Shield-tailed agama
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2020) |
| Shield-tailed agama | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Agamidae |
| Genus: | Xenagama |
| Species: | X. taylori
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| Binomial name | |
| Xenagama taylori (Parker, 1935)
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| Synonyms[2] | |
The shield-tailed agama (Xenagama taylori), also known commonly as the dwarf shield-tailed agama, Taylor's strange agama, and the turnip-tailed agama, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to the Horn of Africa.
Etymology[edit]
The specific name, taylori, is in honor of British army officer Captain R. H. R. Taylor.[3]
Geographic range[edit]
X. taylori is found in eastern Ethiopia and Somalia.[2]
Reproduction[edit]
Habitat[edit]
X. taylori lives on arid, flat land, sometimes on hilly landscapes, sandy but also hard ground, where it digs deep galleries. It survives at 45 to 50 °C (113 to 122 °F) maximum temperature, but average ranges between 25 and 35 °C (77 and 95 °F) in very dry environments, with the exception of strong spring storms and high humidity.[citation needed]
Description[edit]
Adults of X. taylori are less than 10 cm (3.9 in) in total length (including tail), and hatchlings are just over a centimeter (3/8 inch) and weigh only 3 grams (0.11 ounces).[citation needed]
Defensive behavior[edit]
Like most other Xenagama species, X. taylori will shelter within self-made burrows and use the whorl-like, heavily built tail to close the burrow to evade predators.[4]
Diet[edit]
Being a small lizard, X. taylori is essentially insectivorous, but has been seen to eat grasses, fruits, and berries.[citation needed]
Sexual dimorphism[edit]
X. taylori is sexually dimorphic. Sexually mature males display a breeding coloration of vibrant blue on the throat for a short time of the year. Mature males possess larger femoral pores enclosed by a waxy pheromonal yellow substance.[citation needed]
References[edit]
- ^ Spawls, S. (2021). "Xenagama taylori". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T17451283A17451292. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T17451283A17451292.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ a b c Species Xenagama taylori at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
- ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Xenagama taylori, p. 262).
- ^ Wagner, Philipp; Mazuch, Tomáš; Bauer, Aaron M. (2013). "An extraordinary tail – integrative review of the agamid genus Xenagama ". Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 51: 10.1111/jzs.12016.
Further reading[edit]
- Largen M, Spawls S (2010). Amphibians and Reptiles of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Frankfurt am Main: Edition Chimaira / Serpents Tale. 694 pp. ISBN 9783899734669.
- Mazuch T (2013). Amphibians and Reptiles of Somaliland and Eastern Ethiopia. Dřiteč, Czech Republic: Tomáš Mazuch Publishing. 80 pp. ISBN 978-80-905439-0-4.
- Parker HW (1935). "Two new Lizards from Somaliland". Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Tenth Series 16: 525–529. {"Agama (Xenagama) taylori ", new species, p. 525}.
- Flannery, Tim; Schouten, Peter (2004). Astonishing Animals: Extraordinary Creatures and the Fantastic Worlds They Inhabit. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press. (Xenagama taylori, p. 130).