Salea anamallayana

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Anaimalai Spiny Lizard
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Iguania Family: Agamidae Genus: Salea Species: S. anamallayana
Binomial name
Salea anamallayana (Beddome, 1878)[1]

The Anaimalai Spiny Lizard India Salea anamallayana is a species of agamid lizard found in the hill forests of Southern India (Anaimalai Hills, Palni Hills, Travancore, Munnar) up to an elevation of 7000 feet. Type locality: Anamallay Mountains, elevation 6000 feet.

[edit] Description

Snout long, measuring nearly twice the diameter of the orbit; tympanum 1.6 times the diameter of the orbit; upper head-scales rather large, feebly keeled, with a regular curved series of enlarged scales bordering the supraorbital region internally: an enlarged tubercle behind the supraciliary edge and a few others scattered on the back of the head; a row of 3 or 4 enlarged scales from the eye to above the tympanum. Gular scales a little larger than ventrals, smooth or keeled. A well-marked curved fold on each side of the neck, in front of the shoulder. Dorso-nuchal crest continuous, composed of large lanceolate spines. Dorsal scales of unequal size, their arrangement varying considerably, strongly keeled, the upper ones pointing upwards and backwards, the others straight backwards or backwards and downwards; ventral scales very strongly imbricate, strongly keeled, and ending in a spine. The adpressed hind limb reaches the neck. Tail strongly compressed, in its anterior half with an upper crest nearly as much developed as the dorsal; caudal scales rather unequal in size, keeled, pale olive above, with 4 broad angular dark-brown cross bands on the back, separated by narrow interspaces; head to the lip dark brown, with small light spots; limbs and tail with more or less regular dark-brown cross bars.^[2]

From snout to vent 4.3 inches.

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[edit] External links

• Photograph