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DeAgamis2: 2nd INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON AGAMID LIZARDS
REMARKS ON THE TAXONOMY AND ECOLOGY OF SE ASIAN BUTTERFLY LIZARDS, GENUS LEIOLEPIS (AGAMIDAE: LEIOLEPIDINAE)
Timo Hartmann, Wolfgang Böhme
Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig 160 Adenauerallee, D-53113 Bonn, Germany E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]
We review recent taxonomic and ecological research on butterfly lizards (genus Leiolepis Cu-vier, 1829) carried out at the Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum A. Koenig (ZFMK) in Bonn. The remarkable parthenogenetic forms («species») of Leiolepis are either diploid (L. boehmei) or triploid (L. guentherpetersi, L. triploida). In the case of L. guentherpetersi, a hybrid status has been proven, L. guttata providing the maternal line and L. reevesii being the paternal one. L. triploida is best explained as a hybrid of diploid parthenogenetic boehmei females and L. belliana males, the origin of the L. boehmei strain itself remaining unknown.
The taxon rubritaeniata, originally described as a subspecies of L. belliana, was later, after the raise of L. b. reevesi to full specific rank, referred to as L. reevesii rubritaeniata. Partly, a subspecific
status was not even conceded. However, new morphological and molecular genetic data clearly demonstrate specific status also for L. rubritaeniata, an inland inhabiting butterfly lizard known from Thailand, Laos and a small part of Central Vietnam. During field surveys in the Phnom Kulen National Park in Cambodia, L. rubritaeniata was recorded for the first time also from this country.
Ecological data stem from an unpublished field study of a L. belliana population on Langkawi Id., West Malaysia. Apart from an unusual kind of locomotion during display, data were collected on spatial distribution, density, stomach contents, and social behaviour.
Key words: Agamidae, Leiolepis, review of rubritaeniata, belliana, taxonomic and natural history data.
SEXUAL DIMORPHISM OF BLACK ROCK AGAMA, LAUDAKIA MELANURA LIRATA (BLANFORD, 1874) (SAURIA: AGAMIDAE)
Nastaran Heidari \ Hamed Cheatsazan 2, Haji Gholi Kami 3, and Soheila Shafiei 4
1 Department of Biodiversity, Khuzestan University of Science and Research
Ahwaz, Iran E-mail: [email protected] 2 Mahab-e Ghods Consulting Engineering Company, Section of Ecology, Department of Environmental Studies
Tehran, Iran E-mail: [email protected] 3 Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Golestan University
Gorgan, Iran E-mail: [email protected] 4 Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University
Kerman, Iran E-mail: [email protected]
The Black Rock Agama, Laudakia melanura plateau which extends from southern Iran east to (Blyth, 1854), is one of the representative faunal ele- northwestern Punjab. 9 females and 12 males were ments of the southeastern periphery of the Iranian captured between September 2008 and February 2009
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DeAgamis2: ВТОРОЙ МЕЖДУНАРОДНЫЙ СИМПОЗИУМ ПО АГАМОВЫМ ЯЩЕРИЦАМ
from different localities in Gando Protected Area located in Sistan and Baluchistan provinces which extends from 25°03' to 26°16' N and 61°09' to 61°53' E on the southeastern border of Iran and Pakistan.
Morphological analyses were performed using 14 metric and 9 meristic characters. T-test and principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on the log transformed matrix of metric and proportional characters. T-test shows significant differences in all metric characters with the exception of HL, HW and HH (p < 0.05). None of the meristic characters reached high enough probability to be
used in discriminating between the two sexes. In this lizard, sexual dimorphism of head, in contrast to other congeneric species, is more due to the shape of head. In contrast to L. caucasia and L. microlepis in L. m. lirata patches of callous scales at abdomen and preanal regions usually occur independent to sex, nonetheless, in some females no callous scales was observed and others had some just in abdomen region.
Key words: Laudakia melanura lirata, sexual dimorphism, Gando Protected Area, Sistan and Baluchistan province, Southeastern Iran.
A STUDY OF BEHAVIOUR, HABITAT, DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY ON LYRIOCEPHALUS SCUTATUS (LINNAEUS, 1758)
IN SRI LANKA
D.M.S. Suranjan Karunarathna and A.A. Thasun Amarasinghe
Taprobanica Nature Conservation Society No: 146, Kendalanda, Homagama, Sri Lanka E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]
There are 18 species of agamid lizards distributed throughout Sri Lanka, 15 (83%) of them are endemic and the genera Ceratophora Gray, 1834, Co-photis Peters, 1861 and Lyriocephalus Merrem, 1820 are relic to the island. The genus Lyriocephalus Mer-rem, 1820 is monotypic and relict to Sri Lanka. Lyriocephalus scutatus is diurnal, sub-arboreal and slow moving agamid lizard. This colorful species is distributed in cool and shady forested areas with a
dense canopy in wet & intermediate lowlands and mid hills up to elevations of 1600 m, snout-vent length (SVL) varies around 94 mm. Very little is known about the ecology, biology and behaviour of this species throughout its range, hence we have examined 52 localities (August 2004 to March 2007) throughout 11 districts. A total of 109 individuals (Males: 47, Females: 41 and Juveniles: 21) were observed in nature during dry and wet seasons. The analysis of habitat
data has shown that species is widely spared within the well shading riverine forested areas and poorly in the home gardens. The results of this survey indicate Lyriocephalus scutatus lays eggs about 3 - 4 from March to May on shady, cool places nearly 1 foot away from the tree base. While laying eggs the females change their body color in to ground color. The eggs are 22.1 mm to 24.6 mm (mean 23.4 mm) long and 13.6 mm to 15.1 mm (mean 14.4.0 mm) wide. Mostly egg layings were Lyriocephalus scutatus (Linnaeus, 1758) recorded in mornings with from Sri Lanka high humidity. Hatchlings
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