Harpesaurus modiglianii

Harpesaurus modiglianii
	1933 illustration based on the male holotype specimen. Note the blue colouration, as it was unknown that the preservation process of the specimen had changed its colour from bright green to blue.
Conservation status
	; Data Deficient (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Iguania
Family:	Agamidae
Genus:	Harpesaurus
Species:	H. modiglianii
Binomial name
	Harpesaurus modiglianii; Vinciguerra, 1933

Last updated November 07, 2025

Harpesaurus modiglianii, also known commonly as Modigliani's nose-horned lizard, is a species of lizard in the subfamily Draconinae of the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to Indonesia.^[2]

Etymology

The specific name, modiglianii, is honor of Italian zoologist Elio Modigliani.^[4]^: 181

Geographic distribution

Harpesaurus modiglianii is indigenous to northern Sumatra, Indonesia.^[1]^[2]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of Harpesaurus modiglianii is forest.^[4]

Description

The holotype specimen of Harpesaurus modiglianii is a male, and the preservation process had caused it to turn blue. The discovery of live specimens in 2018 revealed that the species is naturally a luminous green colour in life.^[3]

H. modiglianii has a sickle-shaped upturned nasal appendage. Not including this appendage, the holotype has a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 8.3 cm (3.3 in), and a tail length of 13.9 cm (5.5 in). Its nasal appendage is 6 mm (0.24 in) long, roughly as long as the head.^[5]

Reproduction

Harpesaurus modiglianii is oviparous.^[2]

References

1 2 Richman N, Böhm M (2010). "Harpesaurus modiglianii ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T170400A6776835.en. Downloaded on 09 November 2021.
1 2 3 Harpesaurus modiglianii at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 28 April 2021.
1 2 Putra, Chairunas A.; Amarasinghe, A.A. Thasun; Hikmatullah, Desy; Scali, Stefano; Brinkman, JanJaap; Manthey, Ulrich; Ineich, Ivan (2020). "REDISCOVERY OF MODIGLIANI'S NOSE-HORNED LIZARD, Harpesaurus modiglianii VINCIGUERRA, 1933 (REPTILIA : AGAMIDAE) AFTER 129 YEARS WITHOUT ANY OBSERVATION". Taprobanica. 9 (1): 3–11. doi: 10.47605/tapro.v9i1.216 .
1 2 Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. xiii + 296 pp.
↑ Vinciguerra (1933).

Manthey, U.; Grossmann, W. (1997). Amphibian & Reptilien Südostasiens. Münster: Natur und Tier Verlag. ISBN 978-3931587123. 512 pp. (Harpesaurus modiglianii, p. 193). (in German).
Vinciguerra D (1933). "Descrizione di una nuova specie di Harpesaurus di Sumatra". Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria56: 355–357. (Harpesaurus modiglianii, new species). (in Italian).

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[IUCN-1] 1 2 Richman N, Böhm M (2010). "Harpesaurus modiglianii ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T170400A6776835.en. Downloaded on 09 November 2021.

[RDB-2] 1 2 3 Harpesaurus modiglianii at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 28 April 2021.

[:1-3] 1 2 Putra, Chairunas A.; Amarasinghe, A.A. Thasun; Hikmatullah, Desy; Scali, Stefano; Brinkman, JanJaap; Manthey, Ulrich; Ineich, Ivan (2020). "REDISCOVERY OF MODIGLIANI'S NOSE-HORNED LIZARD, Harpesaurus modiglianii VINCIGUERRA, 1933 (REPTILIA : AGAMIDAE) AFTER 129 YEARS WITHOUT ANY OBSERVATION". Taprobanica. 9 (1): 3–11. doi: 10.47605/tapro.v9i1.216 .

[:0-4] 1 2 Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. xiii + 296 pp.

[5] Vinciguerra (1933).

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