Identification:
This medium-sized lizard species has a snout-vent length (SVL) of 49-76 mm and a tail length (TailL) of 97-153 mm. The head length is 1.3 times greater than its height. The rostral scale is wider than it is tall, bordered posteriorly by four scales and the first two supralabials. The frontal and parietal regions are slightly concave. The canthal and supraorbital ridges are sharp. The nostrils are round, situated in the middle of the nasal scale and separated from the rostral scale by a small scale. Small tubercles are present on the scales behind the eyes and above the tympanum. There are 6-7 long, uneven nuchal and nape spines. Small spines are present along the dorsal ridge. The tympanum is distinct; the distance from the tympanum to the posterior of the eye is approximately equal to the distance from the anterior of the eye to the nostril.
The body scales are keeled, directed posteriorly and ventrally. There are 63-72 scale rows around the body. There are 7-10 supralabials and 7-9 infralabials on each side. The limbs are long and slender. There are 9-11 subdigital lamellae under the first digit of the forelimb and 23-26 subdigital lamellae under the fourth digit of the hindlimb. The dorsal surfaces of the head, body, and limbs are green, with a brown stripe along the dorsal midline and thin black stripes extending laterally. Thin black stripes radiate from the eyes. The tail has alternating blue and brown bands, with the posterior part of the tail being brown. In some individuals, the body is grayish-brown, and the ventral surface is lighter. The throat has dark coffee-colored markings.
Biology and Ecology:
This species inhabits well-preserved evergreen forest areas, often found perching on low shrubs to hunt. They are occasionally seen climbing on large trees at elevations of 600-1,000 meters. Their diet consists of insects found within their distribution range. Females lay eggs in the ground or under leaf litter. Egg development is entirely dependent on temperature and environmental conditions.
Distribution:
- Vietnam: Bắc Kạn, Quảng Ninh, Thừa Thiên Huế, Đà Nẵng, Lâm Đồng.
- World: Myanmar, China, Thailand, Laos, and Malaysia.