Sarada deccanensis (JERDON, 1870)
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Sarada deccanensis
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| Higher Taxa | Agamidae (Draconinae), Sauria, Iguania, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Deccan Fan-throated Lizard French: Sitane du Deccan |
| Synonym | Sitana deccanensis JERDON 1870: 76 Sitana ponticeriana deccanensis — DERANIYAGALA (1953) Sitana minor — SCHLEICH & KÄSTLE (1998) Sitana minor — SCHLEICH et al. (1998) Sitana minor — ANDERS & KÄSTLE (2002) [partim] Sitana ponticeriana — DAS & DE SILVA (2005) [partim] Sitana ponticeriana — MANTHEY (2010) [partim] Sitana deccanensis — AMARASINGHE et al. 2015 Sarada deccanensis — DEEPAK et al. 2016 |
| Distribution | SW India (Karnataka, Maharashtra), elevation 357-639 m. Type locality: “India” |
| Reproduction | oviparous. One of the first mentions of the breeding color and season of this species was by Blanford (1870), who observed them breeding during April. Deepak et al. 2016 and May also observed breeding males in May. Near Gangapur Dam, Nashik District. |
| Types | Syntypes: BMNH 1946.8.27.39, Male, SVL 67.6 mm, India, presented by J. E. Gray; male, BMNH 1946.8.27.40, SVL 60.0 mm, India, presented by J. E. Gray. Amarasinghe et al. 2014 discovered the original type series of S. deccanensis (comprising two syntypes) among the syntypes of S. minor Günther, 1864 and they probably got mixed up later (probably after 1870). |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (genus). Sarada gen. nov. can be easily diagnosed from all other agamid lizards from the Indian subcontinent except Sitana in having five fingers and four toes. Sarada gen. nov. is closely related to two genera from Indian subcontinent, Otocryptis Wagler 1830 and Sitana Cuvier (1829). Sarada gen. nov. can be easily differentiated from Otocryptis by the absence of fifth toe and exposed tympanum. Sarada gen. nov. can be diagnosed from Sitana by following unique combination of characters: breeding males with iridescent blue, orange and black colour with yellow stripes, the orange colour in some individuals extending all the way to the vent; absence of enlarged scale on the thigh; scales on flanks homogeneous, absence of enlarged scales on the lateral side of the body, absence of enlarged, strongly keeled scales around the tympanum; additionally Sarada gen. nov. can be distinguished from the Sitana sivalensis complex by the following set of characters: large body size (range 52.9-74.4 mm SVL males; range 43.6-64.3 mm SVL females); very large dewlap with enlarged overlapping scales extending all the way to middle of the abdomen (mean 51% up to 73% of TRL). Osteologically, Sarada gen. nov. can be distinguished from Sitana ponticeriana and Sitana spinaecephalus clades by the additional phalange on the fourth finger and in having one less trunk vertebra (Fig. 7 and Table 6). Dorsum pale brown to dark brown with four black brown-edged rhomboidal markings, the one on the nuchal region is darker than the remainder, and the back is bordered on each side with a thin cream coloured band. One prominent buff coloured line begins below the eye extending to the forearam, and another is comparatively broad and extends from behind the eye to the neck; a prominent dark brown interorbital patch is present but does not reach the eyes. Limbs and tail with dark brown or black bands of variable widths [DEEPAK et al. 2016: 103]. |
| Comment | Synonymy: after Amarasinghe et al. 2014. Distribution: see map in Deepak et al. 2016: 80 (Fig. 8). Type species: Sitana deccanensis JERDON 1870 is the type species of the genus Sarada DEEPAK, KARANTH & GIRI in DEEPAK et al. 2016. Habitat: terrestrial, found in the grass- lands, agriculture fields, and on lateritic terrain in the northern hill ranges and north eastern plains of the Deccan. |
| Etymology | Toponym, named after its region of occurrence – the Deccan plateau. The generic epithet is derived from the word ‘Sarada,’ which is the Marathi word for agamid lizards in Maharashtra and some parts of Karnataka, where this genus is endemic. |
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