Diploderma polygonatum HALLOWELL, 1861
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Higher Taxa | Agamidae (Draconinae), Sauria, Iguania, Squamata (lizards) |
Subspecies | Diploderma polygonatum donan (OTA 2003) Diploderma polygonatum ishigakiense (VAN DENBURGH 1912) Diploderma polygonatum miyakense (VAN DENBURGH 1912) Diploderma polygonatum polygonatum HALLOWELL 1861 Diploderma polygonatum xanthostomum (OTA 1991) |
Common Names | E: Ryukyu Japalure, Okinawa Tree Lizard Chinese: 琉球龙蜥 |
Synonym | Diploderma polygonatum HALLOWELL 1861: 490 Japalura polygonata — GÜNTHER 1864 Japalura polygonata — BOULENGER 1885: 310 Japalura polygonata — STEJNEGER 1907: 188 Japalura polygonata polygonata — MANTHEY & SCHUSTER 1999: 74 Japalura polygonata polygonata — GORIS & MAEDA 2004 Japalura polygonata polygonata — MANTHEY 2010 Diploderma polygonatum — WANG et al. 2018 Diploderma polygonatum donan (OTA 2003) Japalura polygonata donan OTA 2003 Japalura polygonata donan — MANTHEY 2010: 85 Diploderma polygonatum donan — WANG et al. 2018 (by implication) Diploderma polygonata ishigakiense (VAN DENBURGH 1912) Japalura polygonata ishigakiensis VAN DENBURGH 1912: 4 Japalura polygonata ishigakiensis — GORIS & MAEDA 2004 Japalura polygonata ishigakiensis — MANTHEY 2010: 85 Diploderma polygonatum ishigakiense — WANG et al. 2018 (by implication) Diploderma polygonatum miyakense (VAN DENBURGH 1912) Japalura polygonata miyakensis VAN DENBURGH 1912: 4 Japalura polygonata miyakensis — MANTHEY 2010: 85 Diploderma polygonatum miyakense — WANG et al. 2018 (by implication) Diploderma polygonata xanthostomum (OTA 1991) Japalura polygonata xanthostoma OTA 1991 Japalura polygonata xanthostoma — MANTHEY 2010: 87 Diploderma polygonatum xanthostomum — WANG et al. 2018 (by implication) |
Distribution | Japan (Ryukyu Archipelago) China (N Taiwan) ishigakiensis: Japan (Miyako, Yaeyama) miyakensis: Japan (Loo Choo Islands); Type locality: Miyako, Loo Choo Islands, Japan. xanthostoma: N Taiwan;Type locality: Taipei Prefecture, Waishuangchi Type locality: “Amakarima” Island (= Kerama shima) |
Reproduction | oviparous |
Types | Holotype: USNM 12203 Holotype: CAS 21353, paratypes: CAS [miyakense] Holotype: CAS 21354, paratypes: CAS [ishigakiense] Holotype: KUZ R9855, an adult male, also given as OMNH (Osaka) R2999 [xanthostomum] Holotype: KUZ R234, an adult male collected on 17 August 1981 by H. Ota, Paratypes: KUZ [donan] |
Diagnosis | Diagnosis (genus): Lizards of the genus Diploderma differ from closely related genera by having the following morphological characteristics: (1) scales of lateral head keeled; (2) nuchal and dorsal crest scales relatively short and thick, not elongated into lanceolate spines, CL/HL mostly <10%; (3) post-occipital and post-orbital spines absent; (4) gular scales mostly homogeneous in size, not decreasing in size toward the centre; (5) scales on lateral jaw subequal in size across gular region; (6) dorsal scale significantly heterogeneous in size and shape, not regularly imbricate; (7) paravertebral dorsolateral ridges of body present in most species, formed by enlarged, keeled scales (except in D. swinhonis and D. leui); and (8) V-shaped ridges along dorsal body midline absent in all but one species (except in D. swinhonis). Additional details (405 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
Comment | The nominate form of this species is classified as “vulnerable” in Japan (Ota 2000). Type species: Diploderma polygonatum HALLOWELL 1861: 490 is the type species of the genus Diploderma HALLOWELL 1861. |
Etymology | Named after the polygon-shaped scales of color patches. The Latin genus name ‘Diploderma’ consists of two parts, ‘Diplo-’ means ‘double’ or ‘many’, and ‘-derma’ means ‘skin’, and the whole word is in a neuter gender. As the previous generic name ‘Japalura’ and most species names of the genus s.l. are feminine, most names of species that are now assigned to Diploderma need their gender changed to neutral (except for existing neutral-gender names like brevipes or flaviceps, Latin nouns like vela or names derived from peoples’ names, i.e. dymondi, luei, makii, swinhonis, varcoae and zhaoermii). Wang et al. 2018 suggested the English common name of the genus as ‘Mountain Dragon’, and the Chinese common name as ‘龙蜥’ (pronounced as ‘Long-Xi’). |
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