Agasthyagama | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Iguania |
Family: | Agamidae |
Genus: | Agasthyagama Srikanthan, Adhikari, Ganesh, Deuti, Das, Kulkarni, Gowande, & Shanker, 2021 |
Species: | A. beddomii |
Binomial name | |
Agasthyagama beddomii Boulenger, 1885 | |
Agasthyagama beddomii, commonly known as the Indian kangaroo lizard, is a diurnal, terrestrial, insectivorous agamid lizard, endemic to the Western Ghats of South India.
The specific name, beddomii, is in honor of British army officer and botanist Richard Henry Beddome (1830–1911). [2]
The common name, Indian kangaroo lizard, is derived from the lizard's habit of running on its hind legs with the body held upright.
A. beddomii is endemic to Western Ghats, where it is known from Sivagiri Hills (type locality), Agasthyamalai, Cardamom Hills and Travancore hills in Tamil Nadu and Kerala states.
From snout to vent A. beddomii is about 1.75 inches (4.4 cm) long with a tail of about 3 inches (7.6 cm). The head is covered in scales that have a sharp keel running along the centre, a feature also found in the Sri Lankan species ( O. nigristigma and O. wiegmanni ). The scales on the head between the eyes are smaller and form about two or three longitudinal series. An inverted Y shape is formed by the keels of the scales but is indistinct. The canthus rostralis (or snout) is not prominent. There are 9 or 10 scales on the upper and lower lip. There are small pits on each side of the neck and in front of the shoulder. The scales on the back are unequal in size with the larger ones forming regular V-shaped marks with the point facing backwards, enlarged ones sometimes forming regular chevrons on the back, with the point facing backward. The scales on the underside are larger than those above. The scales on the side are small but with large scales interspersed. The scales on the upper side of the legs are large and keeled. When the hind leg is held along the body, the tip of the foot reaches the snout, the heel reaching the ear opening. The tail is round and slender and about two times the length of the head and body. The tail is covered by strongly keeled scales. The colour is olive brown with patches of dark brown on the back and limbs. A dark oblique band runs below the eye to the mouth. The underside is whitish, and young lizards have a brown throat. [3]
The preferred habitat of A. beddomii is moist leaf litter on the forest floor of both evergreen and deciduous forests, but it may also climb onto low tree trunks and shrubs. [4]
A. beddomii is an oviparous species, with adult females laying clutches of 3–5 eggs. [4]
The distribution of A. beddomii is highly fragmented in patches of dense forest in the Western Ghats from and south of the Shencottah Gap. [5] The species appears to be sensitive to human disturbance. A record from Kodaikanal has been considered to be in error. [6] [7]
Ceratophora is a genus of agamid lizards found in Sri Lanka. The male has a horn on its snout.
Ristella is a genus of skinks, lizards in the family Scincidae. The genus is endemic to the Western Ghats of southwestern India. Member species are commonly known as cat skinks because of their retractile claws. This genus can be instantly identified by the presence of only four fingers in forelimbs in all the species. All the members look more or less similar, and are drab dark brown to blackish in colouration, with paler undersides. This poorly known group of lizards is diurnal, insectivorous, terrestrial to semi-fossorial in habits. They inhabit deep leaf-litter and grasslands in montane forests and rainforests.
Monilesaurus ellioti, also known commonly as Elliot's forest lizard, is a species of arboreal, diurnal, lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats, India.
Calotes maria, called commonly the Khasi Hills forest lizard or Assam garden lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to South Asia.
Monilesaurus rouxii, commonly known as Roux's forest lizard, Roux's forest calotes, or the forest blood sucker, is a species of arboreal, diurnal, agamid lizard, which is endemic to hills of peninsular India. In July 2018, it was proposed that the species should be transferred to the new genus Monilesaurus.
Draco blanfordii, commonly known as Blanford's flying dragon, Blanford’s flying lizard, or Blanford's gliding lizard, is a species of "flying" lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to Asia, and is capable of gliding from tree to tree.
