fauna

Central Netted Dragon (Ctenophorus nuchalis)

- family Agamidae. found in arid regions of central and western Australia. omnivorous. maximum length of up to 10 cm (snout vent) and 25 cm (total length).

(photos: T - Matt Clancy; M - Benjamint444; B - Tim Rudman)

Boyd’s Forest Dragon (Hypsilurus boydii), from various locations around Queensland, Australia

- family Agamidae. endemic to northern Queensland. found in rainforests, both lowland and high elevation. avg adult length of up to 16 cm (snout vent), 32.5 cm (total length). males are larger, with more block like heads, more pronounced crests (pic 2nd from bttm is female). predominantly insectivorous, small vertebrates and fruits sometimes consumed.

(photo: T/ML - Peter Nijenhuis; MR - Matt Clancy; midB - Paul Khadim; bttm - Zoharby)

Borneo Forest Dragon (Gonocephalus borneensis), Gunung Mulu NP, Sarawak, Borneo (Malaysia)

- Found in lowland rainforest in the Thai-Malay Archipelago to Borneo. family Agamidae. Females are green speckled, and the males are brown with pronounced crests. Length: up to 13 cm (snout/vent);40 cm (total).

(photos: Bernie DuPont)

animaltoday:

Gonatodes - (Gonatodes daudini)

Gonatodes is a genus of dwarf geckos that include many different species. Almost every species has a dramatic and unique color variation (in the males mostly). They mostly live in the forests of South America although some have adapted to live in cities and have been taken as pets.

They eat almost any bug that they can swallow.  Some species of Gonatodes are becoming critically endangered due to deforestation.

Most of the species have pointed noses and are rather narrow in body size.  However Gonatodes Daudini, shown here is the only one with large  scales, bright orange irises and the 3 eye shaped patterns displayed by the males. 

Photos: Strategy Forum INC on Flickr 

Recently Discovered: Madagascar

Officially described in 2009, both males and females of the chameleon, Furcifer timoni, are very striking, appearing to sport vibrant ‘glam rock’ makeup. According to scientists, the discovery of this distinctive new species was very surprising since the area they call home has been repeatedly and intensively surveyed for reptiles over many years. In total, 11 new chameleon species have been described in Madagascar since 1999.

(photos: T - Frank Glaw/WWF Madagascar; B - Jöm Köhler/WWF Madagascar)

(via: OurAmazingPlanet)

Slender Jeweled Lizard (Liolaemus tenuis)

- family Iguanidae, endemic to Chile, males develop bright colors during courtship, females are gray/brown.

(photos: T - Lauchaseca; B - Kaldari)

Hi, my name is Paxon, and I struggle with addiction…

1. Lizards and Crocodilians of the Southeast 

by Whit Gibbons, Judy Greene, and Tony Mills

Introductory chapters cover the biodiversity of lizards and crocodilians both regionally and globally and discuss lizard and crocodilian life cycles, morphology, habitats, diets, and behaviors. Illustrated, fact-filled descriptions of each species and its habitat comprise the heart of the book. The accounts include a physical description of the species plus information about distribution and habitat, behavior and activity, food and feeding, reproduction, predators and defense, and conservation status. Variations within each species are noted as are taxonomic questions, many of which have arisen because of recent advances in genetic techniques.

2. Gaining Ground, Second Edition: The Origin and Evolution of Tetrapods (Life of the Past)

by Jennifer A. Clack

Around 370 million years ago, a distant relative of a modern lungfish began a most extraordinary adventure—emerging from the water and laying claim to the land. Over the next 70 million years, this tentative beachhead had developed into a worldwide colonization by ever-increasing varieties of four-limbed creatures known as tetrapods, the ancestors of all vertebrate life on land.

This new edition of Jennifer A. Clack’s groundbreaking book tells the complex story of their emergence and evolution. Beginning with their closest relatives, the lobe-fin fishes such as lungfishes and coelacanths, Clack defines what a tetrapod is, describes their anatomy, and explains how they are related to other vertebrates. She looks at the Devonian environment in which they evolved, describes the known and newly discovered species, and explores the order and timing of anatomical changes that occurred during the fish-to-tetrapod transition.

Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.