Otocryptis wiegmanni
—
Sri Lankan Kangaroo Lizard
Also known as:
Sri Lanka Kangaroo Lizard, Wiegmann’s Agama, Brown-patched Kangaroo Lizard
Otocryptis wiegmanni looks basically identical to Otocryptis nigristigma, but adult males of the two species have differently-colored dewlaps. This isn't all that helpful in the field, since most of the kangaroo lizards you see aren't adult males, and you don't want to necessarily be pulling at the throats of every adult male to check out its dewlap coloration. Fortunately their ranges only overlap in a few smallish areas, so in most places you know which species you are seeing simply by location.
My guide Udaya Chanaka and his sometimes-conscripted associates found it amusing that I insisted on photographing every sleeping lizard we came across. There were so many! (Don't worry, I didn't include every single individual here, though I did on iNaturalist.) Here's a twofer.
Can you imagine seeing this in the rainforest at night and *not* photographing it? I know I can't.
Online references:
- Otocryptis wiegmanni account on The Reptile Database
- Otocryptis wiegmanni account on iNaturalist
Printed references:
- Somaweera, R., Somaweera, N. 2009. Lizards of Sri Lanka: A Colour Guide with Field Keys
- de Silva, A., Ukuwela, K. 2017. A Naturalist's Guide to the Reptiles of Sri Lanka