Added 4 June 2013.
A large genus of mostly small agamids living in desert and semi-arid wastes, especially among sand dunes. Another interesting aspect of their ecology is that some are found in areas that in winter are cold, eg, Siberia, Tibet: needless to say in these areas winter aestivation can last for some months. One species, P. theobaldi, lives in the Himalayas at above 5,000 m above sea level, thus holding the altitude record for any reptile [Rogner].
Anderson gives the following definition of the genus: body depressed; no dorsal crest; no gular sac; transverse gular fold; dorsal scales uniform or intermixed with larger ones; tympanum rudimentary or absent, concealed beneath skin when present; tail rounded, depressed at base; no preanal or femoral pores. Synapomorphy: 11 scleral ossicles. Engelmann et al also draw attention to the “toad-like” body, the large rear limbs which are used for jumping, and the almost spherical heads. (The Russian name for the genus, кругоголовлки [“kroogagolovkii”], means “round-heads”).
The defensive behaviour of Phrynocephalus is also interesting: when disturbed or excited the lizards roll their tail back over their backs, running it backwards and forwards very rapidly. In some species the zebra-striped or coloured underneath of the tail is shown in this way, presumably as a mechanism to frighten off a would-be predator.
The taxonomy of the genus still appears to be a bit unsettled.
Certainly within collections in English-speaking countries these lizards appear to be very under-represented, which in some ways seems a shame as they are probably no harder to keep than the much-sought Uromastyx species. However some of the smaller species feed mainly on ants which makes their captive feeding more difficult, and many are short-lived (1-2 years). Rogner gives husbandry details for P. helioscopus, Manthey and Schuster for P. guttatus and P. mystaceous mystaceus. I would suggest these are lizards for specialists rather than for the average keeper.
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QUICK INDEX |
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P. albolineatus, White-Lined Toad-Headed Agama |
P. alticola, Montane Toad-Headed Agama |
P. arabicus, Arabian Toad-Headed Agama |
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P. arcellazzi, Central Asian Toad-Headed Agama |
P. birulai, Tsarevsky's Toad-Headed Agama |
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P. clarkorum, Clark's Toad-Headed Agama |
P. elegans, Elegant Toad-Headed Agama |
P. euptilopus, Alcock's Toad-Headed Agama |
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P. forsythi, Forsyth's Toad-Headed Agama |
P. frontalis, Shansi Toad-Headed Agama |
P. geckoides, Geckoid Toad-Headed Agama |
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P. golubewii, Golubev's Toad-Headed Agama |
P. guttatus, Spotted Toad-Headed Agama |
P. helioscopus, Sungazer Toad-Headed Agama |
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P. interscapularis, Lichtenstein's Toad-Headed Agama |
P. lidskii, Tibetan Toad-Headed Agama |
P. luteoguttatus, Yellow-Speckled Toad-Headed Agama |
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P. maculatus, Black-Tailed Toad-Headed Agama |
P. melanurus, Saissan Toad-Headed Agama |
P. moltschanowi, Moltchanov's Toad-Headed Agama |
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P. mystaceus, Secret Toad-Headed Agama |
P. ornatus, Painted Toad-Headed Agama |
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P. parvulus, Slight Toad-Headed Agama |
P. parvus, Dwarf Toad-Headed Agama |
P. persicus, Persian Toad-Headed Agama |
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P. przewalskii, Przewalskii's Toad-Headed Agama |
P. pylzowi, Pylzow's Toad-Headed Agama |
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P. raddei, Radd's Toad-Headed Agama |
P. reticulatus, Reticulated Toad-Headed Agama |
P. roborowskii, Roborowski's Toad-Headed Agama |
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P. rossikowi, Uzbekistan Toad-Headed Agama |
P. salenskyi, Salensky's Toad-Headed Agama |
P. scutellatus, Grey Toad-Headed Agama |
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P. sogdianus, Tadjikistan Toad-Headed Agama |
P. steindachneri, Steindachner's Toad-Headed Agama |
P. strauchi, Strauch's Toad-Headed Agama |
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P. theobaldi, Theobald's Toad-Headed Agama |
P. versicolor, Variegated Toad-Headed Agama |
P. vlangalii, Ching Hai Toad-Headed Agama |
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Species Name |
Common Name |
Distribution |
Size |
Notes |
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Phrynocephalus |
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White-Lined Toad-Headed Agama |
China (N Xinjiang) |
SVL ?? |
