Description
- Common Name: Central Netted Dragon
- Scientific Name: Ctenophorus nuchalis
- Locality/Morph: Wild type
- Sex: Sexed pair, 1 male & 1 female
- Age: 2025
- Source: Captive Bred
- Native Range: Central Australia – arid and semi-arid regions including Northern Territory and Western Australia
- Natural Habitat: Open woodlands, shrublands, and rocky outcrops; often found basking on rocks or termite mounds
- Diet: Omnivorous – insects, small invertebrates, leafy greens and vegetables
- Basking Temperature: ~40°C
- Ambient Temperature: 25–35 °C (night drop to ~20°C)
- Average Adult Size: 15–20 cm
The Central Netted Dragon (Ctenophorus nuchalis) is a small, agile agamid lizard native to the arid interior of Australia. Known for the distinctive reticulated or “net-like” pattern along its back, and the vivid orange colour that appears in between on breeding males. This species is highly terrestrial and diurnal, spending much of the day basking on rocks or low shrubs while foraging for insects.
In captivity, C. nuchalis requires a well-ventilated, terrestrial enclosure with a deep sandy substrate for digging, along with rocks, logs, and branches to provide basking spots and hiding areas. A hot basking area of around 40°C is essential, with a temperature gradient down to 28°C and cooler retreats for thermoregulation.
Their diet should consist primarily of a variety of insects such as crickets, beetles, and grasshoppers, dusted with calcium and vitamins. Their diet should be balanced, and also contain a mix of leafy greens and vegetables. Feeding should be frequent for juveniles and moderate for adults to match their natural high-energy metabolism.
Central Netted Dragons are active, alert, and visually engaging lizards, displaying rapid movements, head-bobbing, and territorial behaviours. These incredibly rare lizards are hardy and adaptable, making them a suitable species for keepers with some experience maintaining arid Australian reptiles. With proper care, they can live around 12 years in captivity.
Livestock Delivery:
Livestock is delivered in our own heated reptile courier vans. Delivery time from ordering will depend on your location and when we next have a van in your area, this will usually be a maximum of 2 weeks. You will receive a date and time slot by phone or email, so please ensure you enter these correctly at checkout. Delivery fee for livestock depends on location, prices start at £45. Livestock orders over £500 (+VAT) are delivered free of charge.
Livestock Sale Terms:
If multiple animals are in stock then not all will be pictured, so the photo above may not be exact animal available.
All prices are per individual unless otherwise stated. All livestock is subject to availability, whilst we try to keep the website as up to date as possible errors may happen, in this situation you will be contacted to arrange a refund/alternative.
Errors can happen with sexing and morph identification. Should this be discovered before leaving us you are entitled to a refund. After the animal leaves us it is the customers responsibility to inform us within 48 hours of the animals arrival. Failing to do so may lose the customers eligibility for a refund.
It is the customers responsibility to have the correct setup available and ready for the animal, if you need any advice please do get in touch. We have the right to request proof of setup at any time, failure to provide an image of an appropriate setup or any image at all, may result in a full order cancellation and refund.
Guarantee for all inverts & amphibians is 24 hours. All other livestock is 48 hours. If issues/concerns are notified upon delivery, then this may be extended. All health related queries will be subject to a full investigation should an issue arise. Failing to provide us with the information we request may void any form of guarantee. If we find reason from the information that its injury or death was caused by negligence or incorrect husbandry then the guarantee may be void. Should death or abnormalities occur then you must inform us as soon as possible. In the unlikely event that an animal passes away please photograph the dead body and freeze until you have heard from us. If death or illness occurs after 7 days, and no health issues were reported, then Ridgeway will not be held responsible.
We have the right to refuse any sale, refund or guarantee at any time if we feel it is necessary.
Livestock sales are for customers aged 18+, if under this age you must have prior parent permission. If we have any reason to suspect this is not the case we will contact you before the animal is released.
When purchasing an animal from us you automatically agree to these terms of sale.
