Harmless · Native to Africa

Common agama

Agama agama (Linnaeus, 1758)

Also called rainbow lizard
Data updated October 2026

Male common agama on a gray rock with a blue body, orange head and an orange band on the tail
Fig. 1 — Breeding-colored male: blue body, orange head and an orange band on the tail.
Male common agama with a bright orange head and blue-black body on a rock
Fig. 2 — Head and forebody of a dominant male.

At a glance

A conspicuous rock and ground lizard of sub-Saharan Africa. Dominant males are vivid blue with a bright head and defend the best basking spots with head bobs and push-ups. Females and young are brown and well camouflaged.

01

Identification

Males and females look very different. A dominant male has a blue body and a yellow to orange-red head, with bright color on the tail. Females, young animals and low-ranking males are brown: an olive head, a buff-brown back with a paler stripe down the middle, six or seven dark patches along each side, and a whitish belly. All have a large head set off from the neck, a long tail and visible ear openings.

  1. 01Bright males. Blue body with a yellow to orange-red head; colors are strongest in dominant males.
  2. 02Brown females. Pale stripe down the back and a row of dark patches along each side.
  3. 03Push-up displays. Head bobbing and push-ups from rocks and walls.

02

Size

01 ft2 ft3 ft4 ft Adult male · up to 10 in (25 cm)

Males reach about 10 inches (25 cm) in total length and females about 8 inches (20 cm). Hatchlings are about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) from snout to vent, with a tail about 3 inches (7.5 cm) long.

03

Range & habitat

Brown common agama with pale markings clinging to a sunlit rock face
Fig. 3 — Females and low-ranking males are brown with pale markings; this one clings to a rock face.

The common agama is described from across much of sub-Saharan Africa. It uses savanna, grassland, scrub, forest edges and rocky hills, wherever there is enough cover and insect food. Recent studies have split the Agama agama group into several species, so the exact limits of the species in the strict sense are still being redrawn.

Agamas established in southern Florida were long called the common agama. Molecular work published by the Florida Museum showed they are a related West African species, Agama picticauda, brought in through the pet trade.

04

Diet

Agamas are mainly insect eaters that sit and wait for prey, spotting it by sight and catching it with a sticky tongue. Ants, termites, beetles and grasshoppers are typical. They occasionally take small mammals and reptiles, and sometimes eat flowers, grass and fruit.

Feeds on

  • Ants and termites
  • Beetles
  • Grasshoppers
  • Flowers, grass and fruit (occasionally)
Cricket on a plain surface
Prey — crickets and grasshoppers.
Male common agama on a rock
Males hunt from raised perches.

05

Behavior & seasons

Common agamas are active by day and do much of their basking in the late morning. Males are territorial. A dominant male holds the best basking spots, and lower-ranking males keep their duller colors.

Displays include head nodding, push-ups and an expanded throat. Rival males also fight by lashing each other with their tails.

06

Reproduction

Females mature at about 14 to 18 months and males at about two years. Females lay 5 to 7 eggs in a hole dug in sandy soil, and the eggs hatch after about 8 to 10 weeks. Nest temperature sets the sex of the young: warmer nests, around 84°F (29°C), produce males, and slightly cooler nests produce females.

07

Conservation

The common agama is widespread and is not considered threatened. Ongoing revisions of the species group may change how its range and status are described.

Keep reading

Sources

Data updated October 2026 · How we build these pages