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Amongst the easiest to see in Thailand are the Lizards. Ranging from the mighty
Water Monitor, which is in the same family as the Komodo dragon and can grow well
over 2 meters, to the tiny Gecko only a few inches long - welcomed in homes due to
its liking to mosquito’s and other flying pests.
There are 4 main groups of Lizard within Thailand; Varanidae (3 main species) including the Water Monitor Lizards, Geckos (37 species), the Agamids (34 species) and the Skinks (38 species).
Here we shall focus on the 3 main species so keep an eye out on your next trip into Thailand’s back yard!
Water Monitor
Within Thailand the Monitor Lizard is one of the most hated species of lizard! Generally known as Dooa Nguen Dooa Thong or Dooa Hia (a rather strong obscenity in Thai) it is considered unlucky to have one found close to or inside your house.
They are however extremely beautiful and very large in size. They have long necks, powerful tails and claws, well developed limbs and can reach sizes of almost 3 meters and weigh up to 50 kgs!! Sub species can be either terrestrial, arboreal or semi aquatic - due to their ability to swim extremely well.
Eating anything from small reptiles and mammals, fish, birds, carrion and even fruits they have adapted extremely well to a life with increased pressure from humans and any canoe trip down one of Thailand’s rivers will reveal Monitor Lizards either basking on the banks or high up in the trees
.
The Emma Gray’s Forest Tree Lizard
Apart from the Monitors there are also the Agamids and today we shall focus on one of the more common Agamids, the Emma Gray’s Forest Lizard. Common to most areas of Thailand and diverse in colour throughout, it can be seen in towns, gardens and climbing up the tallest of Dipterocarps in tropical forests.
The Emma Gray’s Forest Tree Lizard or (Calotes emma) is an attractive common lizard to Thailand as well as Southern China, India, Burma, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia.
It has 3 rows of spines on the back of its head with twin spines above the typanum (external ear-drum) and 1 continuing down the neck to the back gradually disappearing. The colour generally varies between brownish olive, to green. Normally there are brown or black bands across the back which arc and are lighter in the middle with white bands running down the sides, however there have also been other variations in colour observed such as light orange and light green.
Other Agamids common to Thailand are the Calotes versicolour, a common and drab brown colour and the Calotes mystacceus which is blue in colouration, loving shaded woodland and gardens.
The Gecko
Gecko’s are the most obvious of Thailand’s lizards. Found in most homes and practically encouraged, they help to keep flying pests such as mosquitoes and flies at bay. In Thai they call the common house Gecko Jingjok and the largest of the Geckos the Gekko gecko, the Tookae.So amazing is their ability to climb walls and ceilings they are often seen walking on or hanging upside down on glass! This is because of their feet. They have special pads on the bottom of their feet on which every square millimeter contains around 14,000 hairs or Setae. These Setae have a diameter of around 5 micrometers (human hair ranges between 18 – 180 micrometers). Each of these is in turn tipped with 100 – 1000 even smaller hairs or Spatulae which are around 0.2 micrometers in diameter and that is just below the wavelength of visible light! These adaptations to their environment allow the Gecko to have seemingly otherworldly grip when moving over any surface (Now if that is not impressive we don’t know what is!).
