Their colour, along with their large size, allow them to maintain a body temperature of 30 degrees Celsius; they spend much of the day basking in the sun.

[3] The ventral side (belly) ranges in colouration from auburn (orange-brown) to white [4] Juveniles have prominent cream lateral spots.

[7] They occur at altitudes from sea level (Park Beach, New South Wales) to 840 m (Acacia Plateau, Queensland).

However, in some popular National Parks, the lizards have become habituated - scavenging close to humans for scraps at picnic and camping sites.

[4] The land mullet eats woody fungi, mushrooms, berries, seeds, insects such as beetles and grasshoppers as well as decaying fruit material.