Lizard of the hills

During a trip to Hatta dam, I came upon a huge Jayakar’s lizard lying on a rock. After lying motionless for about 10 minutes, it suddenly decided to run for its life.

On my return journey, after about four hours, I spotted the same lizard ten metres from the earlier spot.

The Jayakar’s lizard has undergone odd scientific name changes in the past century. Anderson, a scientist, originally named it Trapelus Jayakari in 1886. Then some biologists named it Agama Jayakari and later on Lacerta Jayakari. But in 2003, the old name given by Anderson was restored.

Jayakar’s lizards can measure up to 60cm in length. Its tail alone is around 40cm long. It is basically a blue-grey lizard with variable colour patterns, with spots of brown and blue which often form rosettes.

This lizard lives in mountains and foothills. It also loves to be in rocky areas close to the water. It can also be seen in old forts and dilapidated houses in the hills.

It likes to eat insects, especially grasshoppers, beetles and small vertebrates including small lizards.

And although it is not an endangered species internationally, locally, it is.