WILDLIFE SINGAPORE -
AN ANGRY BROWN ANOLE ATTEMPTED TO INTIMIDATE ME.
Dr Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (GlaSgow)
Educational Video created: 4 Jan 2026
Have you ever seen an angry lizard in the Bird Paradise?
On
20 Oct 2025, I spotted a Brown Anole lizard lying still on the stump of
a trunk at the Orchid Waterfall area of the Bird Paradise.
Many
tourists posed for photographs with the orchids as a backdrop. A warm
bright sunshine blue skies morning to connect with Nature. A gentle
breeze wafted the fragrance of the orchids to me.
The Bird Paradise is for birds, not lizards. I was surprised to see one reptile.
Some
female Korean tourists were less than two feet away from this lizard.
They posed, spoke and laughed and took selfies. They could eat him if
they were predators.
But they didn't faze him. "Faze" is a word that means "to frighten away".
"These tourists want to look pretty besides the orchids," he thought. "One did point at me. But these two-legged giants would not spot me as my brown colour camouflaged me on the brown stump!"
He was nonplussed about the posing tourists, as he had become accustomed to them over the weeks.
This
Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei) was a small brown lizard found usually in
the Caribbean. He was introduced into the Bird Paradise via plants
imported
by the nurseries.
He was alert, eyeing me and fully aware of my
presence as I was setting up my Canon R5 camera and positioning my
tripod on the soft soil some six feet away.
I focused on his eyes and shot several images. He was not disconcerted. He did not scurry away unlike most lizards.
Since he stayed put, I decided to video him.
This video is a rare footage of a lizard trying to intimidate me! During the past decade, I encountered such behaviours around four times and hence knew what the behaviour meant.
Head-bobbing up and down. It looked like he was doing push ups to appear bigger.
His
red dewlap ballooned out 3 times. I did not back away. He expanded his
dewlap once more making him stronger and larger. I was not intimidated.
This is a rare video footage of the Anole's very short communication as I usually don't have the video to record it.
P.S
Why do anioles have a dewlap?
The dewlap is a longitudinal flap of skin that hangs below the neck. Anoles are not very vocal, so the dewlap provides a communication tool that can be waved like a flag.
When an anole is angry, he flashes his dewlap repeatedly and may perform push-ups and head bobbing to make himself look bigger and more intimidating.
A male displays this behaviour to a female to look stronger and appealing.
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WILDLIFE SINGAPORE -
AN ANGRY BROWN ANOLE IN THE BIRD PARADISE
Dr Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow)20 OCT 2025: 12.03pm.
Bird Paradise.
I set up my tripod and Canon R5 camera to video a Brown Anole that did not move away unlike other lizards. He was at the Orchid Waterfall area. Tourists had their photographs taken standing in front of the orchids and he was literally less than two feet away, lying on a branch for over 30 minutes.
The Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei) is a small brown lizard from the Carribean. It is introduced throughout Singapore, via plants imported by nurseries.
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WILDLIFE SINGAPORE- 20 OCT 2025: 12.03pm. Bird Paradise. The Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei) is a small brown lizard from the Carribean. It is introduced throughout the island, via plants imported by nurseries.
A dewlap in the Anole is a longitudinal flap of skin that hangs beneath the lower jaw or neck
PURPOSE OF DEWLAP IN LIZARDS
The dewlap is primarily used when indicating territorial boundaries and for males to attract females during the mating season.
Why do they have a dewlap?
The dewlap is a longitudinal flap of skin that hangs below the neck.
Anoles are not very vocal, so the dewlap provides another communication tool that can be waved like a flag. When an anole is angry, it flashes its dewlap repeatedly, at the same time performing push-ups and head bobbing to make itself look bigger and more intimidating. A male displaying to a female does the same thing to look stronger and appealing.
BLOG:
https://2010vets.blogspot.com/2025/12/4342-dewlaps-in-lizards.html
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A dewlap lizard refers to an anole lizard (genus Anolis), known for its brightly colored, expandable throat flap (dewlap) used for visual communication, especially in species recognition, attracting mates, and warning rivals, with different species having unique dewlap sizes, colors (like red, yellow), and patterns that help them stand out in their specific habitats.
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A dewlap is a longitudinal flap of skin or similar flesh that hangs beneath the lower jaw or neck of many vertebrates.
Many reptiles have dewlaps, most notably the anole family and Sitana genus of lizards, which have large skin dewlaps they can extend and retract.
PURPOSE OF DEWLAP IN LIZARDS
The dewlap is primarily used when indicating territorial boundaries and for males to attract females during the mating season.
The pigments generating this color are pterins and carotenoids.Pterin and carotenoid pigments are located throughout the tissue of the dewlap, creating yellow and red hues
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SINGAPORE- 20 OCT 2025: 12.03pm. Bird Paradise. The Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei) is a small brown lizard from the Carribean. It is introduced throughout the island, via plants imported by nurseries.
What are anoles?
Anoles are tropical lizards, related to related to iguanas, that live in the warmer regions of the Americas and Caribbean.
What is a dewlap?
The dewlap is a little flap of skin on the underside of the neck of anoles. It can be contracted and retracted using special cartilage.
Why do they have a dewlap?
Anoles are not very vocal, so the dewlap provides another communication tool that can be waved like a flag. When an anole is angry, it flashes its dewlap repeatedly, at the same time performing push-ups to make itself look bigger and more intimidating. A male displaying to a female does the same thing to look stronger and appealing.
Can anoles see in colour?
Anoles have incredible colour vision, able to see ultraviolet light and detect complex patterns – useful for distinguishing between more than 400 species across the tropics of the Americas and Caribbean, all flashing their dewlaps.
Each of those species has a specific pattern and colour combination on its dewlap that makes it recognisable to members of its own species. (Two species have lost their dewlaps, and have found other ways to communicate).
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Are all lizards venomous? Fortunately, most lizards that invade homes are not venomous. The most common lizards that come into your home are anoles and house geckos. Neither of these lizards are considered venomous or harmful at all. However, take caution if you live in area populated by Gila Monsters, since these are venomous to humans.
What are house geckos? The Hemidactylus frenatus is otherwise known as the common Asian house Gecko. These geckos can be found in locations all over the world, especially in tropical countries. These lizards are not harmful, but they can definitely be considered pests.
What areas of the world have more lizards than others? Warm and humid locations are more likely to have lizards. If you live in the Southern United States, you may be very likely to have lizards coming into your home. And if you live in a location like this, you may have to take extra precautions against lizards coming inside.
Many birds also have dewlaps, including domestic chickens, some cracids and some guans.
BLOG:
https://2010vets.blogspot.com/2025/12/4342-dewlaps-in-lizards.html
