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Ctenophorus

Article Discussion

Template:Italic title Template:Short description Template:Distinguish Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Template:Automatic taxobox Ctenophorus, from Ancient Greek κτείς (kteís), meaning "comb", and φόρος (phóros), meaning "bearing", is a genus of lizards, commonly known as comb-bearing dragons, found in Australia. They are in the dragon lizard family, known as Agamidae.<ref name=doughty2007/>

DescriptionEdit

The genus contains the most diverse group of dragon lizards in Australia. It is the largest group of Australian lizards and it has an extensive radiation in the arid zones.<ref name=doughty2007>Template:Cite journal</ref> Many of the species of Ctenophorus have been grouped by a similar morphology. The informal names and groupings within this genus — rock dragon, sand dragon, crevice-dragon, ground dragon, and bicycle-dragon — are named after the mythological creature, the dragon.

Lizards in the genus Ctenophorus may be confused with lizards in the genera Tympanocryptis and Diporiphora.<ref name="RNSW">Swan G, Shea G, Sadlier R (2004) A Field Guide to Reptiles of New South Wales. Sydney, New South Wales: Reed New Holland. Template:ISBN.</ref>

SpeciesEdit

There were 34 recognised species in the genus<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> until a new study published in June 2023 discovered four more in South Australia<ref name=nit2023>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=edwards2023>Template:Cite journal</ref> adding up to a total of 38 species. The new species are included in the list below.

2023 identification of new speciesEdit

Danielle Edwards, curator of terrestrial vertebrates at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, and Mark Hutchinson, of the South Australian Museum, both started studying sand dragons in 2008, when only three species<ref name=cominos2023>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> (C. fordi, C. femoralis, and C. maculatus) had been identified. Their June 2023 study published in the Journal of Herpetology provided additional morphological data from all of candidate species, which led to the recognition of 11 species. Of these, four taxa were found to be species rather than subspecies, with another four species newly described.<ref name=edwards2023/>

The four new species, all endemic to the state of South Australia, have been assigned names relating to their respective Aboriginal language of their habitat:<ref name=cominos2023/><ref name=nit2023/>

PolymorphismEdit

Lizards of the genus Ctenophorus are known to display colour polymorphism, more than one colour type being found within a population. It is believed that colour polymorphism in this group has evolved as a result of a combination of sexual selection and natural selection.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

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Further readingEdit

  • Fitzinger L (1843). Systema Reptilium, Fasciculus Primus, Amblyglossae. Vienna: Braumüller & Seidel. 106 pp. + indices. (Ctenophorus, new genus, p. 83). (in Latin).
  • Wilson S, Swan G (2003). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia. Second edition. Sydney: New Holland Publishing.

External linksEdit

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