Ceratophora Explained

Ceratophora is a genus of agamid lizards found in Sri Lanka. The male has a horn on its snout.

Description

The tympanum is hidden, and the body is more or less laterally compressed, and covered with unequal scales. No dorsal crest is present; and a nuchal crest can be present or absent. No gular sac or gular fold is present. A large rostral appendage occurs, at least in the males. No femoral or preanal pores are found.^[1]

Species

The following species are recognized as being valid.^{[2] [3]}

Image	Scientific Name	Common Name	Distribution
	Ceratophora aspera	rough-nosed horned lizard, Sri Lanka horned agama	Sri Lanka
	Ceratophora erdeleni		Sri Lanka
	Ceratophora karu		Sri Lanka
	Ceratophora stoddartii	rhino-horned lizard, Stoddart's unicorn lizard, the mountain horned agama	Sri Lanka.
	Ceratophora tennentii	rhinoceros agama, horn-nosed lizard, leaf-nosed lizard, Tennent's leaf-nosed lizard	Sri Lanka.
	Ceratophora ukuwelai	Ukuwelas's rough-horn lizard	Sri Lanka

Key to selected species

• a. Gular scales larger than the ventrals, smooth; lateral scales large, unequal; rostral appendage scaleless — C. stoddartii
• b. Gular scales larger than the ventrals, feebly keeled; lateral scales large, equal; rostral appendage scaly — C. tennentii
• c. Gular scales smaller than the ventrals, strongly keeled; lateral scales small; rostral appendage scaly — C. aspera^[1]

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 & Francis, printers). xii + 436 pp. + Plates I-XXXII. (Genus Ceratophora, p. 277).
• Gray JE. 1835. Illustrations of Indian Zoology; Chiefly Selected from the Collection of Major-General Hardwicke. Vol. II. London: Adolphus Richter. (Stirling, printer). 102 plates. (Ceratophora stoddartii, Plate 68, Figure 2).
• Gray JE. 1845. Catalogue of the Specimens of Lizards in the Collection of the British Museum. London: Trustees of the British Museum. (Edward Newman, printer). xxviii + 289 pp. (Genus Ceratophora, p. 237).
• Günther ACLG. 1864. The Reptiles of British India. London: The Ray Society. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xxvii + 452 pp. + Plates I-XXVI. (Genus Ceratophora, p. 129).
• Smith MA. 1935. The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. II.—Sauria. London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 440 pp. + Plate I + 2 maps. (Genus Ceratophora, pp. 151–152).

Notes and References

1. [George Albert Boulenger|Boulenger GA]
2. "Ceratophora ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
3. "Ceratophora ". Dahms Tierleben. www.dahmstierleben.de/systematik/Reptilien/Squamata/Iguania/agamidae.