It is the first successful Gonocephalus bellii hatching in England.
The Chester Zoo announced this week that is has successfully hatched its first Bell’s anglehead lizard (Gonocephalus bellii) a species that is native to Southeast Asia and the Indonesian archipelago. According to the announcement from the zoo, there is very little known about the lizard, though it has created a log that details the successful breeding of the lizard. Zoo officials working on the breeding project now know that the incubation period is between 151 and 155 days. They also know the lizard doubles in size just one month after it hatches.
"In many ways the Bell’s anglehead lizard is a real underdog. Very, very little is known about them and to reptile experts they are a compete mystery. Run an internet search on them and you’ll find that hardly any reliable information comes up – they’re that data deficient, Ruth Smith, herpetology keeper at the zoo said.
"What we can be sure about though is that this is the very first time the species has hatched in a zoo in the UK and possibly even Europe. So we’re absolutely thrilled with our new arrival."
The lizard will be raised behind the scenes until it can be placed in the zoo's breeding program for the species. The parents can be seen at the zoo's Realm of the Red Ape exhibit.
Photo by Matt Cook, Chester Zoo
Bell’s Anglehead Lizard.
