Excuse my good sir, you’re blocking the view
A Common Green Forest Lizard has a request
“No, not the view of the forest, the view the females have of me! You don’t understand? Well it’s mating season, which is why I’m perched up here in the open, basking in the sun and showing off my beautiful red-hued head and throat sac. Oh you thought I looked like this all the time? No, no, at other times I’m just shades of green with white stripes… well except when a predator attacks, but that’s another story. Do I look good? I had a light breakfast of insects so that I wouldn't look bloated. I’m so hungry right now, I can’t wait to go find a nice juicy frog to gulp down.”
Fun Facts
“You wouldn’t see me most of the time. I’m very good at camouflage. My green body blends in so well with the bushes, and I am such a champion at staying still, that you’d never know I was there even if you were inches away from me. Unfortunately that doesn’t work so well with the Bronzeback Tree Snake. They hunt by sensing body heat. Trust me, they’ve eaten so many of my kind. Generally, turning almost black with whites stripes across my body deters everyone else… but not these snakes. I’ve had to scramble super fast to get away from them!”
Story of the Photo
Common Green Forest Lizards are not seen as commonly as they used to be, due to the dwindling foliage in and around cities. However they are quite frequently found around all Eco Team campsites which are situated on the borders of National Parks. Dilum captured this beautiful shot right inside the Explorer by Eco Team campsite, in the Sinharaja forest.
