Arnold Uy kindly sent me a photo of a Yellow-spotted
Agama Trapelus flavimaculatus he took
recently near Al Asfar Lake, Hofuf that he has also kindly allowed me to use
some on my website and is shown below. Copyright remains with Arnold. Yellow-spotted
Agama are a medium sized lizard about 30 centimetres in length and are also
known as Blue-headed Agama for obvious reasons. Their tails are very long and
thin and make up over half their body length and they move extremely fast over
the ground. The Yellow-spotted Agama is a common species of lizard found in
arid regions of the Middle East from Egypt: North of the Eastern Desert & Northern
Sinai to the Arabian Peninsula including Saudi Arabia. They are readily
distinguished from the Sinai agama Pseudotrapelus sinaitus by their heavier
build, rougher scales and the presence of a gular sac that is darkened and
inflated as a threat display. The ear opening is smaller and its dorsal margin
is partially covered by pointed scales. In the summer these lizards often sit
atop Acacia trees or prominent rocks as a territorial display and to regulate
their temperature. They are quite aggressive with a mainly carnivorous diet of
small insects. Their skin colour varies from reddish-brown to olive‐green, and is
covered in a pattern of heavy yellowish-white spots. Their tails are normally
pale yellow; however, male Yellow-spotted Agamas have the ability to go from
this drab coloration to something much more vivid and spectacular. The dull
reddish-brownish-green skin turns vivid blue, and the pale yellow tail glows
brilliant flaming orange. Sometimes a male Agama will only change partially
turning just the underside of his head blue, for instance. The colour change
happens in seconds and fades just as quickly.
