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Lyriocephalus scutatus (LINNAEUS, 1758)

IUCN Red List - Lyriocephalus scutatus - Near Threatened, NT
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Higher TaxaAgamidae (Draconinae), Sauria, Iguania, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: LyreShead Lizard
G: Lyrakopf-Agame 
SynonymLacerta scutata LINNAEUS 1758: 201
Iguana clamosa LAURENTI 1768 (fide SMITH 1935)
Iguana scutata — MEYER 1795: 16
Lyriocephalus margaritaceus MERREM 1819 (nomen nudum)
Aga­ ma prehensilis MERREM 1919 (nomen dubium)
Pneustes prehensilis — MERREM 1820 (nomen dubium)
Lyriocephalus margaritaceus MERREM 1820: 49 (fide SMITH 1935)
Lyriocephalus margaritaceus — CUVIER 1831: 128
Lyriocephalus margaritaceus — WIEGMANN 1831: 295
Lyriocephalus macgregorii GRAY 1835
Lyriocephalus margaritaceus — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1837: 427
Lyriocephalus scutatus — KELAART 1852: 166
Lyriocephalus scutatus — FERGUSON 1877: 13
Lyriocephalus scutatus — BOULENGER 1885: 281
Lyriocephalus scutatus — SMITH 1935: 155
Lyriocephalus scutatus — MANTHEY & SCHUSTER 1999: 83
Lyriocephalus scutatus — SOMAWEERA & SOMAWEERA 2009
Lyriocephalus scutatus — DENZER & DONNDORF 2023 
DistributionSri Lanka (Ceylon)

Type locality: “Asia”  
ReproductionL. scutatus lays about 2 – 4 eggs in range 23.1 – 25.1 mm (mean 24.2 ± 0.55) long and 14.6 – 15.3 mm (mean 15.0 ± 0.22) wide from February – April and October – December. 
TypesHolotype: iconotype, based on Seba Mus. vol. I. pl. 109. fig. 3. Loc. Asia; Date: Unknown (Fig. 28 in Amarasinghe et al. 2009). Holotpye possibly in RMNH.RENA (fide Denzer & Donndorf 2023, but not finally decidable). 
Diagnosis 
CommentColor figure on title page of Elaphe 1/97 and in BARTS & WILMS 2003.

Conservation: “Uncommon” in Sri Lanka (BAHIR & SURASINGHE 2005).

Variation: Karunarathna et al. 2013 describe several color morphs.

Type species: Lacerta scutata LINNAEUS 1758 is the type species of the genus Lyriocephalus MERREM 1819 (fide Denzer & Donndorf 2023).

