Jump to content

Shield-tailed agama

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shield-tailed agama
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Agamidae
Genus: Xenagama
Species:
X. taylori
Binomial name
Xenagama taylori
(Parker, 1935)
Synonyms[2]
  • Agama (Xenagama) taylori
    Parker, 1935
  • Agama taylori
    Wermuth, 1967
  • Xenagama taylori
    Lanza, 1983

The shield-tailed agama (Xenagama taylori), also known commonly as the dwarf shield-tailed agama, Taylor's strange agama, and the turnip-tailed agama, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to the Horn of Africa.

Etymology

[edit]

The specific name, taylori, is in honor of British army officer Captain R. H. R. Taylor.[3]

Geographic range

[edit]

X. taylori is found in eastern Ethiopia and Somalia.[2]

Reproduction

[edit]

X. taylori is oviparous.[2]

Habitat

[edit]

X. taylori lives on arid, flat land, sometimes on hilly landscapes, sandy but also hard ground, where it digs deep galleries. It survives at 45 to 50 °C (113 to 122 °F) maximum temperature, but average ranges between 25 and 35 °C (77 and 95 °F) in very dry environments, with the exception of strong spring storms and high humidity.[citation needed]

Description

[edit]

Adults of X. taylori are less than 10 cm (3.9 in) in total length (including tail), and hatchlings are just over a centimeter (3/8 inch) and weigh only 3 grams (0.11 ounces).[citation needed]

Defensive behavior

[edit]

Like most other Xenagama species, X. taylori will shelter within self-made burrows and use the whorl-like, heavily built tail to close the burrow to evade predators.[4]

Diet

[edit]

Being a small lizard, X. taylori is essentially insectivorous, but has been seen to eat grasses, fruits, and berries.[citation needed]

Sexual dimorphism

[edit]

X. taylori is sexually dimorphic. Sexually mature males display a breeding coloration of vibrant blue on the throat for a short time of the year. Mature males possess larger femoral pores enclosed by a waxy pheromonal yellow substance.[citation needed]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Spawls, S. (2021). "Xenagama taylori". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T17451283A17451292. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T17451283A17451292.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Species Xenagama taylori at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
  3. ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Xenagama taylori, p. 262).
  4. ^ Wagner, Philipp; Mazuch, Tomáš; Bauer, Aaron M. (2013). "An extraordinary tail – integrative review of the agamid genus Xenagama ". Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 51: 10.1111/jzs.12016.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Largen M, Spawls S (2010). Amphibians and Reptiles of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Frankfurt am Main: Edition Chimaira / Serpents Tale. 694 pp. ISBN 9783899734669.
  • Mazuch T (2013). Amphibians and Reptiles of Somaliland and Eastern Ethiopia. Dřiteč, Czech Republic: Tomáš Mazuch Publishing. 80 pp. ISBN 978-80-905439-0-4.
  • Parker HW (1935). "Two new Lizards from Somaliland". Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Tenth Series 16: 525–529. {"Agama (Xenagama) taylori ", new species, p. 525}.
  • Flannery, Tim; Schouten, Peter (2004). Astonishing Animals: Extraordinary Creatures and the Fantastic Worlds They Inhabit. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press. (Xenagama taylori, p. 130).