Agama (lizard) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Agama (lizard)
Agama agama
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Iguania
Family:	Agamidae
Subfamily:	Agaminae
Genus:	Agama Daudin, 1802
Type species
Lacerta agama Linnaeus, 1758
Species
See text

An Agama atra male. Notice its ear drum, called a tympanum. Compare its colors to the female below.

An Agama atra female carrying eggs. See how her colors are different from the male.

Agama (pronounced AH-gah-mah) is a group of lizards found mostly in Africa. The name "Agama" comes from a language called Sranan Tongo, where it means "lizard." These lizards are usually small to medium-sized with long tails. They mainly eat insects. There are at least 37 different kinds, or species, of Agama lizards. Most of them live in sub-Saharan Africa.

What Does the Name Agama Mean?

The word "agama" comes from West African Gbe languages. In these languages, it was a name for the chameleon. When people from West Africa were brought to Dutch Guiana (now Suriname), they used this word for local lizards. This is likely how the name "agama" became known.

What Do Agama Lizards Look Like?

Agama lizards come in different sizes. When fully grown, they can be about 12 to 30 centimeters (5 to 12 inches) long.

Their colors can change a lot! This depends on the species, whether they are male or female, and even their mood. For example, a male lizard showing off might be very bright. But if it gets scared or loses a fight, its colors will become duller. Females are usually not as colorful as the males.

Agama lizards have strong back legs. This helps them run and jump very fast when they need to escape danger.

Where Do Agama Lizards Live?

Agama lizards live in many different places. You can find them in forests, bushy areas, or among rocks. Some species have also learned to live near people. They might live in villages, inside the roofs of huts, or in other small hiding spots.

How Do Agama Lizards Behave?

Agama lizards are diurnal, which means they are active during the day. They can handle hot weather better than many other reptiles. However, if it gets too hot (around 38°C or 100°F), they will find shade to cool down.

Male agamas often challenge each other. They do this by nodding their heads, swaying, and showing off their brightest colors. This helps them decide who is in charge. If that doesn't work, they might whip their tails or open their mouths wide to scare each other. Their jaws are very strong. Older males often have damaged tails from past fights. Females sometimes chase and fight each other too. Even baby agamas copy the adults' behavior!

What Do Agama Lizards Eat?

Agama lizards mostly eat insects. They hunt by sight and grab prey when they get a chance. Their front teeth are like small knives, and their strong jaws help them eat large, tough insects. They might also eat the eggs of other lizards. Sometimes, they will eat plants like grass, berries, or seeds.

How Do Agama Lizards Reproduce and Live?

Male agama lizards often have several females living in their territory. During courtship, the male bobs his head to impress the female. This head-bobbing is why some people call them "little mocking men." Sometimes, a female will start the courtship by showing her hindquarters to the male.

Agamas usually lay their eggs after the rainy season. A female can lay up to 12 eggs at a time, depending on her size and the species.

The lifespan of an agama lizard changes depending on where it lives. In the wild, they usually live about 8 to 12 years. But if they are kept as pets, they can live much longer, sometimes up to 20 to 25 years! Some species, like the spiny-tailed agama, can even live for 10 to 30 years.

Different Types of Agama Lizards

Here are some of the different species of Agama lizards:

