
Photographed at Gunung Pulai, Johor, Peninsular Malaysia.
Family : Agamidae
Species : Draco abbreviatus
Size (snout to vent) : 11 cm ?
Size (total length) : > 20 cm ?
References :
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The Draco genus
comprises
the 'flying dragons', more properly called Gliding Lizards. They are able to
glide because on each side of the body there is a wide flap of skin (the
patagium) supported by movable elongated ribs. Males of the genus have
a large throat fan or gular flag, which is extended as a territorial display
or during courtship. Females sometimes possess small gular flags.
The Short-pouched Gliding
Lizard is a large, cryptic species of tall, primary rainforest. Its mottled
grey-green and brown dorsum is an effective camouflage on lichen-covered
tree trunks.
It has a dark brown to black eye stripe on the side of the head : this is
thin and discontinuous near the snout, but thickens behind the eye. The
stripe merges with a thick, discontinuous, dark brown stripe along the
ventral line which extends to the base of the tail. Another shorter
black stripe occurs below and parallel to the main eye stripe.
The species is named after the short gular flag of the female, however the
male has a distinctive long, thick, triangular salmon-pink gular flag.
The species is known to occur in southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia,
north Sumatra and parts of Borneo.
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