Latin Etymology: Calotes (?) versicolor ("variable colours")
Adult female Changeable Lizard (subspecies C. v. versicolor) at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore - February 2019
Weight: ? / Length: 37cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated
Agamas are an Old-World relation of the iguanas, but generally much smaller. They are a much more "upright" lizard than all previous species I've encountered; on the one hand this means they are less adept at climbing flat surfaces than geckoes and wall lizards, but allows for faster running and improved climbing on bushes and trees. In Singapore, they are an introduced species that has displaced other local lizards. The alternate name of "bloodsucker" comes from the fact that in breeding season, the males gain a bright red underside gives a look as if they had been feeding on blood.
Related Species:
Order: Squamata
Family: Agamidae
Genus: Calotes
SUBSPECIES: C. v. farooqi, C. v. versicolor
- Sighting Locations -
SINGAPORE - A common resident
- MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: Several seen at Gardens by the Bay
Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto
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