Highly contrasting to their native environment, red lizards stand out immediately.
Many species of lizards show red patterns while others have ground red nuances.
Sought after in the lizard pet industry, red lizards tend to sell out first due to their distinct appearance that almost makes them look unreal.
Some of the following red lizards of the world show at least partial red nuances. They can vary from orange-red to blood-red and other rare red nuances.
With some of these species, red is the dominant pigmentation while others only come in red morphs.
Table of Contents
1. Rock Dragon
Rock Dragons (Psammophilus dorsalis) are small lizards that live in rocky areas of India.
Often red above, these types of lizards show high color variation and small differences between males and females.
A typical Rock Dragon male has a dark ground color, often black, and a bright dorsal color on the head and upper back.
This bright dorsal color is often red, brown, red-brown, or yellow. Females are slightly brighter.
A typical olive ground color is specific to female Rock Dragons, which may also show an orange-red head.
Unlike males which show their red colors as a stripe and as a dorsal color of the head, females only have colorful heads.
The red nuances on these lizards also vary, probably according to habitat. From crimson to rust red, males of the species have some of the most visible colors in the world of lizards.
2. Red Tegu
Red Tegus (Salvator rufescens) reach a length of several feet, being one of the largest red lizards in the world. These types of lizards aren’t always red, but they become red as they reach adulthood.
Pink-red and dark-red patterns are specific to the dorsal side of the species.
In addition, there are dark red-brown bands that run across its body. Tiny white dots or patterns further complete the appearance of this mostly red lizard.
Highly common in captivity, Red Tegus can live very long lives of up to 20 years.
Native to Argentina, this is a species that can be raised as a docile reptile in a large enclosure.
Some of its typical foods include fruit and insects, but these lizards will essentially eat anything they can swallow.
3. Iguana
Iguanas are some of the most popular types of red lizards raised in captivity around the world.
They come in different morphs and in albino exceptions where only their eyes are red.
Iguanas can also be entirely red. This is a lizard species that shows its true red nuances only when it becomes an adult.
A combination of bright and dark red body sections is specific to The Red Hypo, an iguana morph that’s mostly red.
This red type of iguana also comes with red eyes.
Iguanas of this morph also show different personalities. They are perceived as more aggressive.
Most iguanas can also adapt their colors and change their appearance.
Red morph iguanas stay red throughout the seasons which makes them an attractive pet lizard.
4. Borneo Forest Dragon
While green, gray, olive, or white nuances dominate the appearance of male Borneo Forest Dragons (Gonocephalus bornensis), the females of the species show a rust-red color.
The red nuances on females also vary from bright rust red to dark rust red.
White spots and white underbellies are a common sight both on males and females of the species, named after their native region.
Arboreal females additionally show black spots on the head which means their head looks darker than the rest of the body.
Some male Borneo Forest Dragons also show red mid-dorsum stripes.
This type of rainforest lizard is arboreal and it can sometimes be spotted climbing trees. Its range is limited to Mount Kinabalu, on the other hand.
5. Bearded Dragon
Red morph Bearded Dragons are some of the most spectacular sights for one of the most common types of pet lizards.
Bearded Dragons, in general, are great lizard pets as they like being handled. Except for some very specific dietary requirements, the red morph of the species is even more spectacular.
Various shades of red are common for the red morph. This includes crimson and bright red.
The tiny spines of the species are also red while its tail can be red-brown, orange-red, red and white, or mostly red.
Ruby red morphs are even seen as rare and valuable. These morphs are often seen as the most expensive types of Bearded Dragon morphs.
Other similar morphs of the lizards include The Orange Beaded Dragon which may sometimes be orange-red but which is mostly of a tangerine color.
6. Brilliant South American Gecko
Named after the colorful appearance of males, these types of geckos (Gonatodes ceciliae) are found in South American forests.
While females are dull-colored, males are dominated by red nuances.
Vivid red nuances are the ground color of its head and tail while the body of males has a slightly brighter red nuance.
Yellow and black patterns are visible on the red dorsum of males.
Vivid red patterns are specific to the area of its head while pale yellow patterns are seen across its body.
The legs of the species are darker but its ventral side has even brighter red nuances with smaller yellow and black patterns.
As it ages, the male Brilliant South American Gecko maintains its red nuances but they start to darken across the body and tail.
7. Fire Skink
A multicolored species, Fire Skinks (Lepidothyris fernandi) are among the lizards where both males and females are similar.
Even more, both males and females of the species show vivid red nuances across the sides and underbelly.
A combination of bright colors makes this species easy to identify. It is one of the rare lizards that have both red and gold colors.
The golden sections are limited to its upper dorsum while its red sections are seen across the lower body with black sections in-between.
Fire Skinks are mostly red and black in their early days, slowly showing their golden nuances as they mature.
These golden sections may be small at first, but they start to cover more of their dorsum with time.
