Oriental garden lizard resting on a post on an island in the Maldives
An agama is any one of the various small, long-tailed, insectivorous lizards of the genus Agama. The genus Agama is composed of at least 37 species found across Africa, where they are the most common lizard. They can be found in many sizes, from to 30 cm (5 in. to 1 ft.) in length and a wide variety of colours. The oriental garden lizard, eastern garden lizard or changeable lizard (Calotes versicolor) is an agamid lizard found widely distributed in Asia. It has also been introduced in many other parts of the world. It is an insectivore and the male gets a bright red throat in the breeding season leading to a common incorrect name of "Bloodsucker". It measures over 10 cm ( in) in length snout-to-vent. Total length including the tail is up to 37 cm ( in). Two small groups of spines, perfectly separated from each other, above each tympanum. Dorsal crest moderately elevated on the neck and anterior part of the trunk, extending on to the root of the tail in large individuals, and gradually disappearing on the middle of the trunk in younger ones. No fold in front of the shoulder, but the scales behind the lower jaw are much smaller than the others. The coloration is very variable, sometimes uniform brownish or greyish-olive or yellowish. Generally broad brown bands across the back, interrupted by a yellowish lateral band. Black streaks radiate from the eye. The ground-colour is generally a light brownish olive, but the lizard can change it to bright red, to black, and to a mixture of both. This change is sometimes confined to the head, at other times diffused over the whole body and tail.
Size: 5760px × 3840px
Location: Cocoa Island Makunufushi South Malé Atoll Republic of Maldives
Photo credit: © Niall Ferguson / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: agama, calotes, garden, indian, lizard, maldives, ocean, oriental, reptile, tropical, versicolor, wildlife