Draco dussumieri, also known commonly as the Indian flying lizard, the southern flying lizard, and the Western Ghats flying lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is capable of gliding from tree to tree. It is found principally in the Western Ghats and some other hill forests of Southern India. It is almost completely arboreal, found on trees in forests and adjoining palm plantations where it climbs trees to forage for insects and glides to adjoining trees by expanding the patagium, loose skin on the sides of the body which is supported by elongated ribs to act as wings. The skin on the sides of the neck is also extended to the sides using the hyoid bones of the tongue as support. During the breeding season males maintain small territories which they defend from other males while courting females. The male has a more colourful patagium than the female, and it prominently extends its yellow dewlap forward in display. Although living almost its entire life in trees, the female descends to the ground to lay eggs in soil. This is the species with the westernmost distribution within the genus Draco, the majority of species occurring in Southeast Asia.
Draco maculatus, commonly known as the spotted flying dragon or spotted gliding lizard, is a species of agamid flying lizard endemic to Southeast Asia. It is capable of gliding from tree to tree.
Colonel Richard Henry Beddome was a British military officer and naturalist in India, who became chief conservator of the Madras Forest Department. In the mid-19th century, he extensively surveyed several remote and then-unexplored hill ranges in Sri Lanka and south India, including those in the Eastern Ghats such as Yelandur, Kollegal, Shevaroy Hills, Yelagiri, Nallamala Hills, Visakhapatnam hills, and the Western Ghats such as Nilgiri hills, Anaimalai hills, Agasthyamalai Hills and Kudremukh. He described many species of plants, amphibians, and reptiles from southern India and Sri Lanka, and several species from this region described by others bear his name.
Blanford's rock agama is species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to Peninsular India. One of two species in the genus, P. blanfordanus is found mainly to the east of the distribution of P. dorsalis. Unlike the other species, the male P. blanfordanus in breeding season has the red body color restricted to the head and lacks the broad dorsal stripe.
The peninsular rock agama or South Indian rock agama is a common species of agama found on rocky hills in south India. An allied species, Psammophilus blanfordanus, is found in the Eastern Ghats, but north of the range of this species.
The Anaimalai spiny lizard or Anaimalais salea is a species of agamid lizard endemic to the southern Western Ghats, India. Specifically, it is found on the Anaimalai Hills and Meghamalai in the Kerala and Tamil Nadu states.
Salea horsfieldii, commonly known as Horsfield's spiny lizard or the Nilgiri salea, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills of India. It is found mainly in the high altitude grassy hills. A related species, Salea anamallayana, is found in the grassy hills of the Anaimalai Hills.
Beddome's worm snake is a species of harmless blind snake in the family Gerrhopilidae. The species is native to southern India. No subspecies are currently recognized.
The Wynad day gecko is a species of gecko. It is endemic to the Western Ghats in Kerala, India, and only known from two locations, Wayanad and Silent Valley National Park.
Ophisops leschenaultii, commonly called Leschenault's snake-eye, Leschenault’s lacerta, or Leschenault's cabrita, is a species of lacertid lizard endemic to India and eastern Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, this lizard is called Pandura katussa in Sinhala. In some parts of the country, it is also called Heeraluwa or sikanala, which is more common name for all skink-like reptiles.
Eutropis beddomei, commonly known as Beddome's mabuya or Beddome's skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to India and Sri Lanka.
Ristella travancorica, commonly known as the Travancore cat skink or the Travancore ristella, is a species of skink endemic to the Western Ghats in India.
Otocryptis wiegmanni, commonly called the brown-patched kangaroo lizard, Sri Lankan kangaroo lizard or Wiegmann's agama, is a small, ground-dwelling agamid lizard endemic to Sri Lanka.
Kaestlea beddomii, also known as Beddome's ground skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats of India.