appears paralyzed as we capture this portrait of him amongst the shrubs at the Auckland Zoo on the North Island of New Zealand.

Standing very still in his habitat at the Auckland Zoo in New Zealand, this Eastern Water Dragon remained like this long enough to capture his portrait. Blending in with the vegetation, the lizard will quickly dive into the water to hide from any threatened noises or movements.

This portrait gives one a close up view of the unique scales on the skin of the Eastern Water Dragon, the dark stripe which runs from eye to eye around its head and along its back as well as the reddish/brown coloring on the chest of the male. Growing to about 20 centimeters in length, not including the tail which can be double the length of its body, the Eastern Water Dragon is the largest dragon lizard found throughout Australia.

Eastern Water Dragon, Physignathus leseurii, at the Auckland Zoo, Auckland, North Island, New Zealand.