Family : AGAMIDAE
Species : Calotes sp.
Size (snout to vent) : 
Females to 93 mm, males to 98 mm (Law et al, 2025).

Presented here are images of Calotes lizards from different parts of Singapore. These lizards are easily found sunning themselves on low vegetation and on fences in parks and gardens and in forest-edge settings. Calotes lizards do not occur in the mature forests in the interior of the country, except for forest-edge settings.

Prior to the early 1980's there were no Calotes lizards of any type in Singapore. However, by the mid 1980's it was apparent that some Calotes had arrived in the country and were rapidly establishing themselves. These lizards were identified as Calotes versicolor, and were known locally as changeable lizards. (Baker & Lim, 2012).

It was assumed that their progenitors were unwittingly imported into Singapore by rail or sea from northern Peninsular Malaysia or Thailand (Figueroa et al, 2023), but there is a chance that some had come from further afield, for example from India.

It is also likely that in later years Calotes versicolor, or the form in Thailand that is now called Calotes thailandensis (Prakobarn et al, 2026) also spread down through Peninsular Malaysia overland, by successfully establishing itself in widespread anthropogenic habitats, and finally reached Singapore. 

This confusing picture could mean that both Calotes versicolor sensu stricto (from India and elsewhere) and Calotes thailandensis could both occur in Singapore.

Further work is clearly needed to determine exactly which species of Calotes occur in Singapore.

In the decades since the arrival of Calotes lizards in Singapore, the native range of Bronchocela cristatella (Green Crested Lizard) has shrunk; whether this is a consequence of the arrival of these invasive lizards is unclear.

Also included here (Figure 8) is an image of a Calotes lizard at a ferry terminal on the island of Bintan, to the southeast of Singapore, in the Riau Islands of Indonesia. 


Fig 1 : Adult in non-breeding colour in grassland habitat at Kranji.

Figs 2 and 3 : Male examples in typical breeding colours, with reddish-orange head and anterior part of body, and black marking on the throat. Seen at MacRitchie and Sembawang.

Fig 4 : Gravid female in secondary forest edge in the Portsdown area.

Fig 5 : Example in secondary forest edge in the Portsdown area.

Fig 6 : Falling prey to a Kopstein's Bronzeback at the edge of Lentor Forest in central Singapore. This forested area was later cut down to make way for housing.

Fig 7 : Example in secondary forest edge in the Portsdown area.

Fig 8 : Example at a ferry terminal on Bintan Island, Riau Archipelago, Indonesia.


References :

Baker, N. & K. Lim, (Vertebrate Study Group, Nature Society Singapore), 2012 (Reprint). Wild Animals Of Singapore. Draco Publishing and Distribution Pte. Ltd.

Figueroa, A., Low, M. E., & Lim, K. K. (2023). Singapore’s herpetofauna: updated and annotated checklist, history, conservation, and distribution. Zootaxa, 5287(1), 1-378.

Law I.S., Law I. T., Shivaram Rasu, Serin Subaraj, Sankar Ananthanarayanan. (2025). A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Singapore. John Beaufoy Pub. Ltd. 304 pp.

Prakobkarn A, Zug GR, Tandavanitj N, Ngamprasertwong T (2026) Systematics of the Calotes irawadi complex (Squamata, Agamidae) with two newly described species from Thailand. ZooKeys 1281: 69–104.