Agama somalica WAGNER, LEACHÉ, MAZUCH & BÖHME, 2013
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Higher Taxa | Agamidae (Agaminae), Sauria, Iguania, Squamata (lizards) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | |
Synonym | Agama somalica WAGNER, LEACHÉ, MAZUCH & BÖHME 2013 Agama somaliensis — KISSLING et al. 2016 (in error) |
Distribution | NE Somalia Type locality: Las Geel (09°44.914′N; 44°27.393′E; 1131 m), Central Somaliland, Somalia. |
Reproduction | |
Types | Holotype: ZFMK 94230 (field no. 57), subadult male, collected by Tomáš Mazuch on November 29th 2010. Paratypes. CAS 225408-10, 225437-38, adult males from Boroma [= Borama] (09°57′6.6′′N, 43°12′28.8′′E; 142 m), Awdal region, Soma- liland, Somalia, collected by Ted J. Papenfuss on June 8th 2002 [CAS 225410 is the specimen referring to the tissue MVZ 241334]. CAS 225412-13, adult males from 7 km by road N of Boroma [= Borama] (09°59′13.8′′N, 43°07′ 58.8′′ E),Awdal region, Somaliland, Somalia, collected by Ted J. Papenfuss on June 8th 2002 [CAS 225413 is the specimen referring to the tissue MVZ 241335]. |
Diagnosis | Diagnosis. A medium-sized Agama, morphologically similar to A. spinosa. It can be identi- fied by the following combination of characters: nasal scale round, smooth and tubular; nasal scale in contact with the first canthus scale; neck crest long, consists of a high number of distinctly short crest scales; ear hole surrounded by six tufts of spiny scales, with additional three tufts on the neck; vertebral scales smooth to feebly keeled, lateral scales keeled and ventral scales smooth; dorsal tail scales keeled, ventral tail scales smooth; and males with one continuous row of ten to twelve precloacal pores. Differential diagnosis. A. somalica sp. n. is distinct from A. bottegi in its smaller body size (x = 82 mm versus 103 mm); in possessing a round, smooth and tubular nasal scale versus a pear shaped, keeled and convex to feebly tubular nasal scale; in possessing a fairly long nuchal crest containing a higher number of low crest scales versus a short crest with a low number of high crest scales; in having a higher number of neck crest scales (9-12 versus 6-7); in having six tufts of spinosa scales around the ear and additional three on the neck versus three around the ear and two on the neck; in having a higher number of scale rows around midbody (x = 75 versus 55); in possessing a higher number of dorsal (x = 65 versus 42) and ventral scales (x = 96 versus 60); and in possessing smooth ventral body and tail scales versus keeled scales. A. somalica sp. n. is distinct from A. lanzai sp. n. by its longer neck crest (x = 11.2 mm versus 9.8 mm) compared with the same body size (84-103 mm versus 78-103 mm); by pos- sessing a long nuchal crest with a high number of low crest scales versus a short nuchal crest with a low number of high crest scales; by having a higher number of neck crest scales (x = 9.9 versus 7); by having the nasal scale in con- tact with the first canthal scale; in having three tufts of spinose scales on the lateral part of the neck versus two; by having a higher number and range of scale rows around midbody (67-79, x = 75 versus 55-59, x = 56); by having a higher count of dorsal (x = 65 versus 56) and ventral scales (x = 96 versus 82); and by possessing a continuous row of precloacal pores versus un- continuous. A. somalica sp. n. is distinguished from A. spinosa by its smaller body size (x = 82 mm versus 99 mm); in having lower neck crest scales; and in possessing a higher number of scale rows around midbody (x = 75 versus 64), of dorsal scales (x = 65 versus 56) and of ventral scales (x = 96 versus 87); and by possessing a continuous row of precloacal pores versus uncontinuous. |
Comment | |
Etymology | This species is named after Soma- lia, the country of its type locality. |
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