Broadley’s Flat Lizard
The Augrabies Flat Lizard (Platysaurus broadleyi).
Females and juveniles have a dark brown back, with three thick, cream stripes on the back. These stripes may be broken up into spots, or have spots in between the stripes. The belly is white, sometimes with a black dot on it, and at the rear there is an orange colour. The tail is straw-coloured. Adult males have a bluish head and a greenish back. A darker area in the middle and the vestiges of the juvenile stripes and spots are also present. The forelimbs are yellow to orange, the throat is dark blue, and the belly is black in the front but becomes orange near the tail. Above the tail, it is a tan colour, while below and on the sides, it is orange. All this coloration, while it helps attract females, also has a downside: predators such as kestrels easily spot them. Females, on the other hand, have much more subdued coloration and are less likely to be eaten.
Hi, would I be able to use some of your images as part of a research poster? You’re pictures are by far the best of the lot, especially the one of the male and female P. Braodleyi.
Use with pleasure
Hi, I am a university student, I want to use one picture of this article for my poster, may I?
You may with pleasure…
Thank you very much
Fabulous shots of a fabulous looking lizard. Those colours are just amazing.
Thanks Inga..
WOW! Gorgeous lizard, beautiful photos!
Thanks .. they did not sit still for too long…
Colorful creatures!
Aren’t they just…
Fantastic images! Thanks so much for sharing your adventures with us here. I adore all animals and these lizards are awesome. Too bad that the bright coloration of the males is not indicative of toxins in the skin warning away predators as some brightly colored animals do. They are simply flirting with the ‘ladies’ so they’d better keep a keen eye out for those kestrels! Wonderful to meet you through Russ. I look forward to following your adventures and ‘living vicariously’ through you and your travelling camera! Cheers, Gina
Thank you Gina what a nice comment to make… their speed is their best kept secret.. I think many a kestrel is caught out like me… “where did he go???” one minute here and then gone… but a true beauty of nature….
I always liked lizards. Spent many a days at the river with my Grandma trying my best to catch one while she fished – they are quick! I think the rainbow one is very unique. I have a 50 gal fish tank I’m thinking about converting over to have a lizard in…
I have more photos coming up of one I found in the desert… it was greased lightening… I doubt catching either would be easy… well not with this body in any case…
Gorgeous! Look at that a male showing off! Even in the reptile world you guys can’t help your selves!
Never been a show off myself… just a plain scruffy old fart that considers myself lucky for landing Linda, mind you I did dress a little better 40 years ago than what I do now… got a photo or two of myself coming up in the next blog or so… not a pretty sight I’m afraid…
Well who gives a damn? You are a good person, I’m pretty but I am sooo fat! Wouldn’t want people judge me for that!
You are not fat… never say that… well padded is the correct thing to say… or like Linda (my wife) I always say she is my comfy cushion, padded in all the right places…
Lol well padded it is!!!
Wow, it’s like having the rainbow on the ground …. what a colorful fellow – because it must be a he *smile
No wonder we women what make up … nature isn’t very fair against us … male animals always get all the color wonder if it’s to make up for something else they are lacking *laugher.
Now that could be the case… although I’m glad with us it’s you woman that have to do the dressing up…
I know … you, men has such a easy life *smile ..
One suite, 7 ties and shirt – one pair of shoes and you will dress differently every day.
How well you don’t know me… have no suit just 2 pairs of shorts and 2 shirts, slip-ons or bare feet is my mode of dress… that’s why I consider myself lucky that the wife puts up with it… I’m a bush person…
Beautiful colors, she’ll be certainly impressed 🙂
I’m sure she is… I was, and I’m a male..lol
Those colors are just fabulous! Isn’t nature wonderful. Thought of everything. 🙂
I agree entirely… nature has the imagination and colour palette to match anything we could even think of…
WOW – he’s SO colorful – what a beauty!
Thank you… a fine example of dressing up for the occasion..
I love watching lizards (and geckos)
Thanks for the explanation on why they are so colourful.
Pleasure is mine… so beautiful, so fast, yet they still become food for hawks…
rainbow lizards ~ oh my – these are amazing photos. Amazing that nature builds “make-up” into males so they attract females?! How come women have to deal with mascara and lipstick? Love to you friend ~ x RL
I am so pleased that on us it is so… I would never have the time to dress up like they do… so glad it’s the females in our specie.. lol
Like a rainbow! Beautiful!
Just so… a rainbow on a lizard as mentioned by impybat…
Absolutely love that colorful lizard! What an amazing capture Bulldog. 🙂
Thank you… for every photo I caught of them I had 2 that missed… one minute they’re there and then they’re gone.. like lightening..
The animal world often toys with us when all we want is for them to stand still for a second or two (lol) 🙂
Wow – these are gorgeous – love the captions too!
Thank you… and so fast that I’m surprised the hawks can actually catch them…
Interesting to see an example of male display to attract females with the disadvantage that life is likely to be short thanks to being visible to predators.
You got that right Alex… dress for success ,, on the hope of winning without loosing ones life…
Colourful! But as you said it’s not always a good idea to draw attention to oneself.
I agree, but typical man.. dresses up to get the girls and ends up loosing to the big thugs….
Yes, it’s interesting how in animals (birds, especially) it’s the male who gets all dressed up flashy and showy, while with people, it’s the other way around.
And for that I am so pleased… I would never be able to do what you women folk do to please us men… (bit of a slop myself)…
😉
Awww, they are so cute :). I love the different colours, and their tails are so long! How fast did they move?
Very… I have about 20 photos of the rock surface… they were there when I pressed the button, or so I thought….
LOL – that’s hilarious! Thank goodness for digital right?
Wow! Those are some brightly colored lizards! Leave it to the guys to show off, right?
Yes thanks Gina… the guys dressed for success…
They are so colourful – so beautiful!
Thank you.. impybat’s comment the rainbow in lizard form…
It’s a rainbow in a lizard’s body!
LOL… well spotted I never thought of that…
Incredibile, non avevo mai visto lucertole così colorate. Con queste bellissime foto mi hai fatto fare una scoperta che mi ha lasciata a bocca aperta 🙂
Grazie. Ciao, Pat
Thanks Pat… the males colours are bright yet they are very well camouflaged on the rocks…