A large, short-tailed species with heterogeneous dorsal scalation and a discontinuous vertebral crest.

The species differs visually from Boyd's forest dragon, as it lacks the large, conical scales below the tympanum; additionally, it differs from the southern forest dragon in that it has lanceolate scales on the nuchal and dorsal crests, rather than triangular.

[4] Although lowland rainforest in Papua New Guinea is increasingly being cleared for logging and conversion to agriculture, this species is widespread across the island and can persist in some modified habitats, so it's unlikely to be in any imminent danger.

The species is occasionally traded in small numbers from Papua Province in Indonesian New Guinea.

[5] It is not CITES-listed and is not legally protected in Indonesia, but the level of trade that has been observed appears unlikely to have a significant effect on wild populations.