Overview
Agamids, of the family Agamidae, include more than 300 species in Africa, Asia, Australia, and a few in Southern Europe. Phylogenetically they may be sister to the Iguanidae, and have a similar appearance. Agamids usually have well-developed, strong legs. Their tails cannot be shed and regenerated like those of geckoes, though a certain amount of regeneration is observed in some[citation needed]. Many agamid species are capable of limited change of their colors[citation needed]. They inhabit warm environments, ranging from hot deserts to tropical rainforests.
One of the key distinguishing features of the agamids is their teeth, which are borne on the outer rim of the mouth (acrodont), rather than on the inner side of the jaws (pleurodont). This feature is shared with the chameleons, but is otherwise unusual among lizards. Agamid lizards are generally diurnal, with good vision, and include a number of arboreal species, in addition to ground and rock-dwellers. They generally feed on insects and other arthropods (such as spiders), although some larger species may include small reptiles or mammals, nestling birds, flowers or other vegetable matter in their diets1]. The great majority of agamid species are oviparous[2].
Systematics
There have been very few studies of the Agamidae with the first comprehensive as sessment by Moody (1980) followed by a more inclusive assessment by Frost and Etheridge (1989). Subsequent studies were based on mitochondrial DNA loci[3][4][5] (using allozymes), and sampling across the Agamidae. Few other studies focused on clades within the family, but the Agamidae have not been as well investigated as the Iguanidae.
Among the Agamidae, six clades or lineages are generally recognized[citation needed]:
FAMILY: AGAMIDAE
- Subfamily: Leiolepidinae (Leiolepis)
- Subfamily: Uromasticinae (Uromastyx)
- Subfamily: Amphibolurinae (Australian and New Guinean)
- Subfamily: Hydrosaurinae (Hydrosaurus)
- Subfamily: Draconinae (South and Southeast Asian)
- Subfamily: Agaminae
The chameleons of the sister family Chamaeleonidae are sometimes discussed[citation needed] as sub-family Chamaeleoninae and sub-family Agaminae (referring to Agamidae, not the Agaminae mentioned above).
Photos
Taxonomy
The Family Agamidae is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Subfamily (2): Agaminae · Leiolepinae
- Genus (72): Acanthocercus · Acanthosaura · Agama · Amphibolorus · Amphibolurus · Aphaniotis · Brachysaura · Bronchocela · Bufoniceps · Caimanops · Calotes · Ceratophora · Chelosania · Chlamydosaurus · Complicitus · Conicodontosaurus · Cophotis · Coryophophylax · Coryphophylax · Cryptagama · Ctenophorus · Ctenoporus · Dendragama · Diporiphora · Diporophora · Draco · Goniocephalus · Gonocephalus · Gonyocephalus · Harpesaurus · Hydrosaurus · Hypsicalotes · Hypsilurus · Japalura · Japarula · Laudakia · Leiolepis · Lophocalotes · Lophognathus · Lophosalea · Lyriocephalus · Mantheyus · Mictopholis · Moloch · Oreodeira · Oriocalotes · Oriotaris · Otocryptis · Phoxophrys · Phrynocephalus · Phrynopsis · Physignathus · Physignatus · Pogona · Psammophilus · Pseudocalotes · Pseudocophotis · Pseudotrapelus · Ptyctolaemus · Rankinia · Salea · Sitana · Stellio · Thaumatorhynchus · Thinosaurus · Tinosaurus · Trapelus · Tympanocryptis · Tympanocryptus · Uromastix · Uromastyx · Xenagama
- Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 1,118 species and subspecies in the Family Agamidae.
