On Kandooma Island, where we stayed for our incredible New Year’s anniversary celebration, we kept coming across a cool-looking lizard who changed his wardrobe more times than Lady Gaga at the VMAs.
When I finally arrived home and researched the reptile, I came across its genus and group name: “Calotes Versicolor.” This was about as exciting as its common names of “Oriental Garden Lizard,” “Eastern Garden Lizard” and “Changeable Lizard.” Seriously? Who gets to name our creatures, anyway?
I say f* that. Let’s rename the boring ones, starting with Calotes Versicolor.
This cool little guy who can reinvent himself so frequently deserves no less than the way I thought of him on the island. So he will forever be, for me, the Maldivian Lady Gaga Lizard.
Sometimes he was displaying in full color, other times in a little more subtle camouflage. We had to look carefully at the markings to know it was the same species, which we verified through a cool online reptile database.
It doesn’t matter that there were probably a dozen or more Lady Gaga impersonators on the island with us. They were all one in the same for me: colorful, versatile, lythe, and entertaining.
And…they were simply born that way.
TGIF, dear readers! Have a great weekend!
Love, Marla
MORE TRAVELING MARLA MALDIVES POSTS:
Swimming with a Giant Moray Eel in the Maldives
Keep Your Raggedy American Money to Yourself…But Here’s a Pack of Gum!
What Kind of Hero(ine) Are You?
MORE TRAVELING MARLA REPTILE POSTS:
The Biggest Rattlesnake I Didn’t See at Laguna Niguel Regional Park
Weekend at a South African Farm
I am a reptile lover, they are such awesome creatures. Love this one and think your naming is far more appropriate 😉
So cute!!
Oh wow he is beautiful!
Cool looking little guy/girl!! I wonder which color he/she uses to keep from having a “bad romance”? 😉