India, June 1 -- Only those as mad as a hatter would venture into the noon / afternoon heat of the Thar desert for a foodie binge. But for the Brilliant Ground agama (Trapelius / Agama agilis Olivier), a lesser known lizard and commonly confounded by locals with a girgit/korkirla (Garden lizard), the inferno of the desert is best suited for predation on insects and its own safety. This is precisely the time, as the wise lizard knows, the avian hunters such as falcons, hawks and eagles will have beaten a retreat to a shady 'thikana'. Insects, too, are active at this infernal time in the native flora of the Thar: Kheep, Ber, Jaal, Kumbat, Aak etc. Insects feed on foliage and lay eggs, and in turn are gobbled by the 'lizards who duel at high noon'. The lizard is a burrowing species, with the female adapted to dig into the soil for nesting and protection while the male simply slithers under the Thar rocks. "In summer, male lizards always stay in the open. As temperatures can rise to 55degC, male lizards also get affected by the heat but they counter the onslaught by changing into beautiful colours, which are known to be less absorbent of debilitating sun rays. To humans, it may appear that the lizard has turned magically into a gorgeous creature but the stark colouration changes are critical for survival. So, the head and abdomen changes from the standard dull brown, sandy colour into a vivid blue peppered with white spots while the tail turns yellowish-orange. The male's entire lower surface turns white," principal of the SBK Government PG College, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, and professor of zoology, Shyam Sunder Meena, told this writer. Meena was the first to venture into the field and study this neglected species of the Thar, resulting in a research paper: Sexual Selection and Sexual Dimorphism in Agama agilis. "To further cut down on heat absorption, male lizards alternatively move their legs up and down to minimisecontact with the warm surface. They also select perches on foliage which are 6-9 feet above the hot earth," Meena added....