Facts About Roughtail Rock Agama
Stellagama is a monotypic genus of agamid lizard, containing the single species Stellagama stellio, also known as the starred agama or the roughtail rock agama.
Common names
Common names for S. stellio include dikenli keler, hardim, hardun, kourkoutas (Cypriot Greek), kourkoutavlos, painted dragon, roughtail rock agama, short-toed rock agama, sling-tailed agama, star lizard, starred agama, and stellion.
Geographic range
Stellagama stellio can be found in Greece, Cyprus, western Asia and northern Egypt; it has also been introduced to Malta.
Description
Stellagama stellio may attain a total length (including tail) of 35 cm (14 in) or slightly longer.
Behaviour and habitat
Like many agamids, S. stellio can change its color to express its mood. It basks on stone walls, rocks, and trees. It is usually found in rocky habitats, and is quite shy, being very ready to dive into cracks to hide from potential predators.
Etymology
The common name "stellion" comes from Latin stellio, stēlio (stelliōn-, stēliōn-), which referred to any spotted lizard, from stella, star.
Subspecies
There are several subspecies, and S. stellio is likely a species complex. More research will be done, and this species may yet be split into several species.
The following seven subspecies, including the nominotypical subspecies, are recognized as being valid.
- Stellagama stellio brachydactyla (Haas, 1951)
- Stellagama stellio cypriaca (Daan, 1967)
- Stellagama stellio daani (Beutler & Frör, 1980)
- Stellagama stellio picea (Parker, 1935)
- Stellagama stellio salehi Y. Werner in Lachmann et al. 2006
- Stellagama stellio stellio (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Stellagama stellio vulgaris (Sonnini & Latreille, 1802)
Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Stellagama.
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