There’s “impressive”, then there is “very impressive”, and then there is our Blue-headed Tree Agamas here at Pamuzinda. Blue-headed Tree Agamas – Acanthocercus atricollis falls under the sub-order Iguania. This sub-order includes iguanas and chameleons which are of the Family Agamidae. These large lizards grow to about 15 inches from snout to tail tip.

There are upwards of a dozen species in Africa and I have photographed several others as far East as Iran. The Blue-headed Tree Agamas at Pamuzinda can be seen on some specimen trees dotting the lodge lawn. The lizards are semi-arboreal and diurnal. This characteristic makes them a photographer’s delight as they are not afraid to be on parade in full daylight. Photographers can spot Agamas conveniently spread-eagled on a low tree branch in reach of even the shortest camera lenses.

Characteristics of Tree Agamas

When you spot a male looking at you and bobbing his head up and down, beware because he is chatting you up! Blue-headed Tree Agamas use head bobbing as an integral part of courtship behaviour. These lizards are insectivorous. Their prey species include Orthopterans (grass hoppers and bush crickets), flying insects, beetles and ants.

The males in particular have retained the features of their prehistoric ancestors. I can imagine no worse nightmare than being confronted by a Jurassic-sized version of one of these creatures.

Males have much larger heads than females. A characteristic that developed, no doubt, in response to their aggressive and territorial nature. The lizards frequently engage in what almost amounts to armed combat with competing males. Blue-headed Agamas usually live in small colonies. Each colony with a dominant male surrounded by several submissive females. Females in the harem can lay 10 or more eggs. Harems also house younger subordinate males.

Despite the gaudy blue-head and mixed yellow-to-orange body colours they adopt during the breeding season I was surprised to see the first male I tried to photograph virtually disappear as he climbed a tree. It does not seem well documented but Blue-headed Agamas, obviously, can change colour to blend with the background, as does a Chameleon. Whether this is a voluntary or automatic change and whether it is a response to some form of stress or threat I do not know. But, I would hate to think that my presence was seen as a threat.

Photographing Blue-headed Tree Agamas at Pamuzinda

A word of warning to all would-be lizard photographers. Many lizard species can shed their tails when they come under threat, such as you trying to get too close. There is the almost old wives tale that if you pick a lizard up by the tail it will come off in your hand. This is often true.

What many do not realise, however, is that a Lizard will often voluntarily shed its tail even when just pursued or threatened. The tail end then wriggles madly for several minutes. The idea is that if you are a hungry predator you will take time out to eat the tail while the rest of the creature makes good its escape. It is also true that they can then regrow the shed tail but the new one never looks as handsome as the original and is always an obvious “add-on”.