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Sitana

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Sitana
Sitana ponticeriana, the type species
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Agamidae
Subfamily: Draconinae
Genus: Sitana
G. Cuvier, 1829
Type species
Sitana ponticeriana
Cuvier, 1829

Sitana is a genus of lizards, collectively known as the fan-throated lizards, from the family Agamidae. They are found in Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.[1] The genus comprises fourteen species, including several recently discovered species,[2] such as two new species from Sri Lanka.[3] In 2016, a new genus named Sarada was erected, consisting of one former Sitana species and two newly described ones. Sarada is the sister genus of Sitana. Together they form a clade which sister group is Otocryptis.[1]

Description

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Sitana are small to medium-sized lizards. They are ground dwellers, primarily eating insects but also mollusks and plant seeds.[1]

Males measure 37–47 mm (1.5–1.9 in) and females 36–52 mm (1.4–2.0 in) in snout–vent length. In an example of convergent evolution, males have prominent dewlaps, similar to anoles, which are used in communication during the breeding season. The dewlap may be small to large, depending on the species. Females lack the dewlap.[1]

Species

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There are fifteen species that are listed here alphabetically:[4][2]

Image Scientific Name Common Name Distribution
Sitana bahiri Amarasinghe, Ineich & Karunarathna, 2015 Bahir's fan-throated lizard Sri Lanka
Sitana devakai Amarasinghe, Ineich & Karunaratna, 2014 Devaka's fan-throated lizard Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu of India,
Sitana dharwarensis Ambekar, Murthy, & Mirza 2020 India
Sitana fusca Schleich & Kästle, 1998[5] dark sitana Nepal.
Sitana gokakensis Deepak, Khandekar, Chaitanya, & Karanth, 2018 Gokak fan-throated lizard India.
Sitana kalesari Bahuguna, 2015 India.
Sitana laticeps Deepak and Giri, 2016[1] broad-headed fan-throated lizard India.
Sitana marudhamneydhal Deepak, Khandekar, Varma & Chaitanya, 2016 India
Sitana ponticeriana Cuvier, 1829 Pondichéry fan-throated lizard India
Sitana schleichi Anders & Kästle, 2002 Suklaphantah sitana Nepal.
Sitana sivalensis Schleich, Kästle & Shah, 1998; endemic to Nepal[6][7] Siwalik sitana Nepal.
Sitana spinaecephalus Deepak, Vyas and Giri, 2016[1] spiny-headed fan-throated lizard India
Sitana sushili Deepak, Tillack, Kar, Sarkar, & Mohapatra, 2021 Sushil's fan-throated lizard India
Sitana thondalu Deepak, Khandekar, Chaitanya, & Karanth, 2018 Nagarjuna Sagar fan-throated lizard India
Sitana visiri Deepak, 2016[1] palm leaf fan-throated lizard India

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Deepak, V.; Giri, Varad B.; Asif, M.; Dutta, S.K.; Vyas, R.; Zambre, Amod M.; Bhosale, Harshal; Karanth, K. Praveen (2016). "Systematics and phylogeny of Sitana (Reptilia: Agamidae) of Peninsular India, with the description of one new genus and five new species". Contributions to Zoology. 85 (1): 67–111. doi:10.1163/18759866-08501004.
  2. ^ a b Sitana at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 17 September 2016.
  3. ^ Anole annals
  4. ^ "Sitana Cuvier, 1829". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  5. ^ H. H. Schleich; W. Kästle (1998). "Sitana fusca spec. nov., a further species from the Sitana sivalensis- complex". In H. H. Schleich; W. Kästle (eds.). Contributions to the Herpetology of South Asia (Nepal, India). Wuppertal: Fuhlrott Museum. pp. 207–226. ISBN 978-3-87429-404-1.
  6. ^ Sitana sivalensis at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database
  7. ^ H. H. Schleich; W. Kästle; K. B. Shah (1998). "Description of Sitana sivalensis spec. nov., (Sauria: Agamidae) from south Nepal". In H. H. Schleich; W. Kästle (eds.). Contributions to the Herpetology of South Asia (Nepal, India). Wuppertal: Fuhlrott Museum. pp. 87–100. ISBN 978-3-87429-404-1.
  • Media related to Sitana at Wikimedia Commons
  • Data related to Sitana at Wikispecies