Painted Agama.
Painted Agama.

Stellagama

The lizard species known as Stellagama stellio has many English names, painted agama and painted dragon being the most common ones, unfortunately both are also applied to other similar lizards.

Painted Agama.

Painted agama (Stellagama stellio).
This specimen was photographed at the 2014 Canadian Reptile Breeders Expo.


To make things even more confusing the scientific name is sometimes cited as Laudakia stellio or Laudakia stellio brachydactyla.

Painted agamas are from the Middle East and North Africa.

Painted Agamas.

In the pet trade painted agamas are considered to be alternatives of the more common bearded dragon in the sense that their care and temperament is similar. A painted agama also looks kind of like a bearded dragon.

Like bearded dragons, painted agamas also breed in captivity and the color morphs kept as pets are often rather different from the wild coloration.

Even though its common names would suggest it the painted agama is not placed in the genus Agama but rather in the genus of its own, Stellagama.

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Last updated: October 2, 2015

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