Common Lizards in Bangalore

I've always been fascinated by the Urban Wildlife we see around our homes. One creature that almost everyone has seen at some point or the other is the Lizard. In Bangalore we can see quite a few common species of lizards.

The most common is the Wall Lizard or House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus). These are often spotted inside homes, scaling walls or ceilings. They are a useful part of the ecosystem as they eat many of the insects that we see as pests.

House Gecko

A lizard that is commonly mistaken for a House Gecko is the Day Gecko (Cnemaspis). When people think of Day Geckos they imagine the large, colorful green and blue geckos found in tropical areas. However, the Day Gecko I'm talking about isn't as impressive. These geckos are usually brown or black with a yellow stripe running down the spine. They are often found behind flowerpots or among rocks outside. These cannot scale walls and are about half the size of House Geckos.

Day Gecko

Another common lizard is the Garden Lizard (Calotes versicolor). Often seen basking in the sun on trees, this lizard is much larger, with rough scales and longer limbs. The throats of male Garden Lizards sometimes appear bloodred during the mating season. Due to this they are also called "The Bloodsucker Lizard" but they actually don't suck blood.

Oriental Garden Lizard

The fourth type of lizard that many might have seen is the Rock Agama (Psammophilius dorsalis). These are usually bigger than Garden Lizards, and prefer to sunbathe on rocks rather than trees. The males are bright orange or yellow with a black underside while females are a mix of greens.

Male Rock Agama

Female Rock Agama