5 Colorful Lizards You Can Spot In India

Western Ghats or the Great Escarpment of India is a biodiversity hotspot and known for many undiscovered species of flora and fauna. Several endemic reptiles found in The Western Ghats of India are snakes like Striped coral snake, Malabar pit viper and lizards like Salea, Ristella, Kaestlea and new species of frogs.

* Indian Chameleon

Indian chameleon is the only species found in India and Sri Lanka with unique qualities such as able to change skin colour, long tongue, independent eye movement and a prehensile tail.Chamaeleo zeylanicus change body colour according to the available habitat and diurnal, nocturnal and arboreal, found in Southern Part of India.

* Changeable Garden Lizard

Oriental garden lizard is an insectivore that eat mainly insects such as grasshoppers, crickets and ants. The changeable lizards are related to iguanas and able to move their each eyes in different directions like chameleon.

* Fan Throated Lizard

The fan throated lizard is a small species of dragon lizard, found mostly on the ground and in open ground patches across the Western Ghats. Sitana ponticeriana is the most colourful agamid lizard and noted for its colourful patagium during the breeding season.

* Southern Flying Lizard

The southern flying lizard is found in the hill forests of Western Ghats and only species of dussumieri in southern India. Draco dussumieri flying lizard lives on the trees and able to glide to adjoining trees.

* Anaimalai Spiny Lizard

Anaimalai spiny lizard mostly found around the Anaimalai Hills and Meghamalai in the Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The arboreal agamid lizards are endemic to the Western Ghats and occurs in very high mountains and Shola forest ecosystems.