Both genders of the sailfin lizard can grow a little over 3 feet long!

Their traditional coloring is a blotchy pattern of greens and browns including yellow hues on their legs and under its head with a comb of scales going down their back; however, the males may develop a violet color as they age.

The sailfin lizard gets its name from the large crest of skin stretching from its lower back to its tail, which can help with warming up in the sun quicker or being more aerodynamic in the water.

The sailfin lizard is a large lizard found only in the Philippines. Their preferred habitat is a tropical wooded area near any water source such as rivers, mangroves, or rice fields. Sailfin lizards are often seen on branches during the day so they can fall into the water if threatened and swim to the bottom of rivers where they can hold their breath for up to 15 minutes!

Sailfin lizards are omnivores with the adults eating a 50/50 diet of vegetation like fruit, flowers, or leaves as well as insects and small animals. Juveniles start off wanting more meat than plants but that will shift as they age. Their diet is easy to replicate for pet owners, which is one reason they’ve become popular companions. Being a Vulnerable species makes them more expensive to own and they’re not as docile or easy to care for as other reptiles.

Even though sailfin lizards may breed only once a year, they can lay several clutches of 2-8 eggs. The females will lay their eggs just above the flood line in shallow holes next to the river. After 2 months, the eggs will hatch. The hatchlings are born active, agile, and able to swim since predators such as snakes and birds are eager to pounce.  

The sailfin lizard is also called the water dragon as reflected in its genus name Hydrosaurus. They are known for their excellent swimming in general, using their large crest as propulsion to move through the water.

The juvenile sailfin lizards take advantage of the species’ flattened toes and their light weight to run across the water similar to basilisks to avoid predators. This behavior is not observed in adults as they are too heavy.