Chordates • Earth.com

Spotted toad-headed agama

(Phrynocephalus maculatus)

Description

The spotted toad-headed agama is a member of the Agamidae family,also known as the chameleons of the Old World due to their striking ability to change their body colour.As such,the body colour of this lizard is highly variable,but typically has distinct brown bars across the body and tail.It also tends to match the colour of its background and lizards found on pale coastal sands tend to be paler and less patterned than those on red,inland sands.The agamid lizards are also known as the chisel-teeth lizards due to the compressed,fused teeth being firmly attached to the upper jaw,unlike most other lizards which have loosely attached teeth.The head is short and broad,with a deep forehead and snub nose,and the flattened body is wide and strong and covered in rough skin with overlapping scales.The long,flattened tail is rounded at the base and has a black tip on the underside which,when raised,is used in visual signals

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum:
Class: Reptilia
Order:Squamata
Family:Agamidae
Genus:Phrynocephalus
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