''Ctenophorus'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
lizards,
commonly known as comb-bearing dragons, in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Agamidae. The genus contains the most diverse group of
dragon lizards in
Australia. It is the largest group of Australian lizards and it has an extensive radiation in the arid zones. Many of the
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 ''Ctenophorus'' have been grouped by a similar
morphology
Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to:
Disciplines
* Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts
* Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies ...
. The informal names and groupings within this genus — rock dragon, crevice-dragon, ground-dragon, sand-dragon, and bicycle-dragon — are named after the mythological creature, the
dragon.
Lizards in the genus ''Ctenophorus'' may be confused with lizards in the
genera ''
Tympanocryptis'' and ''
Diporiphora
''Diporiphora'' is a genus of lizards in the family Agamidae. Most species in the genus are endemic to Australia, but two (''D. australis'' and ''D. bilineata'') are also found in New Guinea.
Species
The genus includes these 28 species wh ...
''.
[ Swan G, Shea G, Sadlier R (2004) ''A Field Guide to Reptiles of New South Wales''. Sydney, New South Wales: Reed New Holland. .]
Species
There are 34 recognized
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 ...
in the genus.
*''
Ctenophorus adelaidensis''
(Gray
Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed o ...
, 1841) – western heath dragon
*''
Ctenophorus butlerorum''
(Storr Storr is a surname of Old Scandinavian origin, and may refer to
* Anthony Storr (1920–2001), English psychiatrist and author
* Catherine Storr (1913–2001), English novelist and children's writer
* Farrah Storr (born 1978), British journalist
* ...
, 1977) – Butler's dragon, Shark Bay heath dragon, Edel heath dragon
*''
Ctenophorus caudicinctus''
( Günther, 1875) – ring-tailed bicycle-dragon, ring-tailed dragon
*''
Ctenophorus chapmani''
(Storr, 1977) – Chapman's dragon, southern heath dragon, Bight heath dragon
*''
Ctenophorus clayi''
(Storr, 1967) – black-shouldered ground-dragon, black-collared dragon
*''
Ctenophorus cristatus''
(Gray 1841) – crested bicycle-dragon, crested dragon, bicycle dragon
*''
Ctenophorus decresii''
( A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron
Gabriel Bibron (20 October 1805 – 27 March 1848) was a French zoologist and herpetologist. He was born in Paris. The son of an employee of the Museum national d'histoire naturelle, he had a good foundation in natural history and was hir ...
, 1837) – tawny crevice-dragon, tawny dragon
*''
Ctenophorus femoralis''
(Storr, 1965) – long-tailed sand-dragon
*''
Ctenophorus fionni''
( Procter, 1923) – Peninsula crevice-dragon, Peninsula dragon
*''
Ctenophorus fordi''
(Storr, 1965) – Mallee dragon, Mallee sand-dragon, Mallee military dragon
*''
Ctenophorus gibba''
(Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
, 1974) – Bulldust ground-dragon, gibber dragon
*''
Ctenophorus graafi''
(Storr, 1967) – Graaf's dragon
*''
Ctenophorus infans''
(Storr, 1967) – Laverton ring-tailed dragon
*''
Ctenophorus isolepis''
(Fischer
Fischer is a German occupational surname, meaning fisherman. The name Fischer is the fourth most common German surname. The English version is Fisher.
People with the surname A
* Abraham Fischer (1850–1913) South African public official
* A ...
, 1881) – central military dragon
*''
Ctenophorus maculatus''
(Gray, 1831) – spotted military dragon, spotted dragon, spotted sand-dragon
*''
Ctenophorus maculosus''
( F.J. Mitchell, 1948) – Lake Eyre dragon, salt-lake ground-dragon
*''
Ctenophorus mckenziei''
(Storr, 1981) – dwarf bicycle-dragon, McKenzie's dragon
*''
Ctenophorus mirrityana''
(McLean
MacLean, also spelt Maclean and McLean, is a Goidelic languages, Gaelic surname Mac Gille Eathain, or, Mac Giolla Eóin in Irish language, Irish Gaelic), Eóin being a Gaelic form of Johannes (John (given name), John). The clan surname is an A ...
et al., 2013) – Barrier Range dragon
*''
Ctenophorus modestus''
( Ahl, 1926)
*''
Ctenophorus nguyarna''
(Doughty
Doughty is an English and Scottish surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Al Doughty (born 1966), British musician and bassist
* Andrew Doughty (1916–2013), British anaesthetist
* Anthony Doughty (born 1963), British musician
* ...
