''Agama rueppelli'',
commonly known as the arboreal agama or Rüppell's agama, is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Agamidae
Agamidae is a family (biology), family of over 300 species of iguanian lizards indigenous to Africa, Asia, Australia, and a few in Southern Europe. Many species are commonly called dragons or dragon lizards.
Overview
phylogenetics, Phylogenetic ...
. The species is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa:
Due to the historical ...
.
Etymology
The
specific name Specific name may refer to:
* in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database
In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules:
* Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...
, ''rueppelli'', and one of the common names, Rüppell's agama, are in honor of German
naturalist Eduard Rüppell
Wilhelm Peter Eduard Simon Rüppell (20 November 1794 – 10 December 1884) was a German Natural history, naturalist and List of explorers, explorer. Rüppell is occasionally transliterated to "Rueppell" for the English alphabet, due to german ort ...
.
Geographic range
''A. rueppelli'' is found in eastern
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
, northern
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
, and
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
.
Description
A small brown or reddish agama, ''A. rueppelli'' may reach a total length (including tail) of . It has darker crossbars down the back, with a pale vertebral stripe.
[Spawls S, Howell KM, Drewes RC (2006). ''Reptiles and Amphibians of East Africa.'' Princeton Pocket Guide Series. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. 240 pp. .]
References
External links
*
Further reading
*
Boulenger GA (1885). ''Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume I. ... Agamidæ.'' London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 436 pp. + Plates I-XXXII. ("''Agama rueppellii''
ic, pp. 355–356).
*
Parker HW (1932). "Scientific Results of the Cambridge Expedition to the East African Lakes, 1930-31. 5. Reptiles and Amphibians". ''Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology'' 38: 213-229.
*
Vaillant L (1882). "''Reptiles et Batraciens'' ". pp. 1–25 + Plates I-III. ''In:''
Révoil G (1882). ''Faune et Flore des Pays Çomalis (Afrique Orientale)''. Paris: Challanel Ainé. 530 pp. ("''Agama ruppelli''
ic, new species, pp. 6–8 + Plate I). (in French).
rueppelli
Agamid lizards of Africa
Reptiles of Kenya
Reptiles described in 1882
Taxa named by Léon Vaillant
{{agamidae-stub