DINOSAUR ?

Photographed in a Vegetable Farm ( do read my blog  A GREEN DESERT) in the village of Ranesar near the home of Demoiselle Cranes, Kichan ( do read my blogs A FEAST and the WINTER GUESTS)  in the deserts of Rajasthan.

The picture below is a heap of harvested cotton bushes in which lurks the  mysterious Dinosaur of the desert.

hidden in cotton
Perfectly Camouflaged in a Cotton Bush

A closer look  within the dried bushes shows up a Reptile resembling the Dinosaurs of the Jurassic Age.

Do observe the Gland below the eyes and the extremely long and curved claws used for climbing and gripping.

closer look
Sun Bathing

A top view shows up  the spectacled back and a distinctive dual colour, the head and upper limbs are clearly lighter and grey.

top view
Top View

The lovely colouration  and outstanding camouflage  make me struggle to discern the never ending tail of this modern day Dinosaur.

Can you spot where the tail ends?

the tale
Never Ending Tail ( tale) 

I am sure it is not the Spiny Tailed  Lizard  ( Sanda in Hindi) of the Deserts , the oil of which is sold as an aphrodisiac by road side quacks.

It does not resemble the Chameleon or the Oriental Garden Lizard either.

The blog is dynamic till we figure out the Scientific name  and therein lies the story of THE NEVER ENDING TALE.

Published by

mukul chand

51 year old entrepreneur who has traveled extensively around the world for work and pleasure , is based in New Delhi, India. A passionate traveler born with a love for flora and fauna, is an active naturalist and amateur photographer. Here he shares his unique insight into Incredible India revealing its mysterious and exotic treasures. Writing from his heart he shares his experiences as he crisscrosses this vast and amazing land.

18 thoughts on “DINOSAUR ?”

  1. Incredible photos and story. I get concerned about how well some of these reptiles can camouflage themselves, especially as so many of them are highly venomous in the Australian bush. xx Rowena

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  5. What a disdainful, contemptuous look your “dinosaur” has! You were able to capture some remarkable expressions from that lizard. BTW, the lighter coloration on the upper part of the lizard may be do to shedding. I used to keep lizards when I was a child and they would take on a distinctive “milky” look before shedding. Sometimes they would shed only one area at a time, leaving the unshed areas lighter in color. Just a thought!

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      1. They shed as they grow so in captivity, where they are always well fed, they can shed at any time of the year. In the wild shedding happens during times of abundant food, when the animal is growing.

        Maybe your subject was feeling self conscious about shedding which would explain the absurdly dirty look you got. 😉

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      2. I think that is the look gifted by the Maker.( probably keeps off the Kites & Hawks) . On a serious note, thank you for the information. Some say it is the DESERT CHAMELEON, but am not sure .

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