Calotes versicolor – every tree a-gamid

The Changeable Lizard (an agamid) can be found almost everywhere in Singapore. They sit at the branch-free lower part of trees, where they can easily run and hide if needed. Most stunning are males during mating season when their head is bright red-orange. A funny behavior many lizards show is moving along the tree to avoid being seen. They try to keep the tree between themselves and you when you walk by. So you can walk by without seeing them. I wonder how they pick their tree because sometimes you see one on a ridiculously small tree. Maybe they invested in the future and trusted that it will grow? Or are there so many lizards around that they have to take whatever they get? Another similar species, but much more rare is the Green Crested Lizard. And you know why the native green lizard is rare? Because C. versicolor is an alien! It is considered the most successful invasive non-gecko in the world. There are many papers describing first sightings in a region, e.g. in Borneo (Indraneil DAS, Joseph K. CHARLES, and David S. Edwards), Seychelles, and Singapore (in the 80s). The success comes from easy reproduction, adaption, and robustness. A success-model for sure! Vine snakes seem to like them, according to a study from India. Way to go green worms!