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Dragonenthusiasts may have to wait upwards of two years for the platinum-haired Targaryens and theirfire-breathing pets on House of the Dragonto return, but real reptile enthusiasts have a new real-life lizard to get excited about. Recently discovered in the high mountain forests of western Thailand,Acanthosaura syraxis named after Syrax, aka Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen’s dragon on the HBO show. The new dragon-inspired lizard is described in a study recently published in the journalZooKeys.

A. syraxbrings the number of knownAcanthosauralizards up to 23. It is part of a group called mountain horned dragons with spiny crests along their necks and backs. It lives in the evergreen forests of Mae Wong National Park at elevations above 4,265 feet, and does not appear to exist anywhere else.

The teamled by Poramad Trivalairat and colleagues from Chulabhorn Royal Academy and Kasetsart Universitychose this fantasy-related name deliberately. InHouse of the Dragonand the book it is based on (Fire and Bloodby George R.R. Martin),Syraxis known for striking yellow coloring, comparatively modest size next to the other Targaryen dragons, and for laying an unusually large number of eggs.

A. syraxhas all three of these qualities. It has yellowish-green tones, is one of the smallest members of theAcanthosauragenus, and lays notably large clutches of eggs for a lizard of its size. The team proposed “Syrax mountain horned dragon” as its common English name, alongside a Thai name that translates the same way.

This lizard also stands out for having the smallest neck and back crest scales recorded anywhere in the genus, and an overall small body size.A. syraxalso does not have a black patch around its eye like several of its related species do. It also has a distinctive dark collar marking. A DNA analysis of two genes confirmed thatA. syraxisgenetically distinctfrom its closest relative,Acanthosaura lepidogaster, and from the other known species in the group.

The team only observedA. syraxin a narrow band of high-altitude forest, and its populations are naturally scattered around due to the mountain ranges’ rugged terrain. This fragmentation leaves it vulnerable if its habitat comes under more pressure from humans.  The team is calling for stronger environmental protection of Mae Wong’s high-elevation forests, suggesting that this new lizard could be a flagship species for the area, along with the Asian forest tortoise (Manouria emys), Indochinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti), and other rarewildlifeonly found living at these heights.