Fun Blue Crested Lizard Facts For Kids

Are you fascinated by lizards, like the Caiman lizard? Then here we have all the information on the blue crested lizards. The blue crested lizard (Calotes mystaceus) is also known as the Indo-Chinese forest lizard, Indo-Chinese bloodsucker, and white-lipped calotes. These lizards are mainly found in the tropical countries of Southeast and South Asia. Countries, like China, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, India, and more are the homes of these lizards. These lizards are quite interesting. Most of the time in the year these lizards have reddish-brown to grayish-brown bodies. The color changes during the breeding season. The upper parts of the body of the lizards, including their heads, turn bright blue to turquoise. This is how they got their common name, the 'blue crested lizard'. The identification of the arrival of their breeding season becomes more prominent as a pale yellow stripe also starts to appear from the sides of their snout.

Read on to know more about the Indo-Chinese forest lizards, and if you like this article, then also check out spiny-tailed lizard facts and crevice spiny lizards. 

What type of animal is a blue crested lizard?

Blue crested lizard (Calotes mystaceus) is a species of lizard.

What class of animal does a blue crested lizard belong to?

The Indo-Chinese forest lizard (Calotes mystaceus) belongs to the class Reptilia of animals.

How many blue crested lizards are there in the world?

Due to a lack of research, the population of blue crested lizards around the world in an exact or approximate number is not known.

Where does a blue crested lizard live?

These lizards are mainly found in Southeast and South Asia. The species can mainly be seen in parts of countries of China, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, India, Bangladesh, and more.

What is a blue crested lizard's habitat?

Indo-Chinese forest lizards (Calotes mystaceus) are mostly found in tropical countries, like India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and more in Asia. These arboreal animals inhabit gardens, lower montane forests, parks, lowlands, and forest edges. They are mainly seen within the elevation of 1 mi (1500 m) in Asia.

Who do blue crested lizards live with?

Lizards, in general, are not social animals. They are solitary for most parts, except during the breeding season.

How long does a blue crested lizard live?

Blue crested lizards are known to live for about 10 years.

How do they reproduce?

There is a lack of research on how blue crested lizards (Calotes mystaceus) reproduce. The breeding season is thought to occur around spring as that's when their breeding colors can be seen the most. The body color of these reptiles changes upon the arrival of the breeding season. Courtship behavior includes the male bending its body in an arched position while nodding its head toward the female. If the female reciprocates, it will do the same in response. The exact number of eggs in a single clutch of this species is not known. However, the clutch size of lizards, in general, is known to be two to 10 eggs on average. We can assume it's the same for the blue crested lizards as well. Not much is known about the parental care done by this species. Usually, parental care in reptiles, including lizards, is known to be very minimal and limited till the eggs hatch.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of the Indo-Chinese forest lizard is Not Listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.

What do blue crested lizards look like?

The Indo-Chinese forest lizard (Calotes mystaceus) is a small-sized lizard, like a Texas horned lizard. The body shape of these lizards is compressed, like other lizards of their genus, Calotes with long tails. They have large heads with swollen cheeks. Males of the species have a big throat pouch. They generally have reddish-brown to grayish-brown bodies. Three large blotches of reddish-brown color can also be seen on the upper sides of their flanks. During the breeding season, this color changes, and a turquoise to bright blue color starts to appear starting from their head. A broad stripe of pale yellow color also starts to appear from the snout, passes beneath their eyes, and reaches their shoulders.

How cute are they?

People keep many species of non-poisonous lizards as pets. Many people consider them cute and their beautiful colors and easy-to-care-for nature attract them. These lizards are no exception to that.

How do they communicate?

Lizards, in general, communicate by tactile means. Specifically, they communicate by touching others. They might also bite, nudge, or lick to communicate. Male blue crested lizards, in particular, have been seen to extend their throat pouches. Then they start doing rapid push-ups when they are fighting with another male or trying to attract a female.

How big is a blue crested lizard?

Blue crested lizards (Calotes mystaceus) grow up to about 5.5 in (14 cm) in length. They are slightly smaller than lava lizards, which are about 6-12 in (15-30 cm) in length.

How fast can a blue crested lizard run?

The exact speed at which the Indo-Chinese forest lizard runs is not known. However, they have been seen to move at a moderate pace.

How much does a blue crested lizard weigh?

Due to a lack of research, the exact weight of the blue crested lizard (Calotes mystaceus) is not known. However, owing to their small size, we can't imagine these lizards weighing a lot.

What are the male and female names of the species?

Males and females of the species have no specific names.

What would you call a baby blue crested lizard?

A baby Indo-Chinese forest lizard (Calotes mystaceus) is called a hatchling or a neonate.

What do they eat?

Not much is known about the diet of the species. However, lizards of their genus, Calotes, generally feed on small invertebrates and insects, like grasshoppers, beetles, crickets, ants, moths, and more. We can assume that the diet of blue crested lizards also consists of the same food.

Are they poisonous?

No, these lizards are not known to be poisonous. If agitated in any way, they might resort to biting. You will need to go to the doctor if that happens, but only for the bite, not for any poison.

Would they make a good pet?

Indo-Chinese forest lizards are not known to live as pets. However, they are not poisonous and they are known to adapt to their changing surroundings pretty well. Hence, we can assume that they can be domesticated.

Did you know...

Blue crested lizards (Calotes mystaceus) are known as 'Pote Thin Nyo' in Burmese.

Is the blue crested lizard endemic?

Yes, the blue crested lizard is endemic to southeast and South Asia. They are only seen in some parts of a few countries, which are - China, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, India, Bangladesh, and more.

How many eggs do blue crested lizards lay?

Due to a lack of research, not much is known about the reproduction process, including the clutch size of the Indo-Chinese forest lizards. However, lizards, in general, lay about 2-10 eggs on average. We can assume, the clutch size of the blue crested lizard would be within this range as well.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these mountain horned dragon facts and curly tailed lizard facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Realistic Lizard coloring pages.

Main image by ianaré sévi.

Image two by travlinman43.