Herptiles

Calotes versicolor

Oriental Garden Lizard

Calotes versicolor (Daudin, 1802)

Basic info

Common names
  • Oriental Garden Lizard
  • Eastern Garden Lizard
  • Bloodsucker
  • Variable agama
Species nameCalotes versicolor
Scientific nameCalotes versicolor (Daudin, 1802)
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Squamata
Agamidae
Calotes versicolor
Max SVL 5.7 inch

Further Reading

Temperatures & Season

Day time temperatures

Background summer25 - 30 °F
Background winter22 - 26 °F
Basking spot40 °F

Night time temperatures

Background summer22 - 25 °F
Background winter20 - 22 °F

Season

Photoperiod12 hours

Microhabitats

Microhabitats are specific small habitats that an organism inhabits within its broader environment. These can vary greatly depending on the species and can give us insights into the preferred living conditions of each reptile. Understanding these microhabitats can be key to providing the correct care for these animals in captivity.

  • Rocks, crevices or burrows
    Rocks, crevices or burrows
  • Foliage or shrubs
    Foliage or shrubs
  • Sa
    Semi-arboreal

Ferguson Zones

Ferguson Zones are a way to classify the amount of UV light that reptiles are exposed to in their natural habitats. These zones help us understand and replicate their natural light conditions in captivity, promoting the health and wellbeing of the reptiles. Below, we detail the specific Ferguson Zones of the Chinese Water Dragon, along with recommendations for replicating these conditions

The Ferguson Zone in which the Oriental Garden Lizard has been placed has been chosen based upon an assessment of its typical basking behaviour and likely microhabitat in the wild.

3
Open or partial sun basker
UVI range avarage: 1-2.6, UVI max recorded: 2.9-7.4

Recommended lighting methods in captivity

Sunbeam method

This method uses the 'Max UVI Recorded' value as a guide for the upper limit of the UVB gradient in captivity. This maximum should be the highest level which a Oriental Garden Lizard can obtain at its closest approach to its UVB lamp. The highlighted area in the table below represents this range for the Oriental Garden Lizard.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

More in-depth information about Ferguson zones can be found here: https://jzar.org/jzar/article/view/150

Community collected distribution (18023 occurrences)

Biomes

These are the biomes the Oriental Garden Lizard was found in. Click here to learn more about terrestrial ecoregions and biomes.

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Physignathus cocincinus (Cuvier, 1829)

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References

  1. Baines, F.M., Chattell, J., Dale, J., Garrick, D., Gill, I., Goetz, M., Skelton, T. and Swatman, M. 2016. How much UVB does my reptile need? The UV-Tool, a guide to the selection of UV lighting for reptiles and amphibians in captivity. Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research. 4, 1 (Jan. 2016), 42–63. DOI:https://doi.org/10.19227/jzar.v4i1.150.
  2. Calotes versicolor (Daudin, 1802) in GBIF Secretariat (2021). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org
  3. Daudin, F. M. Histoire Naturelle, génerale et particulièredes reptiles, ouvrage faisant suite, a l’histoiure naturelle, générale et particulière composée par LECLERC DE BUFFON, et redigée par C. S. SONNINI, vol. 3.
  4. Blackwell, Publishing & Ltd, & Meiri, Shai. (2008). Evolution and ecology of lizard body sizes. Global Ecology and Biogeography. 17. 724-. 10.1111/j.1466-8238.2008.00414.x.
  5. iNaturalist. Available from https://www.inaturalist.org
This website is created by Jefrim Keijzer | All species