Southern Tree Agama
( Gumu gumu or Blue necked agama )
- Acanthocercus atricollis
- IUCN Status: Least Concern
- Threat: harmless
- Venom/Toxin: none
- Trend: stable
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Reptilia
- Order: Squamata
- Suborder: Iguania
- Family: Agamidae
- Genus: Acanthocercus
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General Information
The southern tree agama is most often called the Blue necked tree agama.
Fun Facts
Agama lizards are Africa’s most dominant lizard species. They are ambush foragers and only spend 4% of their time moving. This involves an average of less than one movement in two minutes. Even though they are mostly stationary (42% on lateral branches, 35% on tree trunks and 23% on the ground) they can move extremely fast and are able to jump high when escaping. They are known to slowly change colour over-time either for dominance, camouflage or mating season.
Description
A very large agama with a broad arrow shaped head. Breeding males have a dull blue to bluish back, with bright blue anteriors to straw-yellow posterior spines and a bright cobalt-blue head.
- Length: up to 45 cm
- Lifespan: up to 30 yrs
Ecology & Behaviour
The southern tree agama are very dominant and aggresive. Males usually fight with other males. With agamas, their dominance in the group is determined through fights. A dominant male is brightly colored and this male enjoys the privileges of mating with females and also gets the best place to rest. Agamas are diurnal and mostly active during the day.
Diet
Agama lizards are mostly insectivorous. Their diet consists of ants, millipedes, caterpillars, grasshoppers and beetles. Prey diversity and volumes fluctuate seasonally.
Reproduction
The southern tree agama reproduces seasonally. Testicular volume of males reaches a maximum during August to September (austral spring), and follicles of females become enlarged during August to December. Females lay a single clutch per year, 5 – 14 oval soft-shelled eggs on average in a hole dug in moist soil. Larger females produce larger clutches than smaller females. These hatch after 90 days.
Conservation
It is categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a, ” Least Concern “. They are wide-spread in southern Africa and their population remains stable.
Distribtion & Habitat
The southern tree agama is very rare in Zambia but is largely present in other southern african countries. It is found in Eritrea, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, D.R.C., Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Eswatini.
Interaction With Humans
Agama lizards are persecuted in some areas due to a belief that they are harmful when infact they are not even though they do bite when confronted. It is believed that they are used by traditional doctors to make covert love potions.
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