Genera
Acanthocercus
Acanthocercus is a of agamid lizards. [more]
Acanthosaura
Acanthosaura is a of lizards commonly known as mountain horned dragons, or pricklenape agamas. They are so named because of a row of dorsal spines which run down the back of their neck. They are arboreal lizards that are found in Southeast Asia. They are medium-sized, ranging from about 7 1/2 inches up to 15 inches in length, depending on species and individual. They tend to prefer higher elevation areas that are dense with vegetation. [more]
Agama
Agama is a term for scriptures in , Jainism, and Hinduism: [more]
Amphibolorus
Amphibolurus
Aphaniotis
Brachysaura
Bronchocela
Bufoniceps
Caimanops
Caimanops amphiboluroides, the Mulga Dragon, is a species of lizard found in Western Australia. It is the sole member of the genus Caimanops, whose name is derived from the crocodile-like shape of the jaw. The species is up to 250 millimetres long, the length from snout to vent is 95 mm, with a long slender tail that ends abruptly. The patterning over the legs and body is grey and brownish streaks. This provides an excellent camouflage on Mulga trees, its usual habitat, it is also found beneath the leaf litter of these. Caimanops amphiboluroides generally remain motionless and unobserved, this allows it to operate as an ambush predator and elude animals that would prey on it. [more]
Calotes
Calotes are in the draconine clade of the family Agamidae. They are geographically restricted to South Asia, Myanmar and regions of Southeast Asia. The greatest diversity of the genus is from the Western Ghats and Northeast (India), Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. Calotes is distinguished from related genera in having uniform size dorsal scales, and lacking a fold of skin extending between the cheek and shoulder, and in having proportionately stronger limbs than Pseudocalotes. Comapared to Bronchocela, Calotes have a proportionately shorter tail and limbs. Calotes as we know it today was classified by Moody (1980) prior to which all of the above mentioned genera were included in this genus. The genus is still a heterogeneous group that may be divided into the C. versicolor and C. liocephalus groups. The former occurs through most of South Asia and further east. All species in this group have their dorsal and lateral scales directed upward. The latter is restricted to the southern Western Ghats and Sri Lanka. All species in this group have their scales directed back, or up and down, or down only. [more]
Ceratophora
Ceratophora is a genus of lizards found in Sri Lanka. The males have a horn on their snout. [more]
Chelosania
Chelosania is a genus of that contains a single species, Chelosania brunnea. These are commonly known as the Ring-tailed Dragon or the Australian Chameleon Dragon. [more]
Chlamydosaurus
A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia. [more]
Complicitus
Conicodontosaurus
Cophotis
Cophotis is a genus of lizards in the family. [more]
Coryophophylax
Coryphophylax
Coryphophylax 1860, is currently a monotypic agamid genus (Krishnan, 2005), endemic to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. A sister lineage to the S.E. Asian Aphaniotis. Found in tropical wet forests, but not in human habitation. Abundant; exhibits island wise size variation and sexual dimorphism. Occurrence is not reported from the Myanmar Andaman Islands (Cocos and Table Islands) due to lack of surveys. The genus is absent on Great Nicobar Island, with its southern most occurrence on the Island of Kondul. Tsunamis of December 2004 would have affected island wise distributions in the Nicobar Islands of several species and also their gene-flow. [more]
Cryptagama
Cryptagama is a monotypic genus within the Agamidae family of . The gravel dragon Cryptagama aurita is the only species in this genus. It lives in the arid regions of Western Australia and the adjacent areas of the Northern Territory [more]
Ctenophorus
Ctenophorus, also known as Comb-bearing Dragons, is a that contains the most diverse group of dragons in Australia. Many of these have been grouped by a similar morphology. The informal names and groupings within this genus - Rock (Crevice), Ground, Sand, and Bicycle Dragons - are named after the mythological creature, the dragon. [more]
Ctenoporus
Dendragama
Diporiphora
Diporophora
Draco
A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia. [more]
Goniocephalus
Gonocephalus
Gonyocephalus
Harpesaurus
Hydrosaurus
Hypsicalotes
Hypsilurus
Hypsilurus is a genus of lizard, it contains the following species: [more]
Japalura
Japarula
Laudakia
Rock Agamas are lizards of the genus Laudakia (or sometimes Stellio) are a group of agamas found in . [more]
