Changeable Lizard

Description:

Changeable Lizards are usually a dull brown, grey or olive with speckles or bands, but can be seen in other colours such as bright green. These colour changes may reflect their moods.

Habitat:

This beautiful-eyed juvenile lizard was spotted in a dense thicket.

Notes:

Changeable Lizards are related to iguanas (which are found only in the New World). Unlike other lizards, they do not drop their tails (autotomy), and their tails can be very long, stiff and pointy. Like other reptiles, they shed their skins. Like chameleons, Changeable Lizards can move each of their eyes in different directions. During the breeding season, the male's head and shoulders turns bright orange to crimson and his throat black. Males also turn red-headed after a successful battle with rivals. Thus their other gruesome name of ‘Bloodsucker Lizard’ although they don't actually suck anybody's blood. Both males and females have a crest from the head to nearly the tail, hence their other common name ‘Crested Tree Lizard’. Other common names are ‘Oriental Garden Lizard’, ‘Eastern Garden Lizard’.