yes the guide is holding it by the tail. I'm not normally a catch-the-animal-to-look-at-it sort of person -- I prefer to just watch them doing their thing, but the guide was just dashing up to grab them off tree trunks, and it did allow me to get a good shot (and if I turn it sideways I can always pretend it was gliding ). The local name is cicak turbang which basically means "flying lizard".
If you look at the earlier (2009) flying dragon shots here from northern Sulawesi, that's what I normally get as a photo because they are so skittish.
It's very unfortunate that there diet is so restricting. I believe back in 2009 there were some captive births in spain. They seem to be common in the pet trade, but that doesn't mean anything. It takes a very dedicated person with the right resources to keep this animal.
