Red-headed Rock Agama
Agama lionotus
| Scientific name | Agama lionotus |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | Least Concern |
| Class | Reptilia |
| Order | Squamata |
| Family | Agamidae |
| Size | Total length about 25-35 cm including the tail |
How to identify
Dominant males are brilliant, with an orange-red head and neck and a deep blue body and tail; females and non-display males are dull brown for camouflage.
Habitat
Rocky outcrops, boulders, cliffs, walls, and buildings in savanna and dry country
Diet
Mainly insects, especially ants, beetles, and grasshoppers, with some plant matter
When it is active
Diurnal and heliothermic; basks and does 'push-up' displays on rocks, retreating into crevices when threatened
Where it lives
Eastern Africa, especially Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, wherever rocky habitat occurs
How to spot it
Look on sunlit rocks, lodge walls, and kopjes across East African parks in the heat of the day, when males display prominently
Photography tips
Shoot in bright daylight to saturate the orange and blue; a low angle on a plain rock isolates the vivid male beautifully
Threats
No significant threats; abundant and adaptable, often thriving around lodges and human structures
Similar species
Other agamas overlap, but breeding males of this species are unmistakable with their orange-red head and blue body.
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