| Agama picticauda | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Agamidae |
| Genus: | Agama |
| Species: | A. picticauda |
| Binomial name | |
| Agama picticauda W. Peters, 1877 | |
Agama picticauda, also knowncommonly asPeter's rock agama[1][2][3] and theAfrican redhead agama,[3] is aspecies oflizard in thefamilyAgamidae. The species is native toWest Africa.[3][4]
A. picticauda occurs in West Africa, fromMauritania in the west toNigeria in the east.[4]
A. picticauda was first introduced toFlorida in 1976 through thepet trade.[5] First colonizingHomestead and other areas inMiami-Dade County.[5] Since then it has spread elsewhere inSouth Florida including theKeys.[5] Introduced populations also exist inLa Réunion and theComoros, with single specimen(s) reported fromCape Verde,Madeira, andMadagascar.[4]
Sightings in South Florida rapidly increased at the end of 2020, indicating that the population has recently also increased rapidly.[5] Further sightings in 2024, as suggested by theFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission that the population has expanded northward intoCentral Florida as far north asVolusia County.[6]
An awareness letter, drafted by numerous Caribbean-based biologists and conservationists highlights the threat to reptiles across the Caribbean Lesser Antilles ifA. picticauda becomes established there. In 2022 and 2023, several individual specimens have been sighted on theBritish Virgin Islands as well asThe Bahamas.[7]
A new study in 2024 from theUniversity of Florida suggests that the invasive lizard found in over 20 counties may indirectly increase the risk ofmosquito-borne diseases likeWest Nile virus. AsAgama picticauda depredates on the also invasivebrown anole, it reduces the number of anoles themosquitoes feed on. This could lead to more mosquitoes seeking humans and birds as blood meals, potentially increasing the spread of diseases.[8]
