From Indonesia to Laos, the region hosts a vast biodiversity of reptiles vitally important to local ecosystems
Lunar New Year, a widely celebrated holiday across Southeast Asia, is renowned for its vibrant festivities.
This year welcomes the Year of the Wood Dragon, which is anticipated to usher in opportunities and transformation, with the dragon being a significant symbol in Chinese mythology representing strength as well as power, coupled with the element of wood, which conveys vitality, growth, and benevolence.
With this auspicious energy in mind, the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) directs its focus towards the region’s real-
life dragons.
“There is a wide variety of lizards in Southeast Asia that are found nowhere else in the world,” said ACB Executive Director Dr Theresa Mundita S Lim in a statement.
From the most popular Komodo Dragons (Varanus komodoensis) from Indonesia to the recently discovered Khammouan Karst Dragon (Laodracon carsticola) from Laos, these lizards have important ecological functions which include seed dispersal and insect population control, she said.
They are also a vital source of food for different animals, she added and as such it is high time to learn about these unique ASEAN species that exemplify the region’s biological diversity.
Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis)
In the Komodo National Park off Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda Islands, Komodo Dragons, the largest lizards, thrive in severe conditions, reaching lengths of up to 10 feet and weighs of 154 pounds.
Preferring the tropical forests, they play a crucial role in disease control by consuming carcasses, contributing to ecosystem health.
Despite their small population limited to five Indonesian islands, conservation efforts, including patrols and ecotourism improvements, are enhancing their protection and preserving their habitat.
Philippine sailfin lizards (Hydrosaurus pustulatus)
The sailfins belong to the agamid lizard species, close relatives of iguanas. Agamids typically have scaly bodies, well-developed legs, and tails. Some can change colours for temperature regulation.
Found across major Philippine islands except Palawan, they sport sail-like crests on their backs and can grow up to four feet long.
Similar to Komodo Dragons, they are strong swimmers, with juveniles briefly running on water surfaces.
Omnivores, they inhabit dense coastal vegetation, rivers, lakes, mangroves, and flooded rice fields near forests. It is known locally as layagan or balubid in Tagalog and ibid in Visayan.
Sulawesi lined gliding lizards (Draco spilonotus)
Commonly found in the forested areas of Sulawesi, an island in Indonesia, Draco lizards are confined to Northern Sulawesi’s Tangkoko National Park.
Typically measuring five to 10 centimetres (cm) in length, these medium-sized lizards excel in hot and dry climates and possess remarkable camouflage abilities. Males sport a pair of patagium or ‘wings,’ yellow with brown lines, enabling them to glide between trees.
Additionally, males feature a distinctive round-shaped yellow skin flap, known as the gular flag, which serves as their primary means of communication, particularly in attracting females.
Draco lizards predominantly inhabit trees and sustain themselves by feeding on ants and termites.
Green crested lizard (Bronchocela cristatella)
Found across Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia, this lizard is bright green with occasional blue hues on its head.
It can change from light green to dark brown when threatened and is 13cm in body length and 57cm when including the tail (which comprises 75 per cent of its total length).
It inhabits primary and secondary forests, parks, gardens, and rural areas. Males feature an attractive neck crest.
In Singapore, their population faces decline due to competition with the changeable lizard (Calotes versicolor), an introduced species considered invasive in some ASEAN countries.
Giant forest dragon (Gonocephalus grandis)
Also known as the Malayan Crested Lizard, this species is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Adult males boast large, pointed green crests on their necks and backs, complemented by a blue and yellow pattern on their sides. Adult females exhibit similar colours but lack the green crests. Remarkably, these lizards can change their colour from green to black in minutes.
Belonging to the family of agamid lizards, they possess long tails and well-developed muscular legs, enabling them to be agile and run swiftly on forest floors or while climbing tree trunks.
Dragon lizards (Laodracon carsticola)
Known as the Khammouan Karst Dragon, this newly discovered lizard species was recently identified in the limestone landscape of Khammouan Province, Laos.
Resembling fictional dragons to some extent, they belong to the Agamidae family, typically found in warmer environments.
Feeding on ants, they possess remarkable camouflage abilities, with black and gray scale patterns that blend seamlessly with limestone rocks and outcrops. Measuring approximately 15cm in length, they sport blue or gray eyes, along with red and blue spots, and rough skin that aids in climbing coarse rocks.
Limestone karst formations, including towers, caves, and sinkholes, serve as crucial habitats for dragon lizards and numerous other unique species in the ASEAN region.
Dr Lim stressed that increased and coordinated conservation efforts in the natural habitats of these lizards are essential for protecting these unique species, many of which exist in small and fragmented populations.
“Raising awareness on the need to safeguard these ASEAN dragons is also essential, as they are crucial allies in protecting people against dangerous zoonotic diseases and in maintaining a balanced and well-functioning ecosystem.” – Wardi Wasil
