Tuvan Toad-headed Agama

About the Tuvan Toad-headed Agama

Phrynocephalus versicolor, the Tuvan toad-headed agama, is a species of agamid lizard found in desert areas of China and Mongolia. It was first described by the Russian herpetologist Alexander Strauch, director of the Zoological Museum at the Imperial Academy of Sciences at St. Petersburg.

Three subspecies, including the nominate one, are recognized: Phrynocephalus versicolor doriai Bedriaga 1909 Phrynocephalus versicolor siebenrocki Bedriaga 1909 Phrynocephalus versicolor versicolor Strauch 1876 Phrynocephalus versicolor grows to a length of about 13 cm (5 in) including the tail, which is longer than the combined head and body. The head is large and rounded and the blunt snout has an oblique profile which makes the nostrils easily visible from above. There is no transverse fold of skin across the shoulders. There are large scales which are smooth and unribbed along the spine. Other dorsal scales are thickened with their rear margin slightly raised, which gives the lizard a rough appearance. Scales on the ventral surface are extended into short spines. The tail is long and tapering, flattened at the base and cylindrical further from the body. It is... Wikipedia →