Orange and Black Lizard in Florida: Peters's Rock Agama

Illustration of a breeding male, based on FWC and University of Florida descriptions. Females and young look very different. Not a photograph.

The short version

Likely name: Peters's rock agama, also spelled Peter's rock agama. It has also been called the red-headed agama or African rainbow lizard.
Size: Males grow up to about 12 inches, counting the tail. Females stay much smaller.
Look for: an orange or red head, a dark body, and orange on the tail with a black tip.
Where: walls, fences, tree trunks, sidewalks, curbs, and pavement. They flee quickly when approached.
Not new to Florida: it was first documented here in 1976, and it keeps turning up in new places.
Danger to people: the University of Florida says it is not a threat to pets or people unless you handle one.
Native lizards: official sources disagree on how much harm it causes. No Florida study of its diet was found.
Never release one. That is illegal in Florida.

How to identify a Peters's rock agama

Who	Size	Colors and marks
Breeding male	About 8 to 12 inches	Orange or red head. Indigo or black body. Tail with a bluish-white base, orange middle, and black tip.
Non-breeding male	About 8 to 12 inches	Duller head and a lighter back. Brownish, with rough scales and light lines on the head and neck.
Female	FWC says about 4 to 5 inches	Brownish-gray with light green spots and short stripes on the head and neck. Females with eggs have yellow or orange patches on the body.
Young	Smaller	Look like females.

Other clues are a wide, blocky head, rough ridged scales, thin clawed toes, and a long tail that does not break easily.

Sources: FWC and the University of Florida. The state says about 8 to 12 inches. The university says up to 12 inches, including the tail.

Seeing yellow, or streaks? Sources describe yellow or orange patches on females with eggs, not on males. A foot-long lizard with yellow and black bands could be something else. Check the table below, and get a photo if you can.

Lizards it could be instead

Lizard	Adult size	How it differs	What to do
Nile monitor Nonnative, Prohibited	4 to 6 feet	Olive to black, with yellowish V-shaped stripes and bands. Forked tongue and long, sharp claws. FWC's page does not describe young ones.	Do not try to catch one. Take a photo and call 888-483-4681.
Argentine tegu Nonnative, Prohibited	Up to nearly 5 feet	Mottled black and white, often banded. Hatchlings have bright green heads for about a month.	Take a photo and call 888-483-4681.
Brown basilisk Nonnative	11 to 27 inches	Very long tail. Males have a head crest. Females and young have dark bars. Seen regularly from southern Brevard County south.	Report through IveGot1.
Knight anole Nonnative	13 to 19.5 inches	Bright green to brown, with a yellow band on the face.	Report through IveGot1.
Northern curly-tailed lizard Nonnative	7 to 10.5 inches	Gray to tan, with a tail that curls.	Report through IveGot1.
Brown anole Nonnative	5 to 9 inches	Yellowish-tan to dark brown. Red throat fan with a yellow border.	The University of Florida calls it the most commonly encountered lizard in much of the state.
Green anole Native	5 to 8 inches	Green, but can turn brown or gray. Pointier snout. Pinkish throat fan in most of the state.	Leave it alone.
Eastern fence and Florida scrub lizards Native	3.5 to 7.5 inches	Much smaller.	Leave them alone.

Sizes from the University of Florida identification guide, its brown basilisk and brown anole publications, and FWC's Nile monitor and tegu pages. The guide says to be certain an animal is nonnative before removing it.

Where it lives in Florida

EDDMapS, the mapping site FWC links to for this species, lists it as established in these 20 counties:

Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Collier, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie, and Volusia.

Brevard County: EDDMapS has positive 2025 records in the county. We did not find an official date for when the lizard first arrived there.
It may be wider than that. The University of Florida calls its 2025 map a minimum and notes more single-animal records in the peninsula.
How it got here: the pet trade, starting in 1976. One reptile dealer released agamas in Homestead and Palm City, and both populations expanded.
How it spreads: one large agama was seen falling from under a car on an interstate. Another researcher suggested they hitchhike on freight trains.
How it breeds: from April through August, a female lays 5 to 12 eggs at a time, and may lay 2 or 3 clutches a year.
Where it stays: mostly neighborhoods and developed areas. The University of Florida says it does not normally appear to invade natural habitats.

FWC says eradicating established Florida populations is likely not feasible.

Is it killing native lizards?

Official sources do not agree, and we found no Florida study that settles it. Here is what each one says.