Leiolepis
Leiolepis or commonly known as Butterfly Lizards are group of lizards of which very little is known. They are native to , Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam. They are terrestrial lizards and prefers to live in arid, open regions. [more]
Lophocalotes
Lophognathus
Lophognathus is a genus of lizards found in northern , New Guinea and Tanimbar Islands. The four species are informally described as dragons, as are several genera in the family Agamidae, and closely related to those of Amphibolurus. [more]
Lophosalea
Lyriocephalus
Mantheyus
Mictopholis
Moloch
A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia. [more]
Oreodeira
Oriocalotes
Oriocalotes is a genus of lizards. [more]
Oriotaris
Otocryptis
Phoxophrys
Phoxophrys is a within the Agamidae family. [more]
Phrynocephalus
==Genus Phrynocephalus Kaup, 1825 includes about 40 species of small and medium sized agamid lizards which inhabits open arid and semiarid environments of Asia and Eastern Europe. Systematics of this genus is very complicated. And there are a lot of controversial points of view about unclear phylogeny of this group. All representatives of this genus have been adopted so called "sit and wait" hunting strategy and they are actively use visual orientation when watching for food. In general ecological niche and role of Phrynocephalus species in lizard communities of arid environments of Asia is poorly studied, but that seem to be similar to that of Phrynosoma, Cophosaurus, Holbrookia, Uta, Sceloporus in New World, as well as Moloch in Australia. [more]
Phrynopsis
Physignathus
A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia. [more]
Physignatus
Pogona
Pogona is a genus of containing seven species, which are given the common name of Bearded Dragon. Several species of the genus have been domesticated, especially Pogona vitticeps, and a Bearded Dragon in captivity may be kept as a pet or exhibited. The species are found throughout Australia and well known. [more]
Psammophilus
Psammophilus is a genus of lizards found in India. Although the genus name means "sand loving" in Latin, they are found in rocky habitats. [more]
Pseudocalotes
Pseudocalotes was disassociated from by Moody (1980). Pseudocalotes is distinguished from Calotes in having weak limbs as may be noted in some of the species names brevipes. It is distinguished from the C. versicolor group in having mixed orientation of dorsal scales, and lacking spines on the head. It is distinguished from Bronchocela in lacking a cheek skin fold, and in having short weak limbs. They do not have any enlarged compressed set of scales behind the orbit.Pseudocalotes does not occur west of Sumatra and might occur in the Isthmus of Kra and Myanmar. A speicmen was reported from N.E. India in the past though never verified. [more]
Pseudocophotis
Pseudotrapelus
Ptyctolaemus
Rankinia
Rankinia, commonly known as Heath Dragons, is a genus containing three species of small reptiles. [more]
Salea
Salea is a genus of lizard found in South Asia. [more]
Sitana
Sitana is a genus of from the family Agamidae. [more]
Stellio
Thaumatorhynchus
Thinosaurus
Tinosaurus
Trapelus
Tympanocryptis
Tympanocryptus
Uromastix
The Uromastyx is a genus of whose members are better-known as Spiny-tailed lizards, uros, mastigures, or dabb lizards. Uromastykes are primarily herbivorous, but occasionally eat insects, especially when young. They spend most of their waking hours basking in the sun, hiding in underground chambers at daytime or when danger appears. They tend to establish themselves in hilly, rocky areas with good shelter and accessible vegetation. [more]
Uromastyx
The Uromastyx is a genus of whose members are better-known as Spiny-tailed lizards, uros, mastigures, or dabb lizards. Uromastykes are primarily herbivorous, but occasionally eat insects, especially when young. They spend most of their waking hours basking in the sun, hiding in underground chambers at daytime or when danger appears. They tend to establish themselves in hilly, rocky areas with good shelter and accessible vegetation. [more]
Xenagama
Xenagama is a of lizards, in the Agamid family. [more]
More info about the Genus Xenagama may be found here.
References
- ^ Cogger, H.G. (1994). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia. New South Wales: Reed. pp. 298. ISBN 0-7301-0088-X.
- ^ Bauer, Aaron M. (1998). Cogger, H.G. & Zweifel, R.G.. ed. Encyclopedia of Reptile s and Amphibians. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 134–136. ISBN 0-12-178560-2.
- ^ Macey et al. (2000)
- ^ Honda et al. (2000)
- ^ Joger (1991)
Sources
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