Painted dragon (Stellagama stellio brachydactyla)

What do I eat?

Painted dragons will hunt smaller animals, mostly insects such as ants, bees and wasps. These lizards are also known to eat some plant material, snails, small lizards, hatchling birds.

Where do I live?

Painted dragons are found in many countries including Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia and northern Egypt.

These animals are found in a range of different habitats including arid and semi arid habitats, rocky hillsides, grassland, and scrubland. They have even been found in areas such as orchards and olive groves. Painted dragons have often been linked with living in rocky areas with plenty of places to climb and hide.

They have also adapted well to life close to human developments so can be found near different settlements.

Breeding

These lizards will often form a "harem"; this is when there is dominant male in an area with several females around that they will mate with. Breeding season for the painted dragon in the wild is usually from March to early June.

Females will produce 3 to 12 eggs per clutch and can lay up to 2 clutches a year. The eggs are laid in a nest that has been dug in the ground, and will hatch after about 2 months.

Predators

Painted dragons are hunted by other animals in the wild such as birds of prey, corvids, larger lizards and snakes.

Conservation

Painted dragons have come under threat in some areas of its range in Egypt due to habitat loss and also being collected for the pet trade.

At this time there are no conservation programs in place for the painted dragon, as they are found within many habitats across its range, including many protected areas.