The Sailfin Dragon is a species of lizard that is native to some of the Philippine islands. It has also been reported in parts of Indonesia and New Guinea.
This lizard, which is a type of agamid has unique dorsal crests which somewhat resembles a sail. This is where they get the name sailfin.
The Sailfin Dragon has a number of different common names including the Philippine Sailfin Lizard, Crested Lizard and the Sailfin Water Lizard.
There are 3 different species that are commonly referred to as Sailfin Dragons so for the purpose of this article, we are referring to the Philippine Sailfin Lizard.
Sailfin Dragon Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The Sailfin Dragon belongs to the Agamidae family of lizards. These lizards are commonly called Agamids and are often referred to as ‘Dragons’.
The Agamid family is a very large family of lizards with over 300 recognised species. They are native to Africa, Asia and Australia while a few species can also be found in Southern Europe.
Agamids are part of the infraorder Iguania which contains other popular families of lizards including Iguanas, Chameleons and Anoles.
The species in this family often have a somewhat similar appearance to iguanas and usually have strong powerful legs.
They also often share characteristics with chameleons such as the ability to slightly change color to regulate their body temperature.
Genus
The genus that the Sailfin Dragon belongs to is called Hydrosaurus. There are three different species in this genus and they are all referred to as Sailfin Dragons.
The semi-aquatic species in this genus are highly adapted to life in and around water and are typically found around rivers and mangroves.
Species
The scientific name for the Sailfin Dragon is Hydrosaurus pustulatus. It was first described by a German naturalist named Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz in 1829.
Sailfin Dragon Description
The Sailfin Dragon is a large species of lizard that can grow to around 3ft in length. This includes their tail which makes up a large portion of their overall size.
The most prominent feature of this lizard is the upright crest that runs along the top of the lizard’s tail.
This crest runs from the base of the lizards tail to the lower part of its back and resembles a ships sail, hence the name, Sailfin Dragon.
This tail helps the lizard propel through the water while swimming. They are highly adapted to spending time in the water and also have flattened toes which helps glide them through the water.
A juvenile Sailfin Dragon is very quick and has little mass. They can use this to literally run across water when they feel threatened.
As the lizard gets older, they become too heavy to run across water anymore but retain the ability to swim effortlessly.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Sailfin Dragon is native to many of the islands of the Philippines. It can be found as far North as Manilla and its range extends as far South as Davao City.
With over 7,000 different islands making up the Philippines, the Sailfin Dragon can’t be found on all of these but it can be found on all three island regions.
The three island regions of the Philippines are Luzon to the North. This is the region where Manilla is located.
Visayas is the region in the middle of the Philippines. This consists of a large number of smaller islands and contains the city of Cebu.
The Southern Islands of the Philippines are part of a region known as Mindanao. This region contains Davao City.
It has been reported that the Philippines Sailfin Dragon can be found on some of the Indonesian islands as well as in parts of New Guinea.
While this is sometimes taken as factual, it is highly likely that these specimens are the other species of Sailfin Dragon that have been wrongfully identified.
These lizards are considered to be semi-aquatic and are almost always seen close to a body of water. They are typically seen around riverbanks and in mangrove swamps.
Sailfin Dragon Behaviour
The Sailfin Dragon is sometimes described as a water dragon and for good reason. These semi-aquatic lizards have highly adapted to life in and around water.
They are excellent swimmers and their bodies have evolved to help the glide through the water almost effortlessly.
Young Sailfin Dragons are even able to run across water for a short distance in order to evade a potential threat. This is also seen in other lizards such as the Brown Basilisk.
They are a very jumpy species and will flee at the first sign of a potential threat. They will very rarely stand their ground.
When fleeing, these lizards will rise up and run on their hind legs towards the closest body of water. They will continue running until their body sinks below the surface and they will then swim off.
