Within the misty evergreen forests of Mae Wong Nationwide Park, western Thailand, scientists have uncovered a creature that sounds prefer it leaped straight out of fantasy: a brand new species of mountain horned dragon, Acanthosaura syrax.
Named after Syrax, the dragon ridden by Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen in Home of the Dragon, this lizard is as placing as its fictional namesake.
Small however mighty, this lizard is among the tiniest members of its genus. Its scales are distinctive, with the smallest neck and again crest ever recorded in Acanthosaura. Distinctive markings set it other than a few of its kin: it lacks the acquainted black eye patch and as an alternative shows a darkish collar.
And in a contact of fantasy, it echoes Syrax the dragon, with yellowish‑inexperienced tones, modest dimension, and the stunning behavior of laying unusually massive clutches of eggs.
Credit score: Acanthosaura syrax lizard {photograph} – credit score to Trivalairat et al., 2026; Syrax dragon credit score to Home of the Dragon, TV sequence, House Field Workplace (HBO) / Warner Bros. Discovery
DNA evaluation of two genes (ND2 and COI) confirmed A. syrax to be genetically distinct from its closest kin, notably A. lepidogaster. Pairwise genetic distances ranged from 14–28%, whereas variation inside the species was minimal, clear proof that it is a new lineage.
This discovery brings the full variety of identified Acanthosaura species to 23, underscoring the wealthy biodiversity of Thailand’s high-altitude forests.
The Syrax mountain horned dragon seems confined to a slender band of rugged, high-elevation forest above 1,300 meters. Its naturally scattered populations make it weak to habitat loss.
Credit score: Trivalairat et al., 2026
Researchers are calling for stronger safety of Mae Wong’s forests, suggesting Syrax be taken as a flagship species, together with the uncommon wildlife that dwell there, such because the Asian forest tortoise, Oldham’s leaf turtle, and the Indochinese tiger.
Journal Reference:
- Poramad Trivalairat, Krittiya Trivalairat, Nawee Moungkhaek, Simon Caponov, Benchapol Lorsunyaluck. Acanthosaura syrax sp. nov., a brand new species of mountain horned dragon from high-elevation habitats of western Thailand (Squamata, Agamidae). ZooKeys. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1287.186636
