Kermit's cousin: Chinese water dragon looks like Muppet's relative

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

The three-month-old water dragon bears a striking resemblance to Kermit the Frog


Perched halfway up a stem, this lizard from the Far East bears a striking resemblance to Kermit the Frog.

The green-skinned lizard was snapped spotted with hands crossed and eyes bulging relaxing on a lily stem by reptile enthusiast, Angi Nelson, 43 outside her home in Bristol.

Being thousands of miles away from its native land does not seem to have fazed the reptile whose natural food is insects - like its Muppet counterpart.

In the words of Kermit the Frog: 'Time's fun when you're having flies.'

Chinese water dragons are native to the lowland and highland forests of India, Northern and southern China, and eastern and south eastern Asia.

They can grow up to 90 cm in length for males and up to 60 cm for females ranging in colour from dark to light green.

Diagonal stripes of green or turquoise are found on the body, while the tail is banded from the middle to the end with green and dark brown.

The tail, slightly over two-thirds or 70 per cent of the entire body length, can be used as a weapon, for balance, and to assist swimming.

Their undersides range from white, off white, very pale green, or pale yellow. Their throats by contrast are usually a colourful yellow, orange, or peach.

Like many other reptiles Chinese water dragon has a small, iridescent, photosensitive spot between the eyes referred to as the pineal gland.

The gland also known as the third eye, is thought to help thermoregulate their bodies by sensing differences in light to help when seeking shelter after sunset.


source: dailymail