A large and robust type of lizard, Fire Skinks are ideal for captivity breeding as they like to be handled.
8. Crested Gecko
Crested Geckos often come in a red morph. A rare morph, the red Crested Geckos are also some of the most expensive Crested Geckos in the pet trade.
Named after their distinct dorsal crest, these types of geckos can be red when at least one of the parents is red.
The highest chance of breeding red Crested Geckos is when both parents are red.
Native to New Caledonia, these types of geckos have an orange-red nuance during the day and a slightly extra deep red nuance at night when they become active and more vivid.
In captivity, this docile and playful gecko may be seen in red nuances, orange-red nuances, as well as in more common gray and brown colors.
Very good climbers, these colorful Crested Geckos use their legs and tails to grab and jump.
9. Panther Chameleon
Native to Madagascar, The Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) comes in different colors such as green, red, and brown.
Its red variant is only specific to a couple of regions of the island as it turns out Panther Chameleon colors are dependent on their region.
The species is also introduced in other regions such as in Reunion, where red nuances dominate.
Females here show a combination of red and black nuances.
Rust red ground colors are backed by black stripes across the dorsum and black patterns on the crown.
This is also a species with very small pinholes for eyes as they lack typical eyelids. Even their eyes can appear red as a result.
Partly red Panther Chameleons also exist. Mostly red-brown, these types of Panther Chameleons still live in protected areas such as in The Anjajavy’s Protected Area.
10. Oriental Garden Lizard
Gradient red is specific to male Oriental Garden Lizards (Calotes versicolor). While females are green, males are partly red.
The head and the upper back of the male Oriental Garden Lizard show a bright red nuance.
Its lower body and hind legs have gray or gray-brown nuances, similar to their very long tails.
Some variations of these colors apply as Oriental Garden Lizards have a widespread habitat stretching from Afghanistan to India.
Some of its morphs are based on brown ground nuances.
Known for eating insects, these types of lizards can be seen in different habitats.
Some of the best times to spot these red lizards is soon after it rains as they come out to look for washed-up insects.
11. Mwanza Flat-headed Rock Agama
Distinct colors separate male from female Mwanza Flat-headed Rock Agamas (Agama mwanzae).
These types of lizards can be highly colorful or dull-colored, by gender.
Males show red or violet heads and upper bodies. They can sometimes be pink-violet with a magenta mouth.
Their legs and tails can be blue or iridescent blue. Red and blue combinations on males are sometimes paired with gold accents on the rear legs.
Iridescent male colors make this species a good choice for experienced lizard pet owners as they’re also highly aggressive.
12. Peters’s Rock Agama
An African native, Peter’s Rock Agama (Agama picticauda) is also partially red and partially black.
It features a red-brown or rust-red head and shoulders while the rest of the body and most of the tail are black.
This is also a species which shows a red band towards the tip of the tail.
Cream or tan sections are also specific to the tail of adult lizards between the red sections of the tail and the black sections of its body.
As in most species of lizards, it’s only the male that shows a colorful appearance. Female Peter’s Rock Agamas are mostly gray-green.
13. Tokay Gecko
Native to India and Bangladesh, Tokay Geckos are among the species which show red patterns in the form of dots on the main dark morph.
This is also a species of gecko with a ground red morph.
The High Red Tokay is a species of a rust-red color that dominates the head, legs, and tail of the species.
Bright yellow patterns are seen on its dorsum, but these are small, making The High Red Tokay Gecko one of the most representative red morph lizards of Asia.
Lizards of this species are also common in the pet lizard space due to their high color variation.
While attractive and expensive, The High Red Tokay Gecko isn’t recommended for beginner pet owners as they have a painful bite.
14. Leopard Gecko
Leopard Geckos are some of the most popular reptiles in the reptile trade industry.
These geckos are highly colorful and come in tens of other morphs.
Red-Striped Leopard Gecko morphs are dominated by bright and dark red nuances.
2 blood-red stripes run along its mid-dorsum. This morph may then show a brighter red ground color or an orange-red ground color.
Red-Striped Leopard Geckos have yellow spots on their head and additional white spots on their tails.
A similar orange-red morph is also specific to The Tangerine Morph Leopard Gecko.
Unlike the Red-Striped Morph, The Tangerine Morph is closer to orange and lacks the yellow spots on the head. The tip of its tail is also white and black.
15. Brown Anole
Most Brown Anoles (Anolis sagrei) are mainly brown. Some are red and even orange.
Orange-red nuances on Brown Anoles are believed to be the result of no melamine or melamine imbalances in Brown Anoles.
Some Brown Anoles can also be mostly brown and vivid red towards the tail. Others are mostly red or orange-red.
Long believed to be a self-camouflage color adaptation, red-orange pigments are now believed to be the result of an internal imbalance.
Unlike other species, red Brown Anoles can be spotted across Florida.