I have posted pictures of the Crested Green Lizard before, but thought this pose was quite interesting also because of the unusual white top lip. It is not a moustache or the froth from a cappucino, rather it is the last remnant of skin as it had almost completed shedding its old skin.
This little beauty is a Green Crested Lizard (Bronchocela cristatella) from South East Asia.
There are no prizes for guessing how it gets its name, after all it is a lizard, it is green and it has a nifty little crest.
Reptiles are really fascinating creatures. I can recall seeing a lizard in the grip of a cat shedding its tail and making its escape while the cat was mesmerised by the still flapping tail left behind. Chameleons have the ability to rotate their eyes through crazy angles and of course they're known for their incredible ability to change colour to blend in with their environment.
Well chameleons don't have the monopoly on colour changing tricks as the Crested Green Lizard can also change from green to brown to signal when it is distressed or feeling threatened. Fortunately, as you can see from this shot this little specimen was totally at ease with me as he posed for this portrait.