Considered a synonym of P. guttatus by some authorities: see Reptile Database entry. Scalation details: ??. Ventral scalation: ??.Tail: ??. Other: ??. Coloration: ?? Reproduction: ??. |
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Montane Toad-Headed Agama [R: высокогорная круглоголовка] |
India (Jammu, Kashmir) |
?? |
Considered a synonym of P. theobaldi by some authorities: see Reptile Database entry.. Scalation details: ??. Ventral scalation: ??.Tail: ??. Other: ??. Coloration: ?? Reproduction: ??. |
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Arabian Toad-Headed Agama |
Jordan, Iran, SE Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman; poss. S Iraq |
SVL approx. 5½cm, TL 12cm |
In Oman, occurs on fine wind-blown sand on fairly open, level or sloping sand, or sloping sand between mounds of vegetation and between or at the foot of large, mobile dunes. Scalation details: nasals in contact or partially or wholly separated by a single scale; pectoral and abdominal scales mucronate, some weakly keeled; gulars mucronate; no enlarged scales on flanks. Dorsal scalation: subequal, homogenous, smooth, weakly keeled or smooth on limbs; 74-106 scales around midbody. Tail: ??. Other: no cutaneous fold at angle of mouth; no fringe of scales on posterior border of thigh and sides of tail base. Coloration: (in preservative) dorsum reticulated with light and dark markings; upper surface of limbs more or less distinctly barred, with speckling as on body; venter immaculate cream white; tail speckled dorsally like body, or with faint bars; ventral surface of tail whitish with indistinct dark crossbars or entire tip of tail black or grey. Reproduction: ??. [SOURCE: Anderson] |
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Central Asian Toad-Headed Agama |
C Asia |
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Considered a synonym of P. guttatus melanurus by some authorities: see Reptile Database entry. |
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E Turkestan, Mongolia, Tibet, China (Xinjiang, Gansu) |
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Tsarevsky's Toad-Headed Agama |
China (Inner Mongolia) |
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Considered a synonym of P. przewalskii by some authorities: see Reptile Database entry. |
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Clark's Toad-Headed Agama [R: круглоголовка Кларков] |
Afghanistan, Pakistan, poss. Iran |
SVL 4cm, TL 10cm |
Found on the edges of dune areas or in sandy river beds; may be syntopic in Iran with P. ornatus, although this seems to reduce success of such populations of both species. Diet is predominantly ants but also small beetles and other insects. Scalation details: nasals in contact; suborbital scales elongate; no spinose scales on neck or back of head. Dorsal scalation: subequal or increasing in size slightly from dorsolateral to middorsal line; homogenous, keeled; 74-106 scales around midbody. Tail: ??. Other: both sides of 4th toe and lateral aspect of 3rd toe strongly fringed. Coloration: (in preservative) dorsally light sandy grey; upper surface of limbs more or less distinctly barred, with speckling as on body; venter immaculate cream white; tail speckled dorsally like body, or with faint bars; ventral surface of tail whitish with indistinct dark crossbars or entire tip of tail black or grey. Reproduction: ??. [SOURCE: Anderson] |
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Elegant Toad-Headed Agama |
China (Inner Mongolia) |
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An inhabitant of the Ala-Shan desert. Considered a synonym of P. przewalskii by some authorities: see Reptile Database entry. |
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Alcock's Toad-Headed Agama |
SW Afghanistan, SW Pakistan (Baluchistan) |
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Forsyth's Toad-Headed Agama |
China (Xinjiang) |
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Viviparous. |
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Shansi Toad-Headed Agama |
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Considered a synonym of P. przewalski by some authorities, P. guttatus by others: see Reptile Database entry. |
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Geckoid Toad-Headed Agama |
China (Qinghai) |
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Considered a synonym of P. vlangalii by some authorities: see Reptile Database entry. |
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R: круглоголовка Голубева |
Turkmenistan |
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Spotted Toad-Headed Agama [D: Gefleckter Krötenkopf; R: круглоголовка-вертихвостка] |
SE Europe, Russia (NW coast of Caspian Sea to E Kazakhstan, Dagestan, Astrakhan area and Volgograd area, Turkmenistan, W Asia, W China (N Xinjiang), Mongolia; poss. Eritrea and Ethiopia?
