- Agamidae
image_width = 225px
image_caption = Red-headed Rock Agama
regnum =Animal ia
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 SouthernEurope . Phylogenetically they may be sister to theIguanidae , 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 hotdesert s to tropicalrainforest s.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 thechameleon s, but is otherwise unusual among lizards. Agamid lizards are generallydiurnal , with good vision, and include a number of arboreal species, in addition to ground and rock-dwellers. The great majority of agamid species areoviparous cite 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
chameleon s of the sister familyChamaeleonidae 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]
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