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Gonocephalus pyrius HARVEY, RECH, RIYANTO, KURNIAWAN & SMITH, 2021

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Higher TaxaAgamidae (Draconinae), Sauria, Iguania, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Angle-headed Dragon 
SynonymGonocephalus pyrius HARVEY, RECH, RIYANTO, KURNIAWAN & SMITH 2021: 97 
DistributionIndonesia (Sumatra)

Type locality: Bukit Daun above Desa Air Nipas, Bengkulu, 1646 m (3.360428S, 102.382738E; in all cases datum = WGS84)  
Reproduction 
TypesHolotype. MZB 13469, An adult male (field tag 18570) collected on 21 July 2015 by E. Wostl, G. Sarker, and F. Akhsani.
Paratypes (15). MZB 13466, UTA 65620, Two females, from Gunung Dempo near Kampung Empat, Sumatera Selatan, Sumatra, Indonesia, 1654 m (4.045918S, 103.149838E), collected on 10 July 2015; two males (MZB 13465 and UTA 65564) from Gunung Patah, Sumatera Selatan, 1624 m (4.045918S, 103.149838E), collected on 8 July 2015; three males (UTA 60559–60561) and two females (UTA 60562 and 60563) from Gunung Pesagi (Maura dua, Remanan Jaya), Sumatera Selatan, 1546–1689 m (4.90552– 4.907468S, 104.13206–104.135358E), collected on 17 June 2013; one male (UTA 60573) from mountain above Ngarip, Lampung, 1264 m (5.28188S, 104.557678E), collected on 12 June 2013; one male (UTA 60572) and one female (UTA 60571) from mountain above Ngarip, Lampung, 1521 m (5.27878S, 104.561988E), collected on 11 June 2013; two females (UTA 65561 and 65562) from Gunung Kaba, Bengkulu, 1553–1613 m (3.49892–3.501528S, 102.63441– 102.636318E), collected on 16 July 2015; and an unsexed juvenile (UTA 65563) from Gunung Mutung, Bengkulu, 1161 m (3.921548S, 103.235418E), collected on 12 July 2015. 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: A large species of Gonocephalus reaching 424 mm in length (SVL = 147 mm (NOT 277 mm as given in the original diagnosis) and distinguished from all congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) nuchal and dorsal crests separated by pectoral gap spanning 3–13 scales; (2) gulars crest of 9–12 projecting triangular scales, total gular scales 36–49 from mental or chinshields to point where gular pouch attaches to chest; (3) rostral single, 2.6–3.6 times as wide as tall; (4) usually two large tubercular scales ventral to tympanum, separated from one another by small scales; (5) scales on lower flanks heterogenous, large scales or small patches of large scales separated from one another by much smaller scales; (6) scales around midbody 97–125; (7) keeling very reduced over much of body, gulars and ventrals smooth or feebly arched; (8) in life, mostly green with banded limbs and tail and with large scales on flanks paler than intervening scales (capable of considerable color change to varying shades of brown and degree of banding); (9) eye surrounded by distinctive ring of pale scales or palpebrals almost entirely cream or pale yellow; (10) iris brown in young individuals, blue in large adults.


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CommentOnly minimal information provided as authors have not returned requested data yet.

Distribution: see map in Harvey et la. 2021: 106 (Fig. 7). 
EtymologyThe new name pyrius is a masculine adjective derived from the Greek word pyrios (ptqio1), meaning fire. In addition to having an evolutionary origin likely influenced by the fiery volcanic history of Sumatra, gravid female Gonocephalus pyrius develop a fiery countenance when threatened as their usual green coloration changes to black with fiery yellow, orange, and crimson markings. 
References
  • Harvey, Michael B., Sarker, Goutam C., Sidik, Irvan, Kurniawan, Nia, and Smith, Eric N. 2023. A Contribution to the Systematics of Sunda Shelf Angle- Headed Dragons (Agamidae: Gonocephalus) with the Description of New Taxa from Sumatra. Herpetological Monographs, 37(1): 1-40 - get paper here
  • Harvey, Michael B.; Inna Rech, Awal Riyanto, Nia Kurniawan & Eric N. Smith 2021. A New Angle-Headed Dragon (Agamidae: Gonocephalus) from Montane Forests of the Southern Bukit Barisan Range of Sumatra. Herpetologica Mar 2021 Vol. 77, No. 1: 94-109 - get paper here
 
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