The Rock Star of the Mara: Meet the Mwanza Flat-headed Agama


You’ll often find him perched on a granite outcrop or the warm top of a termite mound, puffing his chest, bobbing his head, and doing push-ups as if to say, “Yes, I’m fabulous—look at me!”

And make no mistake, everyone looks.

His audience? A harem of brown, unassuming females blending into the rocks—and a few rival males trying to challenge his reign. The Mwanza Flat-headed Agama is a territorial little monarch. The dominant male rules a colony, basking and feeding in full view while the subordinates skulk in the shadows. The moment another male gets ideas above his station, there’s a dramatic showdown: tail flicks, head nods, rapid push-ups. It’s a duel of dominance, no claws or teeth needed—just pure attitude and agility.

The non-breeding males, meanwhile, tone down the colors to a mottled grey with a faint blue line along the back—less Spider-Man, more stealth mode. Females and juveniles, too, are dressed for camouflage: brown with darker crossbars and subtle pale spots, their legs and tails dusted with a hint of blue. While the boys strut their neon stuff, the girls keep an eye out for predators—chiefly snakes, birds, and the occasional mongoose with a quick tongue and bad intentions.

These agamas love rocky outcrops—nature’s sunbeds—and that’s where you’ll spot them in the Mara, especially in the midday heat when most other animals have retreated to the shade. Sometimes, you’ll find entire colonies—males on patrol, females darting between crevices, and youngsters practicing their future swagger moves under the watchful eye of the colony boss.