Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Sauropsida
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Agamidae
Subfamily: Agamidae
Genus: Agama
Species: A. mwanzae
Anatomy
The standard Spiderman agama males attain 6 to 9 inches; females are often smaller. This class of Agama, when properly cared for as a pet, lives for about fifteen years.
Natural Habitat
During the day heat, they bask on kopjes or rocks, as they live in partial deserts. The male’s head, shoulders and neck are deep red or violet in color but the body is dark blue. The females are normally brown in color and are indistinguishable from other varieties of female agamas. Many mistake this lizard for the redheaded Rock Agama (Agama agama). This variety is active during the day, and dwells in tall and short grassland and savannas. You can generally find them in the crevices of rocks. They also take shelter in the interspaces of large boulders or below exfoliated granite flakes. This species resembles the superhero Spiderman in comics, which makes it a trendy pet, because of its color.
This lucky reptile does not need to depend on any kind of fake attire - It is naturally born with an uncanny resemblance to Spiderman.
The male Mwanza Flat Headed Agama lizard sports the exact color mix as Spidey - A bright red head and torso and a beautiful blue body. Just like the superhero it changes its attire depending on the situation. In the lizard's case it happens to be the sun's heat that brings out its superhero colors. At night or in situations where it perceives danger, the lizard changes to a deep brown, so that it can easily camouflage itself in the natural surroundings. Female Agama lizards do not have the same [url=]capabilities[/url] - Their coloring remains just plain brown.
Native to [url=]Tanzania,[/url] [url=]Rwanda[/url]and [url=]Kenya,[/url] the reptiles can life for up to 15 years in the wild. Though the lizards originally resided in the forests and African bush, they have been able to adapt to the loss of their habitat and can now be found inside thatched roof huts and other small spaces, from where they emerge periodically, to feed.
The [url=]omnivores[/url]that can grow up to a foot long, dine on insects like locusts and crickets, as well as, seeds, berries and sometimes even the eggs of smaller lizards. They are fast runners and just like the superhero, can scale walls quite rapidly. What's cool is that if caught at the right moment, they even pose like him.
While these gorgeous lizards do make great pets and are popular in certain parts of Europe especially [url=]Britain,[/url]in order to survive, they need to be kept in a special temperature controlled environment and fed a balanced diet of the insects they are accustomed to in their natural African habitat. As to whether the reptile species was the inspiration behind the creation of our favorite superhero? That's a question only his creators Stan Lee and Steven Ditko can answer -