Psammophilus blanfordanus
Encyclopedia
Blanford's Rock Agama is an agamid lizard found in Peninsular India and is named after William Thomas Blanford
(1832–1905), member of the Geological Survey of India. It is one of two species in the genus and is found mainly to the east of the distribution of Psammophilus dorsalis
. Unlike the other species, the male in breeding season has the red restricted to the head and lacks the broad dorsal stripe.
, but a specimen in the hand can be separated by several features such as a deeper fold fold on the front of the humerus
is deeper and the scales on body are little larger, and range in numbers from 80 to 100 at the middle of the body and the dorsal scales appear keeled and imbricate. When the hind leg is stretched forward and held along the body it reaches the eye or extends beyond it. There is often a small spine behind the edge of the brow-ridge of the eye and there a few enlarged scales on the sides that are scattered.
Young lizards are olive-brown above, spotted or marbled with brown very similar to the female but often have a series of large, lozenge-shaped, dark brown spots with pale centres on the back and tail. The adult male is much like P. dorsalis but in the summer breeding season the head and anterior part of the body of the male become scarlet or red while the posterior parts nearly black.
They are found mainly on rocks. The male displays with head nodding.
From snout to vent they are about 10 cm long and the tail is about 20 cm. Females are slightly smaller than the males.
at 7,000 feet.
William Thomas Blanford
William Thomas Blanford was an English geologist and naturalist. He is best remembered as the editor of a major series on The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma.-Biography:Blanford was born in London...
(1832–1905), member of the Geological Survey of India. It is one of two species in the genus and is found mainly to the east of the distribution of Psammophilus dorsalis
Psammophilus dorsalis
Psammophilus dorsalis is a common species of agama found on rocky hills in south India. The informal names are Peninsular Rock Agama and South Indian Rock Agama...
. Unlike the other species, the male in breeding season has the red restricted to the head and lacks the broad dorsal stripe.
Description
Very similar to Psammophilus dorsalisPsammophilus dorsalis
Psammophilus dorsalis is a common species of agama found on rocky hills in south India. The informal names are Peninsular Rock Agama and South Indian Rock Agama...
, but a specimen in the hand can be separated by several features such as a deeper fold fold on the front of the humerus
Humerus
The humerus is a long bone in the arm or forelimb that runs from the shoulder to the elbow....
is deeper and the scales on body are little larger, and range in numbers from 80 to 100 at the middle of the body and the dorsal scales appear keeled and imbricate. When the hind leg is stretched forward and held along the body it reaches the eye or extends beyond it. There is often a small spine behind the edge of the brow-ridge of the eye and there a few enlarged scales on the sides that are scattered.
Young lizards are olive-brown above, spotted or marbled with brown very similar to the female but often have a series of large, lozenge-shaped, dark brown spots with pale centres on the back and tail. The adult male is much like P. dorsalis but in the summer breeding season the head and anterior part of the body of the male become scarlet or red while the posterior parts nearly black.
They are found mainly on rocks. The male displays with head nodding.
From snout to vent they are about 10 cm long and the tail is about 20 cm. Females are slightly smaller than the males.
Distribution
This species is common on many of the hills from Chota Nagpur (as high as Parasnath Hill to 4,500 feet), Madhya Pradesh and extending south along the Godavari District, hills of the Eastern Ghats. The southernmost record appears to be Talayar in Travancore, where a specimen was collected by Harold S. FergusonHarold S. Ferguson
Harold Stuart Ferguson M.B.E. was a Scottish zoologist.-Family:He was born in Park Street, near Grosvenor Square, London, the fourth child of Robert Ferguson and Mary Mcleod of Skye. His father was born in India, a close friend of Sir John Macpherson, Governor-General of India and Sir Walter Scott...
at 7,000 feet.