Melissa
Kaplan's
Herp Care Collection
Last updated
January 1, 2014
Tree Dragons and Mountain Dragons
Gonocephalus and Acanthosaura
©1995 Melissa Kaplan
The tree dragon, a member of the agamidae, is starting to hit the pet stores in the U.S., in increasing numbers. Poorly and variably named, some stores are calling them mountain dragons, blue agamas, toad-headed agamas (which are in fact Phyrnocephalus) and, of course, giving out little to no care information. Within a period of one week, I received several calls on such lizards and so devised this rather sparse caresheet, sparse because there is yet little information to be obtained from the various reptile books. The care for both the tree dragon and mountain dragon is similar to the so-called helmeted iguana, AKA forest chameleon (Corytophanes)...as is their nature, especially the mountain dragon.
Where care is the same, one entry will be provided. Where they are different, the information for the mountain dragon will be preceded with an M: and for the tree dragon with a T:.
Note: These lizards are all wild caught, and should be assumed to be highly stressed and heavily parasitized. Get the lizard and a fecal sample to the reptile vet as soon as possible, to be tested for parasites, evaluated for dehydration, etc.
Natural
History
Like all agamas,
these are Old World lizards, cousins (in habits and habitats, if not in
fact) to the New World iguanids. Agamas are generally easily recognized
by their large, broad triangular shaped head, long tails and strong legs.
Many are equipped with sharp claws for digging and tree climbing. Their
tails may break off defensively but they are not known to regenerate.
They are primarily carnivores, and most are oviparous (egg layers). All
are equipped with excellent eyesight. They are able, like the New World
anoles (Anolis sp.) and other agamids and iguanids, to change colors
in response to temperature changes and stress.
Home Range
M: Southern China, Southeastern Asia, Sumatra, Malaya
T: Southeastern Asia, Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia
Size
M: 10-12" STL
T: 10-24" STL (Obst: to 36+")
Physical Description
Mountain
Dragons
All species are frog-like in appearance with moderately long tails.
Hemipenal bulge seen in sexually mature males. Some species have long
spikes on their dorsal crest; others short spikes. All have a spike behind
each eye. Extremely strong claws for digging. This genus used to be included
with the Gonocephalus but sorted out. Lacks the gular fold/dewlap in males.
Slight lateral compression. Strong orbital ridges.
A. armata: 12" STL, ground color ranges from olive to bright green with dark spots on sides; throat is orange in male, sometimes with lilac streaks.
A. crucigera is 12" STL, generally gray-brown with dark spotting on sides; dewlap is black; belly dirty white.
A. lepidogaster ("Brown Pricklenape") is 10" STL, gray-green with some dark spotting; throat is light gray to black; belly white; requires slightly lower temperatures than the A. capra.
A. capra ("Green Pricklenape"): 12" STL, mostly green.
Tree
Dragons
Most species have a nuchal and dorsal crest which runs down the back
similar to the water dragons. All have a large dewlap which can be lowered;
some have spikes on the outer edge. Legs and toes are long, heavily clawed
for climbing trees. Tails are long and in some species may also carry
a crest; they do not regenerate. Mouth is quite large, and quite capable
of inflicting a painful bite in the bigger species. Ground color ranges
from browns or greens, with lighter or darker spots; some have spots and
splashes of blue, red or yellow. All are slightly laterally compressed
with strong bony ridges on face running from the rostrum, back between
the eyes to the back of the head. Males have dewlaps. The following represent
three of the sixteen known species.
G. abbotti: green with fine black lines, white belly.
G. boydi: brownish-green, dirty white belly, rusty eyelids and dirty white face.
G. grandis: vivid blue ground and stripes under dark green.
Wild and Captive Habitats
M: Densely foliaged mountain jungles. Usually found on the ground or only a short distance above the ground in low bushes. Fairly secretive. Rarely bask. Require a cool dense rainforest setup with access to water.
T: Live high in the trees in the dense tropical and montane rainforests. Occasionally found on the ground in the undergrowth but prefer height. Bask occasionally. Require a slightly warmer, dense arboreal rainforest setup with access to water.
Temperature
Needless to say, mountain dragons come from a cooler environment than
do the tree dragons.
M: 70-82 F (22-28 C) days; drop to 68-70 F (20 C) at night
T: 77-88 F (Wynne: to 90F) days; drop to 70-80 at night
Food
Supplement each meal
with multivitamin and calcium supplement.
M: Worms, grubs, crickets, beetles, grasshoppers. May prefer to feed at night.
T: Insects, spiders, small vertebrates (such as pink mice); some worms may be taken.
Water/Humidity
Both lizards
require high humidity and large pans of water. Outfit tanks with drip
or bubbler systems to maintain the high humidity needed.
M: Spraying regularly sufficient for drinking.
T: Must have water for drinking.
Sunlight/Ultraviolet
B (UVB)
Some is beneficial.
Requires the proper temperature gradients more than a specific basking
area.
Reproduction
Oviparous. Prefer moist
earth or peat for laying.
M: lays under rotting wood, bark; young 2-3".
T: lays amongst tree roots; young 3-6". Incubation 4 months. Lowland species breed year round.
Sources
TIGR Reptile Database: Agamidae
Obst, F. J., et al. Illustrated Atlas of Reptiles and Amphibians for the Terrarium. 1988. TFH.
Wynne, R. H. Lizards in Captivity. 1981. TFH.
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