Philippine sailfin lizard

Philippine sailfin lizard
Wild Philippine sailfin lizard in Leyte
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Agamidae
Genus: Hydrosaurus
Species:
H. pustulatus
Binomial name
Hydrosaurus pustulatus
(Eschscholtz, 1829)

Hydrosaurus pustulatus, commonly known as the Philippine sailfin lizard or the Philippine sailfin dragon, is a large semiaquatic agamid lizard endemic to all of the major island groups of the Philippines, with the exception of the Palawan islands.[2][1][3][4] Like other sailfin lizards, they are characterized by large sail-like dorsal crests on their tails. They can grow to a maximum length of around 3 to 4 ft (0.91 to 1.22 m). They are strong swimmers, and smaller juvenile lizards can run briefly on the water surface. They inhabit areas of heavy vegetation near coastlines and low-lying rivers, particularly in mangrove forests.[3] They are also known locally as layagan or balubid in Tagalog and ibid in the Visayan languages, among other names.[5][6]

H. pustulatus is a protected species in the Philippines, as it is a target for the international exotic pet trade for their unique dorsal crests and bright coloration.[7][3] The heavy deforestation of mangrove habitats in the last few decades is also a concern to their conservation.[3]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference IUCN was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ H. pustulatus, The Reptile Database
  3. ^ a b c d Siler, Cameron D.; Lira-Noriega, Andrés; Brown, Rafe M. (January 2014). "Conservation genetics of Australasian sailfin lizards: Flagship species threatened by coastal development and insufficient protected area coverage". Biological Conservation. 169: 100–108. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2013.10.014.
  4. ^ "Lizard, Philippine Sailfin". Louisville Zoo. 19 December 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Third Quarter Topical Issue - Philippine Endemic Lizards". PhlPost. 20 July 2011. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  6. ^ Mascariñas, Erwin M. (2 June 2018). "PH sailfin lizards in Misamis Oriental: An unusual case of a community lizard". ABS-CBN. Retrieved 11 February 2021. We are now finalizing the steps to have this area along the lower Solana River in the town of Misamis Oriental declared as a critical habitat for the Hydrosaurus pustulatus or the Philippine Sailfin Lizard commonly known as ibid.
  7. ^ "Endemic Philippine Sailfin Lizard threatened by illegal wildlife trade". Monitor Conservation Research Society. Monitor. June 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.