Reference images: see Uetz et al. 2024 for high-resolution reference images for this species. 
References
  • Amarasinghe, A. A. T.; U. Manthey, E. Stöckli, I. Ineich, S. 0 Kullander, F. Tiedemann, C. McCarthy & D. E. Gabadage 2009. The original descriptions and figures of Sri Lankan agamid lizards (Squamata: Agamidae) ofthe 18th and 19th centuries. Taprobanica 1 (1): 2-15 - get paper here
  • Bahir, M.M. & T. Surasinghe 2005. A conservation assessment of the Sri Lankan Agamidae (Reptilia: Sauria). Raffles Bull. Zool., Suppl. No. 12: 407-412 - get paper here
  • Bambaradeniya, C. N. B.;Samarawickrema, P. K.;Ranawana, K. B. 1997. Some observations on the natural history of Lyriocephalus scutatus (Linnaeus, 1776) (Reptilia: Agamidae). Lyriocephalus 3 (1): 25-28
  • Bandara, Imesh Nuwan 2012. Territorial and site fidelity behavior of Lyriocephalus scutatus (Agamidae: Draconinae) in Sri Lanka. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 5 (2): 101-113(e56). - get paper here
  • Bartelt, U. 2003. Anmerkungen zur Haltung und Nachzucht der Lyrakopfagame, Lyriocephalus scutatus (LINNAEUS 1758). Draco 4 (14): 64-69 - get paper here
  • Bartelt, U. & de Bitter, H. & de Bitter, M. 2005. Lyriocephalus scutatus - The Lyrehead Lizard. Reptilia (GB) (42): 29-36 - get paper here
  • Bartelt, U. & de Bitter, H. & de Bitter, M. 2005. Die Lyrakopfagame (Lyriocephalus scutatus). Reptilia (Münster) 10 (51): 41-49 - get paper here
  • Bartelt, U.; de Bitter H & M 2004. Lyriocephalus scutatus: Namkweek tot F3. Lacerta 62 (1): 21-31 - get paper here
  • Barts, M. & Wilms, T. 2003. Die Agamen der Welt. Draco 4 (14): 4-23 - get paper here
  • Boulenger, G.A. 1885. Catalogue of the lizards in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) I. Geckonidae, Eublepharidae, Uroplatidae, Pygopodidae, Agamidae. London: 450 pp. - get paper here
  • Boulenger, George A. 1890. The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. Taylor & Francis, London, xviii, 541 pp. - get paper here
  • Cuvier, G. 1831. The Animal Kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization, by the Baron Cuvier, ... with additional descriptions of all the species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, by Edward Griffith... and others. Vol. 9. Whittaker, Treacher and Co., London, 481 pp. - get paper here
  • Das, Indraneil & Abhijit Das 2017. A Naturalist’s Guide to the Reptiles of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. John Beaufoy Publishing Ltd., Oxford, 176 pp.
  • Denzer, Wolfgang & Esther Dondorp 2023. Lyriocephalus scutatus (Linnaeus, 1758) Anmerkungen zur Nomenklatur und zu möglichem Typusmaterial. Sauria 45 (1): 35-42 - get paper here
  • Duméril, A. M. C. and G. Bibron. 1837. Erpétologie Générale ou Histoire Naturelle Complete des Reptiles. Vol. 4. Libr. Encyclopédique Roret, Paris, 570 pp. - get paper here
  • Ferguson, W. 1877. Reptile fauna of Ceylon. Letter on a collection sent to the Colombo Museum. Herbert, Ceylon
  • Goonawardene, Suraj and Anslem de Silva 2005. Observations on the Lyre Head Dragon: Lyriocephalus scutatus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Reptilia: Agamidae) in the central province. Lyriocephalus (Special Issue) 6(1-2):313-323
  • Gray. J. E. 1834. Illustrations of Indian Zoology, chiefly selected from the collection of Major - General Hardwicke. Vol. 2. London (1833-1834): 263 pp., 95 plates - get paper here
  • Guérin-Méneville, F. E. 1829. Iconographie du Régne Animal de G. Cuvier, ou répresentation d'aprés Nature de l'une des Espèces les plus remarquables, et souvent non encore figurés de chaque Genre d'Animaux. Avec un text descriptif [...]. Paris & London, [Vol.] 1, Plates i-xxx, [Vol.] 3, i-xvi + 1-576. (Note: reptile plates are numbered separately from other taxa.) - get paper here
  • Hallermann, J. 2005. The bizarre arboreal agamids. Reptilia (GB) (42): 8-15 - get paper here
  • Hallermann, J. 2005. Mit Hörnern, Kämmen und Gleithäuten - die bizarren Baumagamen. Reptilia (Münster) 10 (51): 18-25 - get paper here
  • Hoffmann, Stefan 2018. Sri Lanka - auf der Suche nach Leopard und Lyrakopfagame. Terraria-Elaphe 2018 (1): 44-49 [2017] - get paper here
