Cophotis dumbara
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The Sri Lankan Pygmy Lizard aka the Knuckles Mountain Pygmy Lizard is an amazing little lizard that I am really thrilled to keep and care for. What first drew me to the species was the look, like tiny little dragons. Once you interact with them, you quickly find that they are very social to the point of climbing or jumping onto your hand when working in their enclosure. They will also readily feed by hand and are just a great display animal that is fun to watch.
Status
They are currently classified as critically endangered. The reason for this is due to a restricted natural range and habitat loss within this range due to deforestation for logging and agriculture. There is no legal exportation of this species from Sri Lanka.
Range
As the common names suggests, this lizard species is native to the island country of Sri Lanka, located off the southeast coast of India. In particular, the Knuckles Mountain Range in the center of the island, also known as the Dumbara Mountain Range, where the species name is derived. Dumbara locally means "mist covered peaks", so their habitat is more cloud forest.
Description
A diurnal member of the Agamidae family, these lizards fill a similar niche as the Anoles of the New World. As opposed to Anoles however, which typically have small, granular scales on their body, Cophotis dumbara have very large overlapping scales that decrease in size and irregularity as they progress ventrally. They have a well-defined dorsal crest made up of spiny scales as opposed to an Anole’s ridge like crest. Their tail is prehensile using it for support, balance, and communication. They also possess the ability to rotate their eyes to an extent much like Chameleons. Also, much like Chameleons their movements are typically very slow and deliberate, however, they have bursts of speed when they want to and are able jumpers for their size. They reach an adult length of approximately 5 inches in total length (snout to tail tip) and there is no defined ear hole.
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