, Maryan, Melville & J. Austin, 2007) – Lake Disappointment dragon
*''
Ctenophorus nuchalis''
(De Vis
Charles Walter de Vis (Birmingham, England, 9 May 1829 – Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 30 April 1915), , 1884) – central netted dragon, central netted ground-dragon
*''
Ctenophorus ornatus
''Ctenophorus ornatus'', the ornate crevice-dragon or ornate dragon, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. It is found on granite outcrops of Western Australia.
The species is a member of a diverse genus, ''Ctenophorus'', that contains ...
''
(Gray, 1845) – ornate dragon, ornate crevice-dragon
*''
Ctenophorus parviceps''
(Storr, 1964) – Gnaraloo heath dragon, northwestern heath dragon
*''
Ctenophorus pictus
''Ctenophorus pictus'', commonly known as the painted ground-dragon or painted dragon,Waite ER (Editor). (1929). ''The Reptiles and Amphibians of South Australia''. Adelaide: Government Printer. 270 pp. is a species of lizard from the family ...
''
( W. Peters, 1866) – painted dragon
*''
Ctenophorus reticulatus''
(Gray, 1845) – western netted dragon, western netted ground-dragon
*''
Ctenophorus rubens'' – reddening sand-dragon, rufus sand dragon
*''
Ctenophorus rufescens''
(Stirling
Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...
& Zietz, 1893) – rusty crevice-dragon, rusty dragon
*''
Ctenophorus salinarum''
(Storr, 1966) – saltpan ground-dragon, claypan dragon
*''
Ctenophorus scutulatus''
(Stirling & Zietz, 1893) – lozenge-marked dragon, lozenge-marked bicycle-dragon
*''
Ctenophorus slateri''
(Storr, 1967) – Slater's dragon
*''
Ctenophorus spinodomus''
Sadlier, Colgan, Beatson, & Cogger, 2019 – Eastern Mallee dragon
*''
Ctenophorus tjantjalka''
( Johnston, 1992) – ochre dragon
*''
Ctenophorus vadnappa''
(Houston, 1974) – red-barred crevice-dragon, red-barred dragon
*''
Ctenophorus yinnietharra''
(Storr, 1981) – Yinnietharra crevice-dragon, Yinnietharra rock dragon
Polymorphism
Lizards of the genus ''Ctenophorus'' are known to display color polymorphism, more than one color type being found within a population. It is believed that color polymorphism in this group has evolved as a result of a combination of sexual selection and natural selection.
References
External links
List of links to a page about each species, some with imagesGoogle search for images
*https://www.samuseum.sa.gov.au/Upload/Files-Biological-Sciences/R-and-A-text/Key-to-the-Dragons-of-South-Australia_1.pdf
*
Further reading
* Fitzinger L (1843). ''Systema Reptilium, Fasciculus Primus, Amblyglossae.'' Vienna: Braumüller & Seidel. 106 pp. + indices. (''Ctenophorus'', new genus, p. 83). (in Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
).
*Wilson S
Wilson may refer to:
People
* Wilson (name)
** List of people with given name Wilson
** List of people with surname Wilson
* Wilson (footballer, 1927–1998), Brazilian manager and defender
*Wilson (footballer, born 1984), full name Wilson Rod ...
, Swan G (2003). ''A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia''. Second edition. Sydney: New Holland Publishing.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q678098
Agamid lizards of Australia
Lizard genera
Taxa named by Leopold Fitzinger