A research team led by scientists from Calicut University has described a new species of agamid lizard discovered in the Indian state of Kerala.
Agastya Gama Edge, an uncollected female from the reference locality habitat of Kuramab, Idukki District, Kerala, India. Image credit: Sandeep Das.
The newly confirmed species belong to the following: Agastya Gama, a previously monotypic genus of diurnal, terrestrial, insectivorous lizards of the family Agamiidae.
This genus includes Indian Kangaroo Lizard (Agastya Gama Bed Dormitory) Originally from the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
“Terrestrial agamids, which inhabit the forests of southern India and Sri Lanka, are currently classified into two separate genera. Agastya Gama and Otocryptis It is based on genetic and morphological grounds,” said Calicut University researcher Sandeep Das and colleagues.
“Genus Otocryptis It originally included two species. Otocryptis Bed Dormitory From the southern Western Ghats of India, Otocryptis wigmannii It comes from the humid region of Sri Lanka. ”
“After a long gap, additional species Otocryptis nigristigma Illustrated from the dry forests of Sri Lanka. ”
“In 2018, scientists showed that the Sri Lankan kangaroo skink is paraphyletic with the Western Ghats kangaroo skink.”
“This prompted them to establish a monotypic genus.” Agastya Gama to accommodate Indians. Otocryptis Bed Dormitory however, no molecular data are available. Otocryptis nigristigma”
Agastya Gama Edge Lifetime: (A) An unrecovered adult male from Kuramab, Idukki District, Kerala, India. (B) Females not collected from the same locality. Image credit: Sandeep Das.
named Agastya Gama EdgeThe new species is a small agamid lizard with a body length of 3 to 4.3 centimeters.
“Agastya Gama Edge It is the second species of the genus Agastya Gama” said the researchers.
“On the surface, they are similar. Agastya Gama Bed Dormitory They vary in overall shape, size, and color, but can be distinguished by the combination of letters. ”
Agastya Gama Edge It is currently known only from evergreen forests in the Idukki district of Kerala, India. All records of this species are between 636 and 835 m above sea level.
“We encountered more individuals from March to May,” the scientists said.
“Disturbed habitats such as roadside vegetation and plantation areas had lower numbers compared to undisturbed vegetation types.”
“During the breeding season from March to May, males had creamy spots on their throats. Young individuals were observed in June and July.”
“Discovery of the second species Agastya Gama “The reptile diversity of the Western Ghats is increasing,” they added.
“Agastya Gama Bed Dormitory Its range is home to a variety of habitat types, including myristica wetlands, hilltop tropical evergreen forests in the south, tropical evergreen forests on the west coast, tropical semi-evergreen forests on the west coast, and secondary moist mixed deciduous forests in the south. I am. Agastya Gama Edge So far it has been recorded only from tropical semi-evergreen and evergreen forests. ”
“Our study shows that the two species are geographically separated by about 80 km in a straight line.”
discovery of Agastya Gama Edge is explained in paper It was published in the magazine vertebrate zoology.
_____
S. Das other. 2024. Discovery of a new species of kangaroo lizard (Squamatora: Agamiidae: Agastya Gama) from the southern Western Ghats of India. vertebrate zoology 74: 151-168; doi: 10.3897/vz.74.e113084
Source: www.sci.news
