Lizards & geckos
I found this gecko in the huge "Taman Negara" protected area east of Kuala Lumpar. Most geckos photograph really nicely since their skin has a matte finish. The trick is in finding one that doesn't scuttle off the second he sees you.
Unknown lizard species, Malaysia.
The obvious choice would be the blue eyed lizard. But I don't think he is.
Just a pretty picture!
Lizards like to sleep on the ends of leaves or twigs. I've even seen them out on the ends of grass blades.
Sleepy anole lizard portrait, Florida.
I found this lizard on Fort Myers beach among the scrub that sits above the shoreline. It's amazing what is out there -- even in a built-up, heavily disturbed area that has very little left that is "natural." One can only imagine the cool species that would have thrived there before it was (mostly) destroyed as a wildlife habitat and infested by humans of the worst sort.
About 1.5 feet long. Unsure of species.
Changeable lizard portrait, Singapore.
A pretty little Changeable lizard (Calotes versicolor) from Dairy Farm Park in Singapore.
Green crested lizard, Sarawak.
I'm pretty sure this lizard is a juvenile Bronchocela cristatella but I'd appreciate any corrections. He was resting on some ferns.
Green eyed Gecko (Gecko smithii)
I'm hoping my ID on this gecko from Peninsular Malaysia is correct. Either way, his eyes are stunning.
Unknown lizard species, Malaysia.
And here is a close-up shot showing those beautiful blue eyes.
I found this one at the far southern tip of the country in the big national park near Kenting.
I'm pretty sure this is a clouded monitor lizard (Varanus nebulous), although it could be Varanus salvator. He was about 3 feet long (call it a meter), meaning he could grow another foot or so -- not my typical subject! Monitors can be aggressive feeders -- I've seen them lunge into the water trying to grab a fish (and have the photos), and they will scavenge dead animals. This one was flicking out his tongue as he moved through the leaf litter in the botanical gardens. Got him with a d750 and a Nikon 70-200,
Plumed basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons) Costa Rica.
Plumed basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons). This is a large (1-3 feet) lizard that blends into the forest despite his brilliant colors -- or because of them.
About 7" 180mm, living in/on a rotten log.
A pretty lizard from the Peruvian Amazon near Iquitos. It does not seem to have missed a meal recently.
Flying lizard suspected. Malaysia.
Clinging upside down to a vine in Taman Negara
I’d been wondering about this little lizard for a while. Why is he white? I found him at night at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica and tried to ID him several times. I was pretty sure he was a species of anole lizard but got nowhere until I found the following Wikipedia entry on anole lizards: “Their colors during the night when sleeping often differ distinctly from their colors during the day when awake. Among these are some species that otherwise do not drastically change their colors, including certain anoles that generally are brown during the day changing to greenish or whitish when sleeping at night.” Apparently, I'd found one of the local anole species that had turned this grey-and-white color while he slept. I did some reading, and it turns out that during the day, most anoles can change color. The Carolina anole (which is the only native US anole species) can change from green to brown in a matter of a few minutes. The color change is triggered by a release of hormones and occurs for a variety of reasons, including stress, temperature, display, and aggression. What I didn't know was that they can turn their color off at night, which is what this little guy had done and how I spotted him. Corrections are welcome on this!
Beautifully camouflaged for life on a tree -- and check out the fingers.
A pretty little gecko from Singapore.
Yellow-headed gecko, Costa Rica.
Not at all uncommon, but somewhat shy.
I'm calling this one a beach gecko because that's where I found her -- in an abandoned building on the beach at Kenting, Taiwan.
These seemed to be common in Sarawak forests but I did not see any on the Malaysian penninsular. The proper name is Aeluroscalabotes felinus,
IIRC, this one was on SOR at La Selva.