[5] A foraging ambush predator, this lizard preys primarily on arthropods and thus remains at the bottom of forests perched on trees where sunlight is present.

D. swinhonis is not a major threat to humans and is able to adapt to a variety of habitats, including urban environments.

The male D. swinhonis is physically distinct from the female, with its body size being much larger and having a yellow stripe.

[8] Both sexes have brown backs, but males have a brighter color and a yellow stripe on each side of the body.

Ota (1991) compared specimens from genus Japalura to classify populations of D. swinhonis from Northern Tawian as its own subspecies, J.

The study also supported the use of genus name Diploderma for species apart from the clade spanning across mainland China and East Asian Islands.

Swinhoe’s tree lizards feeds on arthropods, primarily ants but also other larger insects such as grasshoppers and crickets.

[14] It is also very common for iguanian lizards, like D. swinhonis, to eat a large proportion of ants within their diet.

[14] However, D. swinhonis on Orchid island and found to primarily prey on crickets, so there is some variation with regard to their diets between each of their habitats.

These sizes are due to the growth needed for spermatogenesis and the development of ovarian follicles in males and females respectively.

[15] This high level of mortality means that reproduction does not occur as quickly compared to other species of lizards.

[15] D. swinhonis is arboreal (or preferential to tree habitats) and lives at low altitudes below 1,500 m (4,900 ft) in lowland forests within Taiwan.

[16] The lizard is diurnal and is commonly found in wide-ranging habitats that include forests and urban areas, such as shopping malls.

[13] Males are typically at greater altitudes on the trees, while females and juveniles reside closer to the ground and near bushes.

[15] Male D. swinhonis use aggressive displays to maintain their territory, and the lizard is known to be an opportunistic predator that waits and ambushes their prey.

[13] The males have been found to be territorial in order to increase chances of mating rather than protecting a food resource.

P. cocincinus is another invasive species, an agamid lizard native to mainland China and Southeast Asia, that predates upon D. swinhonis.

Additionally, there is the possibility that Anolis sagrei, an arboreal anole invasive to Taiwan, can outcompete D. swinhonis.