Source	What it says
FWC	Agamas mainly eat ants, grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, and other insects. They also eat smaller animals, including snakes, lizards, birds, and mammals, and have been seen eating their own young. Because of their size and high numbers, FWC says they "may pose a threat" to small native insects and reptiles, by preying on them and competing for resources.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (May 21, 2025)	The agama is "thriving in urban environments where it competes with native lizards for food and habitat."
University of Florida	Its Florida diet has not been studied. Very little research exists, and significant harm seems unlikely because it stays in developed areas. It might eat nonnative brown anoles. It could harm imperiled butterflies, though that has not been studied.

If your native lizards seem gone, there may be another reason

Brown anoles. The University of Florida says brown anoles change how native green anoles behave. Green anoles often move higher into trees, where people notice them less. One likely reason is that brown anoles are "aggressively driving them upward."
Green anoles may still be there. The same publication says no study concluded that brown anoles wiped out green anoles locally. Without tree canopy to move into, though, green anoles could decline and disappear from an area.
Curly-tailed lizards. The Florida Museum of Natural History says they threaten native lizards' food and prey on their hatchlings. Their populations reach from Key West to Central Florida.

To help green anoles, the University of Florida suggests dense plantings and trees, which give them food, hiding places, and high perches.

What we can't say: we found no official source calling the agama aggressive toward people. The University of Florida says it is wary of people. We also can't confirm it is wiping out native lizards in Brevard County. Local sightings are worth reporting, because the research is thin.

What to do if you see one

Get a photo

Stop somewhere safe first, especially on a bike or in traffic.
Stay back and zoom in. They run when people get close. Don't chase one.
Look where they settle: walls, fences, curbs, and tree trunks.
A rough photo can still help. Try to show the head and tail. Note the location and date.

Report it

Use the free IveGot1 app or FWC's reporting page. Sources differ here: FWC says reports from counties where agamas are already established are not needed. The University of Florida says reporting matters, especially in places not yet documented. Agamas are already listed for Brevard, so a report matters most from a county not on the list above.

Big banded lizard, snake, monitor, or tegu? FWC treats those as high priority. Call 888-Ive-Got1 (888-483-4681).

If one is on your property

FWC says agamas are protected only by anti-cruelty laws, and they may be humanely killed on private property year-round with the landowner's permission.
If you can't safely remove one, FWC suggests hiring a professional nuisance wildlife trapper.
Make sure it is not a native lizard first.
FWC also lists 32 Commission-managed lands in south Florida where the public may remove them, under Executive Order 23-16. Area rules still apply.

Never do this

Don't catch one and let it go elsewhere. Section 379.231 makes releasing a nonnative animal illegal without state authorization. FWC says nonnative wildlife may be transported or relocated only for euthanasia.

A pet agama you can't keep can go through FWC's free Exotic Pet Amnesty Program. See our guide to illegal pets and release laws.

Questions people ask

What is the orange and black lizard in Florida?

The most likely match is the Peters's rock agama. Breeding males have an orange or red head, a dark body, and a tail with orange and a black tip. A photo is the only way to be sure.

Is the Peters's rock agama dangerous?

The University of Florida says it does not pose a threat to pets or people. The bite of a large one can be painful, but there is no chance of a bite unless the lizard is being handled.

Is it killing Florida's native lizards?

It has not been proven. FWC says agamas may threaten small native insects and reptiles by preying on them and competing for resources. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says they compete with native lizards. The University of Florida says their Florida diet has not been studied and significant harm seems unlikely.

Is the agama in Brevard County?

Yes. EDDMapS lists Brevard among 20 Florida counties where the species has established. We did not find an official date for when it arrived there.

Is this lizard new to Florida?

No. FWC says it was first documented in Florida in 1976. It may seem new where it has recently spread. Researchers have linked its spread to vehicles and possibly freight trains.

Can I kill or remove an agama on my property?

FWC says agamas are protected only by anti-cruelty laws and may be humanely killed on private property year-round with the landowner's permission. If you can't remove one safely, FWC suggests hiring a professional.

Can I catch one and let it go somewhere else?

No. Releasing an animal not native to Florida is illegal without state authorization, and FWC says nonnative wildlife may not be relocated except for euthanasia.

Can you keep a rock agama as a pet?

FWC lists it as Class III wildlife. It says a permit is needed to exhibit or sell one, but not to keep one as a personal pet. Never release one. FWC's Exotic Pet Amnesty Program can help rehome it.

Sources

General information, not legal or wildlife-control advice. Check with FWC before removing an animal.