Comb Lizard

When herpetologists speak of a comb lizard, they are most likely referring to a member of the Agamid reptile species Goniocephalus liogaster, or the Comb-Crested Tropical or Forest Lizard (or Dragon), found throughout damp regions of Sumatra, Borneo and the Sulu Islands of Southeast Asia.

Some observers may even call the creature a Blue-eyed Angle-headed Lizard, though not too many of these reptiles have the kind of bright blue eyes you and I might consider true blue — and why the pointy-snouted, pop-eyed angular head of a gecko-like lizard should remind anyone of an Angel, I’ll never understand!

No, the comb lizard of which I speak is much larger than G. liogaster, which often grows no longer than the width of a human hand. The comb lizard pictured here frequents watering holes throughout the temperate regions of most of the industrialized world, and grows to lengths of 8 inches or more (including the rat-like tail). The comb of this creature also rises in a much more uniform row of serrated spikes than the meager bristles of its Asian cousin. While many comb lizards are a lacquer-like black, it is not unusual to spot green, blue, yellow, white, or even orange or pink comb lizards. These creatures may in fact be difficult to discern initially, as they are often camouflaged via color-coordination with their surroundings. Some may even nestle into a matching brush.

The comb lizard most often arrives at the watering hole just before dawn each weekday. It is at those moments before sunrise that the creature meets up with its closest natural companions, the Disarrayed Ducktail and the Bedraggled Bouffant.