Shield-tailed agama
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.
| Shield-tailed agama | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Agamidae |
| Genus: | Xenagama |
| Species: | X. taylori |
| Binomial name | |
| Xenagama taylori (Parker, 1935) | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Etymology
The specific name, taylori, is in honor of British army officer Captain R. H. R. Taylor.[3]
Habitat
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.
Description
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).
Defensive behavior
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
Being a small lizard, X. taylori is essentially insectivorous, but has been seen to eat grasses, fruits, and berries.
Sexual dimorphism
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.
References
- 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.
- 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
- 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).