Brown-patched Kangaroo lizard (Otocryptis wiegmanni), also called Wiegmann's Agama or Sri Lankan Kangaroo Lizard, is a small, ground dwelling agamid lizard

Lizard

Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...

 endemic to the wet zone forests and lower mountain forests (up to 1300 meters) of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

. It is commonly seen in the leaf litter of shady rain forests. When perceiving danger, it spurts away quickly on its large hind legs and might eventually climb up a sapling or tree. It feeds on small insects, grubs and tender shoots.
It is closely related to the Indian Kangaroo Lizard (Otocryptis beddomii

Otocryptis beddomii

The Indian Kangaroo Lizard is a species of agamid lizard found in south India...

) of the rain forests of South India.

Description

Adult body size: about 7 cms. Tail: 15 cms. Its colour ranges from dark reddish brown to dull brown. Males are darker than females. Lays between three and five eggs in a nest in the ground between July and January.

External links

• http://zipcodezoo.com/Animals/O/Otocryptis_wiegmanni/ Taxonomy(Accessed: 5.9.2010)
• http://www.srilankareptile.com/Sauria/Otocryptis%20weigmannii.php Description Accessed: 5.9.2010)
• http://www.birdnestforum.info/index.php?topic=842.0 Description (Accessed: 5.9.2010)
• http://www.sevcikphoto.com/otocryptis_wiegmanni_2.jpg.html Picture gallery (Accessed: 5.9.2010)