What is Wang’s Garden Lizard?

Dec. 28, 2023

A new reptile species was recently discovered in China and has been called Wang’s Garden Lizard.

About Wang’s Garden Lizard:

  • It is a new species of iguana.
  • Scientific Name: Calotes wangi
  • Distribution: It is found in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests and tropical monsoon forests in southern China and northern Vietnam, mostly in mountainous areas, hills and plains on forest edges, arable land, shrub lands, and even urban green belts.
  • It is not threatened at present. However, in some areas, their habitat was being fragmented.
  • Features:
    • It is less than 9 cm long, and one of its distinguishing features is its orange tongue.
    • It is active at the edge of the forest, and when it is in danger, it rushes into bushes or climbs tree trunks to hide.
    • It lies on sloping shrub branches at night, sleeping close to the branches.
    • It eats a variety of insects, spiders, and other arthropods.
    • It is active from April to October every year, while in the tropics it is active from March to November or even longer.
    • In addition, their bodies are used medicinally and the lizards are also eaten.

What are iguanas?

  • Iguanas are stout lizards mainly living in the tropical parts of the western world.
  • They are identified from their bulky appearance, scaly skin covered in warts, spines on their back, and a flap of flesh under their necks.
  • They have shown various colour morphs, the common ones being green, blue, and grey.