Scale-bellied Tree Dragon

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Found throughout Southeast Asia, including southern China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar. It inhabits montane rainforests, dwelling on tree trunks.

Taxonomy and Genetics: Belongs to the Agamidae family, genus Acanthosaura. Known for spiked crests and heavily keeled scales.

Behavior and Habits: Primarily diurnal and arboreal. Often sits motionless on vertical branches waiting for passing prey. Prefers cool, shaded areas of the forest.

Morphology: Adults reach 20.0 to 26.0 cm in length. Coloration features cryptic shades of brown, gray, and green. Males have higher nuchal crests and brighter throat fans.

Terrarium Setup: Vertical enclosure of at least 60x45x90h cm. Equip with vertical climbing logs, cork bark, and robust foliage (such as Ficus) for hiding.

Lighting and Heating: Keep daytime temperatures between 22°C and 24°C, with a basking area of 26°C. Night temp should drop to 15-18°C. Provide medium-intensity UVB.

Humidity and Hydration: Maintain high humidity (70-90%). Mist twice daily. A dripper system or waterfall is essential, as they rarely drink from standing water.

Feeding and Supplementation: Feed live insects such as crickets, dubia roaches, silkworms, and earthworms. Dust food with calcium and D3 twice a week.

Compatibility: Territorial. Can be housed as a male-female pair in larger setups. Never house two males together.

Health and Common Diseases: Prone to heat stress (temperatures above 27°C are dangerous) and dehydration. Wild-caught specimens often carry heavy parasite loads.