Painted dragon (Stellagama stellio brachydactyla)

What do I eat?

Painted dragons are opportunistic feeders, and will eat a large variety of prey, particularly insects such as ants, bees and wasps, as well as other invertebrates such as snails. They will also eat plant material and even occasionally small lizards or hatchling birds.

Where do I live?

These lizards are found across a wide area, including in Greece, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and Egypt. They live in a variety of rocky arid and semi-arid areas, often in mountainous or coastal regions.

Breeding

Painted dragons usually breed between March and early June. They dig a nest in the ground to lay their eggs in.  Females may lay up to two clutches of eggs a year.

Conservation

Painted dragons are categorized as Least Concern by the IUCN because they are found across a wide range of areas and there are currently no major threats to the species. They are also found in many protected areas.