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TL 12cm: tail >50% of TL |
Found on the edges of dune areas or in sandy river beds; may be syntopic in Iran with P. ornatus, although this seems to reduce success of such populations of both species. Diet is predominantly ants but also small beetles and other insects. Scalation details: nasals in contact; suborbital scales elongate; no spinose scales on neck or back of head. Dorsal scalation: subequal or increasing in size slightly from dorsolateral to middorsal line; homogenous, keeled; 74-106 scales around midbody. Tail: ??. Other: both sides of 4th toe and lateral aspect of 3rd toe strongly fringed. Coloration: (in preservative) dorsally light sandy grey; upper surface of limbs more or less distinctly barred, with speckling as on body; venter immaculate cream white; tail speckled dorsally like body, or with faint bars; ventral surface of tail whitish with indistinct dark crossbars or entire tip of tail black or grey. Reproduction: ??. [SOURCE: Anderson] |
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P. g. guttatus |
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P. g. alpherakii |
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Kazakhstan, China |
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P. g. kalmykus |
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P. g. kushakewitschii |
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Kazakhstan |
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P. g. salenskyi |
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Kazakhstan |
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P. g. salsatus |
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Turkmenistan |
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Sungazer Toad-Headed Agama [D: Sonnengucker; R: такырная круглоголовка] |
S Russia, Armenia, E Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Iraq, NE Iran, NW Mongolia, NW China (W Xinjiang) |
SVL 6cm, TL 12cm |
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P. h. helioscopus |
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Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan |
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P. h. horvathi |
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NE Turkey, Armenia |
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Status of this subspecies is unclear, as some authorities consider it a subspecies of P. helioscopus, others of P. persicus, and others deny its validity. See Reptile Database entry. |
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P. h. saidalievi |
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Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan |
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P. h. varius |
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E Kazakhstan, China (Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region), W Mongolia |
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Lichtenstein's Toad-Headed Agama [R: песчаная круглоголовка] |
NE Iran, NE Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, S Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan |
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Tibetan Toad-Headed Agama |
NW Tibet |
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Found in Keria mountains. Considered a subspecies or synonym of P. theobaldi by some authorities, and described instead as P. erythrurus or P. zetangensis by others: see Reptile Database entry for details. Reproduction is viviparous. |
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Yellow-Speckled Toad-Headed Agama [R: желтопятнистая круглоголовка] |
Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan (Baluchistan), poss. India |
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Black-Tailed Toad-Headed Agama [R: пятнистая круглоголовка] |
Syria, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, N Saudi Arabia, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan |
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P. m. maculatus |
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P. m. longicaudatus |
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N Arabia |
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Saissan Toad-Headed Agama [R: зайсанская круглоголовка] |
Russia (Siberia), E Kazakhstan |
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Considered a subspecies of P. guttatus by some authorities: see Reptile Database entry. |
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R: круглоголовка Молчанова |
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan |
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Secret Toad-Headed Agama [D: Sonnengucker R: Ушастая круглоголовка] |
S Russia (inc. NW Caspian coast, Daghestan and Astrakhan), Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, NE Iran, Afghanistan, NW China (W Xinjiang) |
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Easily distinguished by large fringed cutaneous fold at angle of mouth which can be erected outwards. |
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P. m. mystaceus |
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P. m. aurantiacaudatus |
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Kazakhstan |
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P. m. galli |
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Turkestan (Russia/China/Afghanistan) |
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W China |
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Considered a synonym of P. axillaris by some authorities: see Reptile Database entry. See also Russian Journal of Herpetology abstract. |
