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Observation reveals Calotes versicolor preying on Dendrelaphis pictus, indicating ecological concerns.
Calotes versicolor (Daudin, 1802) is an agamid lizard originating from India, now widespread across Asia and invasive in certain regions, including parts of the Malay Archipelago. Here, we report its first recorded snake predation in Indonesia. A male C. versicolor was observed consuming an adult Painted Bronzeback Snake (Dendrelaphis pictus). The lizard began swallowing the snake headfirst and fled with it still wriggling in its mouth. This observation highlights the species’ capacity to prey on larger vertebrates, underscoring its potential ecological impact in invaded habitats. Further studies are needed to clarify its feeding ecology and implications for native fauna.
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Eprilurahman et al. (2025) studied this question.
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