Acanthosaura

''Acanthosaura'' is a genus of lizards, commonly known as mountain horned dragons or pricklenape agamas, in the family Agamidae. The common name "pricklenape" refers to a row of dorsal spines which runs down the back of the neck. They are arboreal lizards found in Southeast Asia. They are medium-sized, their total length (including tail) ranging from about , depending on species and individual. As the common name "mountain horned dragons" implies, they tend to prefer higher elevation areas with dense vegetation.

Diet

Mountain horned dragons are insectivorous, consuming only live food. Common foods in captivity include crickets, earthworms, silkworms, mealworms, moths, roaches, wax worms, and grasshoppers. They require a variety in diet and will often refuse food when offered in excessive redundancy.

Typical ''Acanthosaura'' feeding behavior is a sit-and-wait style. They will perch off the ground until they spot their prey, which is often down on the ground. A display of aerobatics is not uncommon from ''Acanthosaura'' species when hunting food. They will eat and hunt fish, but most will not submerge their heads to catch a meal.

Reproduction

Females of the genus ''Acanthosaura'' lay their first clutch of eggs about four months after mating. They may lay up to four clutches total per year, separated by a month or two.

In captivity

Mountain horned dragons are popular pets, and readily available in the exotic pet trade. '' A. capra'' is considered the hardiest and most easily kept species of the genus, and is the most common species found for sale in the United States. While not considered to be difficult to breed in captivity, most specimens available are wild caught.
However, due to captive breeding, more and more captive bred lizards are available.

Species

*'' Acanthosaura armata'' – armored pricklenape, peninsular horned tree lizard – Burma, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand
*'' Acanthosaura aurantiacrista'' – Thailand
*'' Acanthosaura bintangensis'' – Bukit Larut Mountain horned agamid, Bintang horned tree lizard – Perak, Peninsular Malaysia
*'' Acanthosaura brachypoda'' – Vietnam
*'' Acanthosaura capra'' – green pricklenape – Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam
*'' Acanthosaura cardamomensis'' – western Cambodia, eastern Thailand
*'' Acanthosaura coronata'' – crowned spiny lizard - Vietnam
*'' Acanthosaura crucigera'' – Boulenger's pricklenape, masked horned tree lizard – Burma, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam
*''Acanthosaura lepidogaster'' – brown pricklenape – Burma, Cambodia, China, Thailand, Vietnam
*'' Acanthosaura liui'' – China
*'' Acanthosaura longicaudata'' – long-tailed horned tree lizard, long-tailed horned agamid – China
*'' Acanthosaura meridiona''
*'' Acanthosaura murphyi'' – Central Vietnam (''Acanthosaura murphyi'', new species).
*''Acanthosaura nataliae'' – Vietnam
*'' Acanthosaura phongdienensis'' – Vietnam
*'' Acanthosaura phuketensis'' – Phuket horned tree agamid – southwestern Thailand
*'' Acanthosaura prasina'' – Vietnam
*'' Acanthosaura rubrilabris'' – red-lipped horned tree lizard, red-lipped horned agamid – China
*'' Acanthosaura titiwangsaensis'' – Malayan Mountain horned agamid, Titiwangsa horned tree lizard – Fraser's Hill and Cameron Highlands, Pahang, and Peninsular Malaysia
*'' Acanthosaura tongbiguanensis'' – China

Gallery

Image:Acanthosaura2.JPG, ''Acanthosaura capra'' at Chester Zoo
Image:Acanthosaura phuketensis, Phuket horned tree agamid.jpg, ''Acanthosaura phuketensis''
Image:Acanthosaura phuketensis, Phuket horned tree agamid (juvenile).jpg, ''Acanthosaura phuketensis'' (juvenile)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q643613

Acanthosaura
Reptiles of Southeast Asia
Lizard genera
Taxa named by John Edward Gray