  • Janssen, Jordi and Anslem de Silva 2019. The presence of protected reptiles from Sri Lanka in international commercial trade. TRAFFIC Bulletin 31 (1): 9 - get paper here
  • Janzen, P. 2011. Morningside, ein abgelegener Hotspot in Sri Lanka. Iguana Rundschreiben 24 (1): 5-11
  • JANZEN, P. 2021. Morningside – ein herpetologisches Highlight Sri Lankas. Sauria 43 (1): 9-37 - get paper here
  • Janzen, P.; Klaas, P. & Ziesmann, S. 2007. Die Agamen der Insel [Sri Lanka]. Draco 7 (30): 24-33 - get paper here
  • Janzen, P.; Klaas, P. & Ziesmann, S. 2007. Adams Zufluchtsort: Sri Lanka. Draco 7 (30): 4-17 - get paper here
  • Janzen, Peter and Malaka Bopage 2011. The herpetofauna of a small and unprotected patch of tropical rainforest in Morningside, Sri Lanka. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 5 (2): 1-13 - get paper here
  • Karunarathna, D. M. S. Suranjan; A. A. Thasun Amarasinghe 2013. Behavioral Ecology and Microhabitat Use by Lyriocephalus scutatus (Linnaeus, 1758): a Monotypic Genus in Sri Lanka (Reptilia: Agamidae: Draconinae) with Notes on the Taxonomy. Russ. J. Herpetol. 20 (1): 1-15 - get paper here
  • Kelaart, E.E 1852. Prodromus Faunae Zeylanicae. Vol. 1. Part 3: Ceylon Reptiles. Colombo, pp. 143-187. - get paper here
  • Kiehlmann, D. 1980. Über die Lyrakopfagamen, Lyriocephalus scutatus (LINNAEUS 1758). Herpetofauna 2 (8): 12-20 - get paper here
  • Langner, Christian; Beate Pfau, Marta Bernardes, Uwe Gerlach, Felix Hulbert, Mona van Schingen-Khan, Ulrich Schepp, Clara Arranz, Mario Riedling and Axel Kwet 2022. Evaluation of the Captive Breeding Potential of Selected Amphibian and Reptile Taxa Included in Appendices I and II at CITES CoP18 BfN-Skripten 627 - get paper here
  • Linnaeus, C. [= Linné, C. von] 1758. Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii, Holmiæ. 10th Edition: 824 pp. - get paper here
  • Macey, J. R., J. A. Schulte II, A. Larson, N. B. Ananjeva, Y. Wang, R. Pethiyagoda, N. Rastegar-Pouyani, T. J. Papenfuss 2000. Evaluating trans-Tethys migration: an example using acrodont lizard phylogenetics. Systematic Biology 49 (2): 233-256 - get paper here
  • Manthey U 2010. Agamid Lizards of Southern Asia. Draconinae 2 -Leiolepidinae. Edition Chimaira, Terralog 7b, Frankfurt, 168 pp.
  • Manthey, U. 1981. Die Echsen des Ceylonischen Regenwaldes und seiner Randgebiete. Sauria 3 (2): 25-35 - get paper here
  • Manthey,U. & SCHUSTER,N. 1999. Agamen, 2. Aufl. Natur und Tier Verlag (Münster), 120 pp. - get paper here
  • MENDIS, VINURI; HARSHA JAYAWICKRAMA, THARANGA DHANANJANI, DUAN JAYASEKARA & DHARSHANI MAHAULPATHA. 2022. Colour change and death-feigning by the Lyrehead Agama, <em>Lyriocephalus scutatus</em> (Linnaeus, 1758), as an anti-predatory behavioural strategy. Herpetology Notes 15: 805–809. - get paper here
  • Meyer, F.A.A. 1795. Synopsis Reptilium, novam ipsorum sistens generum methodum, nec non Gottingensium huius ordinis animalium enumerationem. Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, Göttingen, 32 pp [for current names see Rösler & Böhme 2021] - get paper here
  • Moody, S.; Hutterer, R. 1978. Karotype of the Agamid lizard Lyriocephalus scutatus, with a Brief review of the Chromosomes of the Lizard family Agamidae. Bonner Zoologische Beiträge 29 (1-3): 165-170 - get paper here
  • Pachmann,A. 2008. In 2 Jahren um die Welt - Jetzt gehts richtig los. Reptilia (Münster) 13 (71): 12-13 - get paper here
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  • Samarawickrama, V.A.M.P.K.; H.I.G.C. Kumara, D.R.N.S. Samarawickrama 2019. Diversity of Reptiles in the Eastern and Southern parts of the Sinharaja Rain Forest. Journal of Tropical Forestry and Environment - get paper here
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  • Uetz, P.H.; Patel, M.; Gbadamosi, Z.; Nguyen, A.; Shoope, S. 2024. A Reference Database of Reptile Images. Taxonomy 4: 723–732 - get paper here
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  • Wiegmann, A. F. A. 1831. Zur Amphibienkunde. Isis von Oken 24: 291-301 - get paper here
 
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