Japalura austeniana

Japalura austeniana
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Iguania
Family:	Agamidae
Genus:	Japalura
Species:	J. austeniana
Binomial name
Japalura austeniana (Annandale, 1908)
Synonyms
Salea austeniana Annandale, 1908 Mictopholis austeniana — M.A. Smith, 1935 Pseudocalotes austeniana — Mahony, 2010 Mictopholis austeniana — Lenz, 2012[1]

Japalura austeniana, also known commonly as the Abor Hills agama[1] or Annandale's dragon,[2] is a rare species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to Asia.

Etymology

The specific name, austeniana, is in honor of English topographer Henry Haversham Godwin-Austen.[2]

Geographic range

J. austeniana is found in Bhutan and India (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh).[1]

Type locality: "Hills near Harmatti, Assam"[3] (= Dafla Hills, Assam, fide M.A. Smith 1935).[1]

Rediscovery

This species, J. austeniana, was previously known only from its holotype, but was rediscovered in 2006 at Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh.[4]

Description

The holotype of J. austeniana, a female, has a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 9 cm (3.5 in). The tail is very long, 23 cm (9.1 in).[3]

Reproduction

J. austeniana is oviparous.[1]

References

1. Species Japalura austeniana at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
2. Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Mictopholis austeniana, p. 13).
3. Annandale N (1908). "Description of a new Species of Lizard of the Genus Salea from Assam". Records of the Indian Museum 2: 37-38. (Salea austeniana, new species).
4. Athreya R (2006). Eaglenest Biodiversity Project − I (2003–2006): Conservation Resources for Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary. A report submitted to the Forest Department of the Government of Arunachal Pradesh, India, and the Rufford-Maurice-Laing Foundation (UK). Pune, India: Kaati Trust. p. 54. Archived 2010-06-02 at the Wayback Machine

Further reading

• Das A, Das I (2007). "Rediscovery of Mictopholis austeniana (Annandale, 1908) (Squamata: Agamidae)". Current Herpetology 26 (1): 45–47.
• Smith MA (1935). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. II.—Sauria. London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 440 pp. + Plate I + 2 maps. (Mictopholis, new genus, p. 149; Mictopholis austeniana, new combination, p. 165, Figure 50).