Image	Scientific name	Common name	Where they live
	Agama aculeata Merrem, 1820	ground agama	Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique, S Angola, Tanzania, Zambia, Eswatini
	Agama africana (Hallowell, 1844)	West African rainbow Lizard	Liberia, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone ?, Guinea
	Agama agama (Linnaeus, 1758)	red-headed rock agama, common agama, rainbow agama	Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde Islands, Chad, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, and Madagascar
	Agama anchietae Bocage, 1896	western rock agama, Anchieta's agama	S Congo (Brazzaville), Angola, Namibia, South Africa (NW Cape), Botswana
	Agama armata W. Peters, 1855	tropical spiny agama	South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Swaziland, southern Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire), southwestern Kenya, and central Tanzania
	Agama atra Daudin, 1802	southern rock agama	Southern Africa
	Agama bibronii Boettger, 1874	Bibron's agama	Morocco but it extends south to Western Sahara and east into eastern Algeria
	Agama bocourti Rochebrune, 1884	Bocourt's agama	Senegal, Gambia
	Agama boensis Monard, 1940		Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Mali, Senegal
	Agama bottegi Boulenger, 1897	Somali agama	Mali; Mauritania; Niger; Senegal
	Agama boueti Chabanaud, 1917	Mali agama	Mali; Mauritania; Niger; Senegal
	Agama boulengeri Lataste, 1886	Boulenger's agama	Mali, Mauritania
	Agama caudospinosa Meek, 1910	Elmenteita rock agama	Kenya
	Agama cristata Mocquard, 1905	insular agama	Guinea (Conakry), Mali
	Agama dodomae Loveridge, 1923		Tanzania
	Agama doriae Boulenger, 1885	Nigeria agama	Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Central African Republic to Eritrea and Ethiopia, N Cameroon, Sudan
	Agama etoshae McLachlan, 1981	Etosha agama	Namibia
	Agama finchi Böhme, Wagner, Malonza, Lötters & Köhler, 2005	Finch's agama, Malaba rock agama	W Kenya, Ethiopia
	Agama gracilimembris Chabanaud, 1918	Benin agama	Ghana, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, probably in Chad (L. Chirio, pers. comm.), Mali, Guinea (Conakry), Burkina Faso
	Agama hartmanni W. Peters, 1869	Hartmann's agama
	Agama hispida (Linnaeus, 1758)	common spiny agama, southern spiny agama, spiny ground agama	South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, S Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Malawi
	Agama insularis Chabanaud, 1918	insular agama	Rooma Island, Guinea
	Agama kaimosae Loveridge, 1935	Kakamega agama	Kenya
	Agama kirkii Boulenger, 1885	Kirk's rock agama	Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, E Botswana, SW Tanzania
	Agama knobeli Boulenger & Power, 1921	southern rock agama	Namibia
	Agama lanzai Wagner, Leaché, Mazuch & Böhme, 2013		Somalia
	Agama lebretoni Wagner, Barej & Schmitz, 2009	Lebreton's agama	Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Fernando Poo (Bioko Island), Nigeria
	Agama lionotus Boulenger, 1896	Kenyan rock agama	Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia
	Agama lucyae Wagner & Bauer, 2011		N Ethiopia
	Agama montana Barbour & Loveridge, 1928	montane rock agama	Tanzania
	Agama mossambica W. Peters, 1854	Mozambique agama	Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, E Zimbabwe
	Agama mucosoensis Hellmich, 1957	Mucoso agama	Angola (Mucoso, Dondo, and Libolo/Luati)
	Agama mwanzae Loveridge, 1923	Mwanza flat-headed rock agama	Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya
	Agama parafricana S. Trape, Mediannikov & J. Trape, 2012		Benin; Ghana; Togo
	Agama paragama Grandison, 1968	false agama	N Nigeria, N Cameroon, Mali, Central African Republic, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin, probably in W Chad (L. Chirio, pers. comm.), Niger
	Agama persimilis Parker, 1942	painted agama, similar agama	Somalia, Ethiopia, E/NE Kenya
	Agama picticauda (W. Peters, 1877)	Peter’s rock agama	Gabon
	Agama planiceps W. Peters, 1862	Namib rock agama	Namibia (Damaraland, Kaokoveld)
	Agama robecchii Boulenger, 1892	Robecchi's agama	N Somalia, E Ethiopia
	Agama rueppelli Vaillant, 1882	Rüppell's agama, arboreal agama	Somalia, E Ethiopia, Kenya, S Sudan
	Agama sankaranica Chabanaud, 1918	Senegal agama	Guinea (Conakry), Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo, Mali, Cameroon (?), Senegal, Niger
	Agama somalica Wagner, Leaché, Mazuch & Böhme, 2013		NE Somalia
	Agama spinosa Gray, 1831	Gray’s agama, spiny agama	Egypt, Sudan, N Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, N Somalia
	Agama tassiliensis Geniez, Padial & Crochet, 2011		Mali (Adrar des Ifoghas), Niger (Aïr Mountains), Algeria (Ahaggar Mountains), Libya (Tassili n’Ajjer)
	Agama turuensis Loveridge, 1932		Tanzania
	Agama wachirai Malonza, Spawls, Finch & Bauer, 2021	Marsabit rock agama	Kenya
	Agama weidholzi Wettstein, 1932	Gambia agama	Senegal, Gambia, W Mali, Guinea-Bissau

See also

In Spanish: Agama (animal) para niños