Japalura splendida
Fast Facts
- Also called the Japalura tree dragon, banana split mountain lizard, dragon Agama, Green-striped Tree Dragon, or neon tree dragon.
- Males and females are sexually dimorphic with males having strongly striped backs and females having a diamond pattern between the green stripes on their back.
Range
Southern China
Habitat
Humid, temperate jungles
Size
Up to 8-16 inches in length
Nutrition
Insects
Characteristics
Coloration is usually a mix of deep black or brown on the body and tail with vibrant green stripes running down its back and in patches on its forearms and head. Their toes are long and thin, which is helpful for climbing, and unlike most arboreal lizards, they have a relatively short tail. Their heads are triangular shaped with a small crest of scales on the back of the head. Males and females are dimorphic with the males having two long green stripes bordering a central brown stripe down the back and females having two rows of green splotches down the back with the center of the back being patterned in brown diamonds.
Behavior
They are almost completely arboreal, usually only descending to the ground to lay their eggs. They often drink from dripping leaves.
Reproduction
Chinese tree dragons lay eggs in late May to June. These eggs hatch in mid-July to August in shallow nests with an average of five to seven eggs per nest.
