Herptiles

Gonocephalus grandis

Malayan Crested Lizard

Gonocephalus grandis (Gray, 1845)

Basic info

Common names
  • Angle-headed Dragon
  • Giant Forest Dragon
  • Malayan Crested Lizard
Species nameGonocephalus grandis
Scientific nameGonocephalus grandis (Gray, 1845)
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Squamata
Agamidae
Gonocephalus grandis
Max SVL 6.3 inch

Further Reading

Temperatures & Season

Day time temperatures

Background summer26 - 30 °F
Background winter20 - 24 °F
Basking spot30 - 32 °F

Night time temperatures

Background summer20 - 24 °F
Background winter16 - 20 °F

Season

Winter treatmentcooling
Photoperiod summer13 hours
Photoperiod winter11 hours

Microhabitats

Microhabitats are specific small habitats that an organism inhabits within its broader environment. These can vary greatly depending on the species and can give us insights into the preferred living conditions of each reptile. Understanding these microhabitats can be key to providing the correct care for these animals in captivity.

  • Ar
    Arboreal

Ferguson Zones

Ferguson Zones are a way to classify the amount of UV light that reptiles are exposed to in their natural habitats. These zones help us understand and replicate their natural light conditions in captivity, promoting the health and wellbeing of the reptiles. Below, we detail the specific Ferguson Zones of the Chinese Water Dragon, along with recommendations for replicating these conditions

The Ferguson Zone in which the Malayan Crested Lizard has been placed has been chosen based upon an assessment of its typical basking behaviour and likely microhabitat in the wild.

2
Partial sun or occasional basker
UVI range avarage: 0.7-1, UVI max recorded: 1.1-3

Recommended lighting methods in captivity

Shade method

This method provides low-level 'background' UV at levels matching the Ferguson Zone Range, over a large portion of the enclosure. The highlighted area in the table below represents this range for the Malayan Crested Lizard.

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1
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Sunbeam method (only for large enclosures)

This method uses the 'Max UVI Recorded' value as a guide for the upper limit of the UVB gradient in captivity. This maximum should be the highest level which a Malayan Crested Lizard can obtain at its closest approach to its UVB lamp. The highlighted area in the table below represents this range for the Malayan Crested Lizard.

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More in-depth information about Ferguson zones can be found here: https://jzar.org/jzar/article/view/150

Community collected distribution (1088 occurrences)

Biomes

These are the biomes the Malayan Crested Lizard was found in. Click here to learn more about terrestrial ecoregions and biomes.

More species to explore

Doria’s Anglehead Lizard

Gonocephalus doriae (Peters, 1871)

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Bell's Anglehead Lizard

Gonocephalus bellii (Duméril & Bibron, 1837)

Green Crested Lizard

Bronchocela cristatella (Kuhl, 1820)

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References

  1. Baines, F.M., Chattell, J., Dale, J., Garrick, D., Gill, I., Goetz, M., Skelton, T. and Swatman, M. 2016. How much UVB does my reptile need? The UV-Tool, a guide to the selection of UV lighting for reptiles and amphibians in captivity. Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research. 4, 1 (Jan. 2016), 42–63. DOI:https://doi.org/10.19227/jzar.v4i1.150.
  2. Gonocephalus grandis (Gray, 1845) in GBIF Secretariat (2021). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org
  3. Gray, J. E. Catalogue of the specimens of lizards in the collection of the British Museum.
  4. Blackwell, Publishing & Ltd, & Meiri, Shai. (2008). Evolution and ecology of lizard body sizes. Global Ecology and Biogeography. 17. 724-. 10.1111/j.1466-8238.2008.00414.x.
  5. iNaturalist. Available from https://www.inaturalist.org
This website is created by Jefrim Keijzer | All species