Laudakia sacra (SMITH, 1935)
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Laudakia sacra
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| Higher Taxa | Agamidae (Agaminae), Sauria, Iguania, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Anan's Rock Agama Chinese: 拉萨岩蜥 |
| Synonym | Agama himalayana sacra SMITH 1935: 214 Agama himalayana sacra — WERMUTH 1967: 14 Stellio sacer — ANANJEVA & PETERS 1990 Laudakia sacra — MACEY et al. 2000 Stellio sacra — ANANJEVA et al. 1990 Laudakia sacra — BARTS & WILMS 2003 Laudakia sacra — BAIG et al. 2012: 250 |
| Distribution | China (Xizang = Tibet), 3000– 4000 m elevation Type locality: Lhasa, Tibet. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Lectotype: BMNH 1946.8.28.57; types given by Smith 1935: BMNH 1904.12.28.1-4. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Rock agamid with flattened head and body which is typical for this lizard group. They are comparatively large lizards with a snout-vent length of 120-150 mm and a tail length of 180-240 mm (Table 1 in ANANJEVA et al. 1990). Gular Sac seems to be developed to a greater degree than in other Stellio. Body scales are small and granular. The scales are not well differentiated. There is a very slight but noticeable nuchal crest on the head. It begins from the middle of the occiput and continues as a poorly differentiated vertebral stripe. The longitudinal rows of enlarged and feebly keeled scales on the vertebral region are arranged parallel to each other. There are neither groups of enlarged scales nor separate enlarged scales on the dorsal lateral regions. The males have a large patch of callous scales on the belly. The annuli and segmentation of the scales on the basal quarter of the tail are not prominent. On the lateral surface of the tail there are three to four annuli in each segment. There is a small granular dark pattern on the back. The center of the back tends to have more black and toward the sides a dark golden brown dominates. The separate elements of this pattern are connected to heavily marked diffuse transverse stripes. The narrow stripes form two rows of the dark colored scales that continue from the neck to the tail. Overall the lizard is darkly colored but there are a few randomly scattered yellow blotches on the back (Fig. 5). Juveniles are lighter in color tending more toward a dark golden brown with darker speckling all over the back. The dark golden brown forms bands across the back which are offset at the spin. Additional details (645 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | Nomenclature: the common name, Anan's Rock Agama, is of unknown origin and doesn’t make much sense (Pauwels & Wahlgren 2012). Distribution: possibly in Bhutan (Lenz 2012). |
| Etymology | Etymology not given by Smith, but apparently after the one or two patches of callose abdominal scales in the sacral area. |
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