In Sri Lanka, agamid lizard species are growing increasingly vulnerable due to three main factors: shrinking habitats, climate change and being traded as exotic pets. The Indian Ocean island is home to more than 20 species of agamid lizards and shows exceptionally high endemism with more than two-thirds of them found nowhere else on Earth.

Sri Lanka’s wet zone forests and mountain ranges are their home, where they now face threats from extensive habitat loss. Add to this situation the increasing threat of being smuggled out of the island to be traded as exotic species, and the story of Sri Lankan agamids turn bleak.In March 2025, a study highlighted that more than 40% of agamids’ most critical habitats remain unprotected in the island country.

To read the full story visit https://news.mongabay.com/2026/01/habitat-destruction-illegal-trade-threaten-sri-lankas-endangered-agamid-lizards/

Photo credit: Suranjan Karunarathna