Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What species is this?I had to fix my picture

I would still say either Japalura or calotes as suggested below. It's a nice looking animal so keep posting
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Marcia - FroggieB Dragons
www.froggieb.com/MHDHome.html

To me that is a pretty and quite typical specimen of Acanthosaura lepidogaster.
What makes you think its a Calotes?

Ci@o

Ingo

My suggestion that the animal was a juvenile Calotes species was an extremely well calculated - and absolute shot in the dark. I'm guessing ...

I did not believe that the animal was Acanthosaura based upon the lack of any distinct occiptal or nuchal horns. Thought the nuchal crest looked more similar to Calotes as opposed to Acanthosaura as well.

If your animal has horns blevins, than ingo may have your id. Unfortunately, I have never laid eyes on A.lepidogaster. Regardless, it is a great looking specimen. Do stick around.

So, is the difference that this is a juvenile? I have only seen pictures in Manthey & Schuster's Agamids book and the photos posted by Sebastian. I have never seen this patterning on any of the Acanthosaura species.

Since we, here in the U.S.A. have seen all but the lepidogaster this is the subspecies we are the most likely to be unclear on. I personally would love to have a pair and want to know all I can learn about the different subs.

Thanks, glad to see you still stop in!
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Marcia - FroggieB Dragons
www.froggieb.com/MHDHome.html

I had the opportunity to see a number of A. lepidogaster from a fresh import. The pattern varied, but the animal on the pic very well fits into the scheme.
And canthi rostrali on head and overall proportions of the animal on the pic to me very much fit Acanthosaura. Loss of horns is very common as you know and should not irritate us.
Also I am quite familiar with Calotes species and this specimen would fit none of the species which can be found in imports -and from Sri Lanka nothing comes in.
Maybe email the Pic to Manthey or grossman if you doubt.
The sad thing with that import was that the animals were in such a horrible shape that I decided not to buy some. A. capra form the same import looked very well.
So maybe the lepidogaster are more stress sensitive -but who knows.

Ci@o

Ingo

I forgot: The enlarged scales on the flanks exclude Calotes and they are typical for Acanthiosaura and Gonocephalus.
And since this is not a Gonocephalus....

I always enjoy your thorough replies. I am not familiar with Calotes and my guess at Japalura was simply based on the back pattern. I know there is still much I have to learn!

Thanks,
Marcia
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Marcia - FroggieB Dragons
www.froggieb.com/MHDHome.html

I think i am going to agree with ingo on this one. I have only seen about 3 different pictures of lepidogaster, and I think they are the same ones Marcia has seen. However, taking a second look at Manthey & Schuster's Agaimid Lizards book, the patterning does vaguely resemble the picture of lepidogaster in the book. also, if you look at just the head in the picture, it looks exactly like the other acanthosaura species. Other than the head, the body does resemble a juvenile calotes, but after covering the body and just looking at the head I would have to say an acanthosaura species. Maybe if we could get a picture of the back of his head (it appears to be a male looking at the base of the tail) and see if he has any horns on the occiput that might help. Post some more pictures if you can!
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Joe
joebradbury@attbi.com
aim and yahoo messenger - UTDstud18

I have to agree that it does look like a male. I had just noticed that as well. It has been a while since I have had a good look at the pics in the book so I will just have to dig it out and review. As for the horns, I do agree with Ingo that this isn't a good measure as most have lost them by the time we get to take a look. I know that on some of my animals the horns are so completely gone that there is no sign of them at all while others still have some nubs where the scales that originally surrounded the horns remain. I have one male that I swear has actually grown back some tiny horns. I don't know that this is possible but there are tiny nubs where I don't recall having seen them before!

I will have to concede that this is most likely a lepidogaster based on all of the above input!
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Marcia - FroggieB Dragons
www.froggieb.com/MHDHome.html