The Long Tailed Lizard is a species of arboreal Lizard that can be found throughout much of South-East Asia.
They are known by a few different common names including the Asian Grass Lizard and the Six Striped Long Tailed Grass Lizard.
However, they are most commonly referred to as the Long Tailed Lizard and for good reason. Their tail can be up to three times longer than the rest of its body.
Long Tailed Lizard Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The Long Tailed Lizard belongs to the Lacertidae family of lizards. They are often referred to as the lacertas or the wall lizards.
While this is a large family of lizards with over 300 different species, the family isn’t as widely known as other families of lizards such as the gecko or monitor families.
However, these are the most common types of lizards found in Europe and as a result, have been dubbed the ‘true lizards’ or common lizards.
The species in this family can be found in much of Europe and Africa while their range also extends right across Asia as far as South-East Asia.
Genus
The genus that the Long Tailed Lizard belongs to is called Takydromus. There are over 20 different recognised species in this genus.
These species are often referred to as grass lizards or oriental racers and can be found throughout much of Asia.
Some of the other species in this genus include the Green Grass Lizard and the Japanese Grass Lizard.
All of the species in this genus have extremely long tails in comparison to the lizard’s length. The tails of these species can be 2-5 times longer than their body.
Species
The scientific name for the Long Tailed Lizard is Takydromus sexlineatus. It was first described in 1802 by a French Zoologist named François Marie Daudin.
There are currently two recognised sub-species of Long Tailed Lizard. The nominate species Takydromus sexlineatus sexlineatus and Takydromus sexlineatus ocellatus.
Long Tailed Lizard Description
The Long Tailed Lizard can vary greatly in terms of coloration. However, they are typically some shades of brown, beige or green.
They can typically grow to around 30cm in length but the lizards tail makes up the vast majority of this length.
They can also have a number of brown, black or cream stripes running along the length of their backs. The underbelly of this lizard is usually white or cream in color.
The most defining feature of these lizards is their very long tail which is typically the same color as the lizard itself.
This excessively long tail can be up to three times the length of the lizard’s body, making it a very unique looking Lizard.
They are a slim and agile Lizard that despite reaching a total length of up to 30cm, are deceptively small given that their tail makes up most of their length.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Long Tailed Lizard has a large geographical range. They can be found throughout much of South-East Asia.
They can be found throughout most of mainland South-East Asia where they can be found as far West as Bangladesh.
Their range extends Eastwards through places such as Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam and Malaysia.
They can also be found in parts of South China, Hong Kong and as far East as the island of Taiwan.
These lizards can also be found in Singapore and on many of the Indonesian islands including Sumatra, Java, Borneo and Sulawesi.
Long Tailed Lizard Behaviour
The Long Tailed Lizard is a diurnal species meaning they are mainly active during the hours of daylight and sleep at night.
These lizards are known for the way that they communicate with each other. They will wave both of their arms in the air at other Long Tailed Lizards.
It is not fully understood what the purpose of these hand gestures are but it is commonly accepted that they are used as some form of communication.
If these lizards feel threatened, their first instinct is to remain motionless in the hope that a predator won’t see them. If the threat persists however, they will dash for safety underneath leaf litter or other forms of cover.
The Long Tailed Lizard is considered to be a very peaceful species and aggression is rare. However, males can be territorial so fighting can occur if they are trying to occupy the same space.