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Changeable Lizard – eggs and young

on 24th July 2019

A Changeable Lizard (Calotes versicolor) was found laying about half a dozen eggs in a shallow hole in my garden last year LINK. However, we failed to observe the hatching of the eggs or see the young lizards.

This time around, Estela V Acierto collected 11 white eggs when clearing our pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) patch (above). The oval eggs, measuring about 16 x 12 mm, had soft shells. These eggs were placed in a small container and covered with a thin layer of garden soil to incubate them.

We found 11 slender lizards 13 days later, each measuring about 75 mm from snout to the tip of the tail (above). Unfortunately, we were unable to establish the exact day the eggs hatched.

The baby lizards were kept in plastic containers and fed water with a dropper (above, below). They were given small ants and fruit flies. A few of them were seen eating the ants but when the ants moved around them, most either ignored or moved away. A few were also seen catching the fruit flies.

Two mornings later, all of them were found dead (below). We are wondering whether we fed them the wrong food or that we had the cover of the container tightly closed…

Scale in mm.
Scale in mm.

YC Wee & Estela V Acierto
Singapore
14th July 2019

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

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