Japalura variegata GRAY, 1853
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Higher Taxa | Agamidae (Draconinae), Sauria, Iguania, Squamata (lizards) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | Variegated Mountain Lizard, Himalayan Dragon Chinese: ‘攀蜥’ (pronounced as ‘Pan-Xi’) |
Synonym | Japalura variegata GRAY 1853: 388 Biancia niger GRAY 1853 (fide BOULENGER 1885) Japalura microlepis JERDON 1870: 76 (fide BOULENGER 1885) Japalura variegata — BOULENGER 1885: 308 Japalura yunnanensis ANNANDALE 1906 (not ANDERSON; fide SMITH 1935) Japalura bengalensis ANNANDALE 1912 (fide SMITH 1935) Japalura variegata — SMITH 1935: 173 Japalura variegata — WERMUTH 1967: 69 Japalura variegata — MACEY et al. 2000 Japalura variegata — KÄSTLE et al. 2013: 421 Japalura variegata — WANG et al. 2018 |
Distribution | N India (Sikkim, West Bengal: Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Mizoram), Nepal, Bhutan Type locality: Sikkim, Himalaya. |
Reproduction | oviparous |
Types | Syntypes: BMNH (NHMUK) 1946.8.14.4–5 (originally NHMUK 1853.8.12.7), one female and one halfgrown Syntypes: NHMUK 1853.8.12.5 and NHMUK 1946.8.14.2–3 (original number NHMUK 1853.8.12.6), one male and two females, Sikkim, coll. Sir J. Hooker [Biancia niger] Holotype: ZSI 12564 female, Buxa, Jalpaiguri district, Bengal frontier of Bhutan [bengalensis] Holotype: NHMUK 1946.8.14.10 (original number NHMUK 1870.11.29.44), female (Boulenger: 309, speci- men g), Sikkim, pres. T. C. Jerdon [microlepis] |
Diagnosis | Diagnosis (genus): Lizards of the genus Japalura sensu stricto differ from closely related genera by possessing the following morphological characteristics: (1) head width moderate, HW mostly <70% of HL; (2) nuchal and dorsal crest scales relatively low and thick, not significantly elongated into lanceolate spines, CL/HL<10%; (3) post-orbital and post-occipital spines absent; (4) gular scales mostly homogeneous in size; (5) size of scales on lateral jaw subequal in size across gular region; (6) dorsal scale significantly heterogeneous in size and shape, not regularly imbricate; (7) pair of distinctively enlarged, conical scales on nape above shoulder absent; (8) paravertebral rows of enlarged scales present on dorsolateral body; and (9) V-shaped ridges present along dorsal midline, formed by enlarged, keeled scales (Wang et al. 2018: 13) |
Comment | Synonymy mostly after WERMUTH 1967. Type species: Japalura variegata GRAY 1853 is the type species of the genus Japalura GRAY 1853. Schleich and Kästle (1998) revalidated the genus Oriocalotes Günther, 1864 and combined all species with a visible tympanum e.g. tricarinata in this genus, while placing species with a hidden tympanum, e.g. variegata into the genus Japalura (fide Ananjeva et al. 2017). |
Etymology | The Latin name ‘Japalura’ may be derived from a locality name in India, and the term is feminine gender. |
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