Acanthosaura murphyi NGUYEN, DO, HOANG, NGUYEN, MCCORMACK, NGUYEN, ORLOV, NGUYEN & NGUYEN, 2018
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Acanthosaura murphyi?
Acanthosaura murphyi
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| Higher Taxa | Agamidae (Draconinae), Sauria, Iguania, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | |
| Synonym | Acanthosaura murphyi NGUYEN, DO, HOANG, NGUYEN, MCCORMACK, NGUYEN, ORLOV, NGUYEN & NGUYEN 2018 |
| Distribution | Vietnam (Khanh Hoa) Type locality: Hon Ba NR, Khanh Hoa Province (ca. 12°07.308’ N 108°57.896’ E, 1061 m a.s.l.) |
| Reproduction | |
| Types | Holotype. ITBCZ 3533, adult male collected on 31 March 2016 by Luan T. Nguyen, Sang N. Nguyen, and Vu D. H. Nguyen. Paratypes. Nine specimens: ITBCZ 4636, subadult male, collected on 31 January 2016 (ca. 12°51.174’ N 109°15.090’ E, 420 m a.s.l.) from Ca forest, Hoa Thinh Commune, Tay Hoa District, Phu Yen Province, Vietnam by Ha V. Hoang, Luan T. Nguyen, and Thang T. Nguyen. PYU 147, PYU 149, 2 adult males, and PYU 148, adult female, collected on 27 March 2015 (ca. 12.869° N 109.23647°E, 250 m a.s.l.); IEBR A.2018.4 (PYU 223), adult male, and IEBR A.2018.5-6 (PYU 224-225), 2 subadult females, collected on 15 April 2015 (ca. 12.85511° N 109.22086° E, 350 m a.s.l.); and PYU 442 adult male, collected on 14 July 2015 (ca. 12.88808° N 109.21483° E, 600 m a.s.l.) from Ca forest, Hoa Thinh Commune, Tay Hoa District, Phu Yen Province, Vietnam by Dang T. Do. ITBCZ 3532, subadult female, collected on 30 March 2016 (ca. 12°06.662’ N 108°58.255’ E, 867 m a.s.l.) by Luan T. Nguyen, Sang N. Nguyen, and Vu D. H. Nguyen. |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A large-sized species of the genus Acanthosaura (SVL = 103.7 – 127.3 mm in 5 adult males, 123.0 mm in 1 adult female). Tail much longer than body (TaLGSVL = 1.48 – 1.56 in both adult males and the female). Cylindrical spine above posterior margin of eye present; spine on occiput between tympanum and nuchal crest absent; tympanum oval, large, scale on tympanum present; gular pouch developed in males and females; 2 scale rows between rostral scute and nostril; small slightly keeled scales on flank randomly intermixed with keeled medium and large scales; nuchal crests strongly developed; dorsal crests developed and separated from nuchal crest by a diastema, continuous till tail and decreasing in size. Coloration in life ranges from gray in adult to brown or emerald green in subadult, ventral skin brown to whitish gray. Tail brown or greenish, light bands indistinct. Additional details (5334 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | Habitat: The holotype was found at 20:40 while sleeping on a small tree, approximately 1.5 m above the ground, in an evergreen forest nearby the road to the top of Mount Hon Ba. The paratypes were found between 19:00 and 23:00 while sleeping on small trees and shrubs, 1 – 2 m above the ground in evergreen forest at elevations between 84 and 1061 m a.s.l. Conservation: The new species is highly threatened with extinction due to intensive local hunting for both international and domestic trade. Further, the habitat of the new species in Phu Yen Province is degraded by activities of local people as well as logging and Acacia plantations. |
| Etymology | The specific name is a patronym honoring Robert W. Murphy, Royal Ontario Museum and University of Toronto, Canada, who contributed many studies on herpetofauna in Vietnam since the 1990s. |
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