Salea horsfieldii

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Horsfield's Spiny Lizard

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Sauria
Family:	Agamidae
Genus:	Salea
Species:	S. horsfieldii

Binomial name

Salea horsfieldii
Gray, 1845

Horsfield's Spiny Lizard Salea horsfieldii is a species of agama found in S India (Nilgiri Hills, Palni Hills)

[edit] Description

From C. A. L. Gunther (1864) The Reptiles of British India.

A series of scales between orbit and tympanum rather larger than the others on the side of the neck. The hind leg extends to, or nearly to, the angle of the mouth, if laid forwards. The middle of the trunk is surrounded by about thirty-eight scries of scales. Dorsal crest high in the adult male, composed of long, closely-set, lanceolate spines, a nuchal portion being separated from the dorsal portion by a very short interspace; it extends on to the tail; it is much less developed in immature males in its altitudinal and longitudinal extent, and remains rudimentary in the female sex. An irregular black band, edged below with white, is most distinct between the orbit and the tympanum; it is interrupted behind the ear and reappears before the shoulder-joint. The back is ornamented with irregular white and black cross bands—many white scales having a dark margin, and the black ones a red longitudinal streak. The isolated large scales arc white. Head with red and white dots above; spines of the dorsal crest partly black and partly red; legs with bands similar to those of the back; tail with broad brown rings. The females have less bright colours; and the young ones broad brown bands across the back, between a pair of indistinct light longitudinal bands running along the sides of the back. This description of the colours is taken from drawings of living specimens in the possession of Walter Elliott, Esq. The coloration, however, appears to be very variable: Jerdon describes it as a bright grass-green marbled with brown, with some red marks on the head and nape and with a few white scales on the sides. The colours become darker at a low temperature, as is the case with main' tropical lizards. This is the only species known, the S.gularis of Blyth* evidently belonging to a different genus. It is found in the Nilgherries and at Newera Ellia in Ceylon, where it frequents bushes and hedges. The statement of its occurrence in Afghanistan depends on a label found with the typical specimens in the former collection of the East India Company. It attains to a length of 15 inches, the tail measuring 11 inches.

[edit] References

Boulenger, G.A. 1885 Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) I. Geckonidae, Eublepharidae, Uroplatidae, Pygopodidae, Agamidae. London: 450 pp.
Gray, J. E. 1845 Catalogue of the specimens of lizards in the collection of the British Museum. Trustees of die British Museum/Edward Newman, London: xxvii + 289 pp.