Sitana

Sitana is a genus of lizards, collectively known as the fan-throated lizards, from the family Agamidae. They are found in Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.[1] The genus comprises fourteen species, including several recently discovered species,[2] such as two new species from Sri Lanka.[3] In 2016, a new genus named Sarada was erected, consisting of one former Sitana species and two newly described ones. Sarada is the sister genus of Sitana. Together they form a clade which sister group is Otocryptis.[1]

Sitana
Sitana ponticeriana, the type species
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Agamidae
Subfamily: Draconinae
Genus: Sitana
G. Cuvier, 1829
Type species
Sitana ponticeriana
Cuvier, 1829

Description

Sitana are small to medium-sized lizards. They are ground dwellers, primarily eating insects but also mollusks and plant seeds.[1]

Males measure 37–47 mm (1.5–1.9 in) and females 36–52 mm (1.4–2.0 in) in snout–vent length. In an example of convergent evolution, males have prominent dewlaps, similar to anoles, which are used in communication during the breeding season. The dewlap may be small to large, depending on the species. Females lack the dewlap.[1]

Species

There are fourteen species that are listed here alphabetically:[2]

ImageScientific NameCommon NameDistribution
Sitana devakai Amarasinghe, Ineich & Karunaratna, 2014Devaka's fan-throated lizardSri Lanka, Tamil Nadu of India,
Sitana dharwarensis Ambekar, Murthy, & Mirza 2020India
Sitana fusca Schleich & Kästle, 1998[4]dark sitanaNepal.
Sitana gokakensis Deepak, Khandekar, Chaitanya, & Karanth, 2018Gokak fan-throated lizardIndia.
Sitana kalesari Bahuguna, 2015India.
Sitana laticeps Deepak and Giri, 2016[1]broad-headed fan-throated lizardIndia.
Sitana marudhamneydhal Deepak, Khandekar, Varma & Chaitanya, 2016India
Sitana ponticeriana Cuvier, 1829Pondichéry fan-throated lizardIndia
Sitana schleichi Anders & Kästle, 2002Suklaphantah sitanaNepal.
Sitana sivalensis Schleich, Kästle & Shah, 1998; endemic to Nepal[5][6]Siwalik sitanaNepal.
Sitana spinaecephalus Deepak, Vyas and Giri, 2016[1]spiny-headed fan-throated lizardIndia
Sitana sushili Deepak, Tillack, Kar, Sarkar, & Mohapatra, 2021Sushil's fan-throated lizardIndia
Sitana thondalu Deepak, Khandekar, Chaitanya, & Karanth, 2018Nagarjuna Sagar fan-throated lizardIndia
Sitana visiri Deepak, 2016[1]palm leaf fan-throated lizardIndia

References
  1. Deepak, V.; Giri, Varad B.; Asif, M.; Dutta, S.K.; Vyas, R.; Zambre, Amod M.; Bhosale, Harshal; Karanth, K. Praveen (2016). "Systematics and phylogeny of Sitana (Reptilia: Agamidae) of Peninsular India, with the description of one new genus and five new species". Contributions to Zoology. 85 (1): 67–111. doi:10.1163/18759866-08501004.
  2. Sitana at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 17 September 2016.
  3. Anole annals
  4. H. H. Schleich; W. Kästle (1998). "Sitana fusca spec. nov., a further species from the Sitana sivalensis- complex". In H. H. Schleich; W. Kästle (eds.). Contributions to the Herpetology of South Asia (Nepal, India). Wuppertal: Fuhlrott Museum. pp. 207–226. ISBN 978-3-87429-404-1.
  5. Sitana sivalensis at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database
  6. H. H. Schleich; W. Kästle; K. B. Shah (1998). "Description of Sitana sivalensis spec. nov., (Sauria: Agamidae) from south Nepal". In H. H. Schleich; W. Kästle (eds.). Contributions to the Herpetology of South Asia (Nepal, India). Wuppertal: Fuhlrott Museum. pp. 87–100. ISBN 978-3-87429-404-1.
  • Media related to Sitana at Wikimedia Commons
  • Data related to Sitana at Wikispecies


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