Hump Nosed Lizards

Lyriocephalus is a genus of lizard within the agamid family, with the sole species Lyriocephalus scutatus. Hump nosed lizards are the largest agamid endemic to Sri Lanka and lives in dense wet zone forests. They are also called the hump snout lizards or lyreshead lizards. The Sinharaja rainforest is the best place to see them.

Female and male hump nosed lizards.(Sinharaja rain forest)

A distinct bony arch or hump appears on the head of adults, giving it's name. A V shaped gular sac present. Tail is short and compressed with a blunt tip. Dorsum is light green, throat yellow. The rest of the venter is cream colored.

The males are bright green witha yellow throat pouch and neck sail. Although the females cand exhibits this colouration, normally they brown and smaller than the males lizards.

Female hump nosed lizard. (Sinharaja rainforest, Sri Lanka)

About 1 to 10 eggs with measuring 12-13*20-22 mm per clucth are produced in the months of January, March, May, , June, Sepember to December.(Normally all year). Eggs are buried after laid in the soil, sometimes under bushes. Incubation period lasts 35 Days.

Best places to find Hump nosed lizards?

Hump nosed lizards are distributed in the wet lowlands and mid-hills of the island up to elevations of 1600m. The Sinharaja rainforest is the best place to see hump nosed lizard in srilanka. Also they live in Central province and down south of Sri Lanka.

Hump nosed lizards are active during the day time, when it dwells low on trees as well as on the ground. it goes higher up on trees to sleep at night. Hump nosed lizards diet comprises essentially of eathworms and arthopods, including termites, butterfiles and moths. It also known to feed on young shoots and buds.

Male hump nosed lizard.(Sinharaja rainforest, Sri Lanka )