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Painted Toad-Headed Agama [R: украшенная круглоголовка] |
Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan (Baluchistan) |
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P. o. ornatus |
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P. o. vindumi |
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Slight Toad-Headed Agama |
China (Inner Mongolia) |
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Dwarf Toad-Headed Agama |
Tibet |
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Persian Toad-Headed Agama [R: персидская круглоголовка] |
Transcaucasia, Iran |
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Przewalskii's Toad-Headed Agama [круглоголовка Пржевальского] |
China (Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai) |
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China (Qinghai Province) |
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Pylzow's Toad-Headed Agama |
NW China |
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Radd's Toad-Headed Agama [R: закаспийская круглоголовка] |
Iran, S Turkmenistan, SW Tadjikistan, S Uzbekistan |
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P. r. raddei |
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P. r. boettgeri |
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Reticulated Toad-Headed Agama [R: сетчатая круглоголовка] |
N Afghanistan, S Kazakhstan, W Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, N India (Kashmir) |
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Roborowski's Toad-Headed Agama [R: круглоголовка Роборовского] |
NW China |
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Uzbekistan Toad-Headed Agama [R: хентаунская круглоголовка] |
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan |
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P. r. rossikowi |
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P. r. shammakowi |
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Salensky's Toad-Headed Agama [R: круглоголовка Зеленского] |
Kazakhstan |
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Grey Toad-Headed Agama |
Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan (Baluchistan) |
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Tadjikistan Toad-Headed Agama [R: согдианская круглоголовка] |
S Uzbekistan, SW Tajikistan, N Afghanistan |
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Steindachner's Toad-Headed Agama |
China |
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Strauch's Toad-Headed Agama [R: круглоголовка Штрауха] |
Russia, Tadjikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan |
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Theobald's Toad-Headed Agama, Snow Lizard [R: тибетская круглоголовка] |
E Turkestan, India (Kashmir), Nepal, Tibet |
TL 11cm; SVL 5cm |
Scalation details: nostril directed forwards; nasals separated by 1 or 3 longitudinal rows of scales; supraorbital scales roughly equal in size to largest dorsals; occipital scales much larger; pectoral and ventral scales small, perfectly smooth, not mucronate; scales on upper surfaces of limbs smooth. Dorsal scalation: homogeneous, small, granular on sides, enlarged, flat and imbricate on vertebral area, all perfectly smooth.Tail: roundish, thickened and depressed at base, covered with smooth scales, with blunt end. Other: forehead very convex, with enlarged convex scales; tibia as long as skull; outer side of 3rd and 4th toes feebly but distinctly denticulated. Coloration: overall grey, with some degree of spotting with blackish or light dark-edged ocelli; lower surfaces white; male has black areas on middle of throat and of belly, and ventral end of tail. Reproduction: viviparous. [SOURCE: Boulenger] |
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R: пёстрая круглоголовка |
Russia (SE and Siberia), Kazakhstan, Mongolia, W China (Xinjiang, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia) |
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P. v. versicolor |
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P. v. doriai |
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P. v. hispidus |
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P. v. kulagini |
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P. v. paraskiwi |
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Ching Hai Toad-Headed Agama |
China (Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai, NW Sichuan) |
TL 11½ cm; SVL approx 50%? |
Scalation details: nostril anterior, directed not upwards but outwards, pierced under canthus rostralis; nasals very concave, separated by 6-7 longitudinal series of scales; gular, pectoral and ventral scales quite smooth; gular scales rather convex. Dorsal scalation: homogeneous, slightly imbricate, enlarged in vertebral region, smaller on the sides, all more or less convex but not keeled. Tail: short and thick, suddenly enlarged and very depressed at base, then roundish, ending bluntly; caudal scales smoth except at the rear, where upper scales are slightly, and lower scales distinctly, keeled. Other: forehead convex, with enlarged convex scales; back has distinct, mostly transverse, folds; outer edge of 3rd and 4th toes distinctly fringed. Coloration: dirty grey above, lower surfaces yellowish; immaculate vertebral stripe, flanked on both sides by irregular black and yellowish-orange spots; throat and chest blackish; large elongate deep black spot on middle of belly, another on lower surface of end of tail. Reproduction: ??. [SOURCE: Boulenger] |
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