Kingdom Animalia Suborder Sauria Family Agamidae Phylum Chordata Rank Species | Subphylum Vertebrata Infraorder Iguania Scientific name Stellagama stellio Higher classification Laudakia Order Scaled reptiles | |
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Genus Stellagama
Baig, Wagner, Ananjeva & Böhme, 2012 Similar Laudakia, Reptile, Agamidae, Agama, Ophisops elegans | ||
Stellagama stellio gr ce
Stellagama is a monotypic genus of agamid lizards containing the single species Stellagama stellio.
Contents
- Stellagama stellio gr ce
- stellagama stellio stellion
- Common names
- Geographic range
- Description
- Behaviour and habitat
- Etymology
- Subspecies
- References
stellagama stellio stellion
Common names
Common names for S. stellio include stellion, hardim, hardun, star lizard, painted dragon, starred agama, sling-tailed agama, roughtail rock agama and kourkoutavlos.
Geographic range
S. stellio is found in Greece, Southwest Asia, and Northeast Africa.
Description
Total length (including tail) of S. stellio is up to 35 centimetres (14 in) or slightly longer.
Behaviour and habitat
Like many agamids, stellions can change color to express their moods. They bask on stone walls, rocks, and trees. They are usually found in rocky habitats, and are quite shy, being very ready to dive into cracks to hide from potential predators.
Etymology
The name "stellion" comes from Latin stellio, stēlio (stelliōn-, stēliōn-), which referred to any spotted lizard, from stella, star.
Subspecies
There are several subspecies, and S. stellio is likely a species complex. More research will be done, and this species may yet be split into several species.
The following seven subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.
Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Stellagama.