Agamidae

Taxobox
name = Agamids

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image_width = 225px
image_caption = Red-headed Rock Agama
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Reptilia
ordo = Squamata
subordo = Iguania
familia = Agamidae
subdivision_ranks = Subfamilies
subdivision =
Agaminae
Leiolepidinae
Draconinae

Agamids, lizards of the family Agamidae, include more than 300 species in Africa, Asia, Australia, and a few in Southern Europe. Phylogenetically they may be sister to the Iguanidae, and have a similar appearance. Agamids usually have well-developed, strong legs. Their tails cannot be shed and regenerated like those of geckoes, though a certain amount of regeneration is observed in someFact|date=August 2008. Many agamid species are capable of limited change of their coloursFact|date=August 2008. They inhabit warm environments, ranging from hot deserts to tropical rainforests.

One of the key distinguishing features of the agamids is their teeth, which are borne on the outer rim of the mouth (acrodont), rather than on the inner side of the jaws (pleurodont). This feature is shared with the chameleons, but is otherwise unusual among lizards. Agamid lizards are generally diurnal, with good vision, and include a number of arboreal species, in addition to ground and rock-dwellers. The great majority of agamid species are oviparouscite book |editor=Cogger, H.G. & Zweifel, R.G.|author= Bauer, Aaron M.|year=1998|title=Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians|publisher= Academic Press|location=San Diego|pages= 134-136|isbn= 0-12-178560-2] .

ystematics

There have been very few studies of the Agamidae with the first comprehensive assessment by Moody (1980) followed by a more inclusive assessment by Frost and Etheridge (1989). Subsequent studies were based mitochondrial DNA loci [Macey et al. (2000)] [Honda et al. (2000)] [Joger (1991)] (using allozymes), and sampling across the Agamidae. Few other studies focused on clades within the family, but the Agamidae have not been as well investigated as the Iguanidae.

Among the Agamidae, six clades or lineages are generally recognizedFact|date=August 2008:

FAMILY: AGAMIDAE
* Subfamily: Leiolepidinae ("Leiolepis")
* Subfamily: Uromasticinae ("Uromastyx")
* Subfamily: Amphibolurinae (Australian and New Guinean)
* Subfamily: Hydrosaurinae ("Hydrosaurus")
* Subfamily: Draconinae (South and Southeast Asian)
* Subfamily: Agaminae (African and Arabian)

The chameleons of the sister family Chamaeleonidae are sometimes discussedFact|date=August 2008 as sub-family Chamaeleoninae and sub-family Agaminae (referring to Agamidae, not the Agaminae mentioned above).

References

External links

* [http://www.tigr.org/reptiles/families/Agamidae.html www.reptile-database.org]