Acanthosaura

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Acanthosaura
Acanthosaura1.JPG
Acanthosaura sp.
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Agamidae
Subfamily: Draconinae
Genus: Acanthosaura
Gray, 1831

Acanthosaura is a genus of lizards, commonly known as mountain horned dragons or pricklenape agamas, in the family Agamidae. The common name "pricklenape" refers to a row of dorsal spines which runs down the back of the neck. They are arboreal lizards found in Southeast Asia. They are medium-sized, their total length (including tail) ranging from about 7.5 to 15 in (19 to 38 cm), depending on species and individual. As the common name "mountain horned dragons" implies, they tend to prefer higher elevation areas with dense vegetation.

Contents

Diet

Mountain horned dragons are insectivorous, consuming only live food. Common foods in captivity include crickets, earthworms, silkworms, mealworms, moths, roaches, wax worms, and grasshoppers. They require a variety in diet and will often refuse food when offered in excessive redundancy.

Typical Acanthosaura feeding behavior is a sit-and-wait style. They will perch 1 to 2 m (3.3 to 6.6 ft) off the ground until they spot their prey, which is often down on the ground. A display of aerobatics is not uncommon from Acanthosaura species when hunting food. They will eat and hunt fish, but most will not submerge their heads to catch a meal.

Reproduction

Females of the genus Acanthosaura lay their first clutch of eggs about four months after mating. They may lay up to four clutches total per year, separated by a month or two.

In captivity

Mountain horned dragons are popular pets, and readily available in the exotic pet trade. A. capra is considered the hardiest and most easily kept species of the genus, and is the most common species found for sale in the United States. [1] While not considered to be difficult to breed in captivity, most specimens available are wild caught. However, due to captive breeding, more and more captive bred lizards are available.

Species

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<i>Acanthosaura coronata</i> Species of reptile

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<i>Acanthosaura capra</i> Species of lizard

Acanthosaura capra is a species of Agamid lizards: commonly known as the mountain horned dragon, it is also called the Indo-Chinese spiny lizard or the green pricklenape.

<i>Acanthosaura lepidogaster</i> Species of lizard

Acanthosaura lepidogaster, commonly known as the brown pricklenape, is a species of agamid lizard found in Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos and China.

<i>Acanthosaura cardamomensis</i> Species of lizard

Acanthosaura cardamomensis is a species of Agamid lizard found in eastern Thailand, western Cambodia and Vietnam. Its name derives from the Cardamom Mountains in eastern Thailand. It was first identified in 2010.

<i>Acanthosaura armata</i> Species of lizard

Acanthosaura armata is a species of agamid lizard commonly known as the armored pricklenape or peninsular horned tree lizard. A. armata can be found in China (Hainan), Myanmar, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia (Sumatra).

<i>Acanthosaura phuketensis</i> Species of lizard

Acanthosaura phuketensis, the Phuket horned tree agamid, is a species of arboreal lizard native to Phuket Province, Thailand. It was discovered in 2015. It is now the 11th species in the genus Acanthosaura.

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<i>Pseudocalotes floweri</i> Species of lizard

Pseudocalotes floweri, commonly known as Thai false bloodsucker or Flower's forest agamid, is a species of agamid lizard. It is found in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

References

  1. Captive care of mountain horned dragons
  2. Wood, Perry L. Jr; Grismer, L. Lee; Grismer, Jesse L.; Neang, Thy; Chav, Thou; Holden, Jeremy (2010). "A new cryptic species of Acanthosaura Gray, 1831 (Squamata: Agamidae) from Thailand and Cambodia" (PDF). Zootaxa. 2488: 22–38. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2488.1.2. (Acanthosaura cardamomensis, new species).
  3. Nguyen, Luan Thanh; Do, Dang Trong; Hoang, Ha Van; Nguyen, Thang Tai; McCormack, Timothy E. M.; Nguyen, Truong Quang; Orlov, Nikolai L.; Nguyen, Vu Dang Hoang; Nguyen, Sang Ngoc (2018). "A New Species of the Genus Acanthosaura Gray, 1831 (Reptilia: Agamidae) from Central Vietnam". Russian Journal of Herpetology. 25 (4): 259–274. doi:10.30906/1026-2296-2018-25-4-259-274 . Retrieved 11 February 2019. (Acanthosaura murphyi, new species).