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Green Mountain Horned Dragon
Acanthosaura capra
This stunning arboreal agamid lizard is native to Southeast Asian rainforests. It demands a tall, cool, and highly humid enclosure with thick vertical climbing branches to thrive in captivity.
Class:Squamata
Order:Squamata
Family:Agamidae
Subfamily:Draconinae
Genus:Acanthosaura
Species:Acanthosaura capra
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
60 - 80 %
Day temperature
24 - 28 °C
Ambient temperature
24 - 28 °C
Night temperature
20 - 22 °C
Basking spot
32 °C
Adult size
14 cm
Minimum enclosure
>= 250 L
UVB
Medium
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Acanthosaura capra is native to the mountain rainforests of Indochina, primarily found in Cambodia and Vietnam. It spends most of its life on lower tree trunks and thick branches in shaded forest environments near streams.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belongs to the Agamidae family. The genus Acanthosaura is distinct for its prominent occipital spines and crests. Population genetic research indicates adaptations to micro-climates in high-altitude moist forests.
Behavior and Habits: Diurnal and strictly arboreal. They use a sit-and-wait ambush hunting style, remaining motionless on trunks for hours. They are shy, easily stressed, and do not tolerate frequent handling, often hiding behind branches when approached.
Morphology: Characterized by long spines above the eyes and a high, spiked nuchal crest. Coloration can shift from bright green to dark brown or yellow depending on stress and temperature. Males possess a larger, more colorful gular pouch than females.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: A vertically oriented enclosure is required, with minimum dimensions of 24x18x36 inches (60x45x90 cm). Furnish with thick vertical climbing branches, cork bark tubes, and dense broad-leafed foliage to provide cover and visual barriers.
Lighting and Heating: Keep ambient daytime temperatures at 24-28°C (75-82°F) with a localized basking spot of 32°C (90°F). Night temperatures should drop to 20-22°C (68-72°F). High-quality 5.0 UVB lighting is mandatory on a 12-hour cycle.
Humidity and Hydration: Maintain high humidity levels between 70-80% through twice-daily misting or an automatic rain system. They rarely drink from standing water, relying instead on licking water droplets from leaves or wood.
Feeding and Supplementation: Insectivorous. Feed a variety of live, gut-loaded insects such as crickets, dubia roaches, silkworms, and hornworms. Dust food with pure calcium powder three times a week and calcium with D3 once a week.
Compatibility: Solitary animals. Housing multiple males together will lead to severe fighting and stress. A male-female pair may be housed together only in very large enclosures, but individual housing is strongly recommended to prevent stress.
Health and Common Diseases: Prone to heat stroke if temperatures exceed 32°C (90°F) for extended periods. Commonly suffer from internal parasites if wild-caught. Dehydration and Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) are major risks if care parameters are neglected.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Acanthosaura capra is native to the mountain rainforests of Indochina, primarily found in Cambodia and Vietnam. It spends most of its life on lower tree trunks and thick branches in shaded forest environments near streams.
Origin
South and Southeast AsiaEast Asia
Reptile profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 14 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 14 cm. The ReptTraits v1.2 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 14 cm for this species, recorded as snout–vent length (SVL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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