Ctenophorus fionni

Ctenophorus fionni, commonly known as the Arcoona rock dragon, peninsula dragon, or peninsula crevice-dragon, is a species of agamid lizard occurring only in South Australia.[2][3]

Ctenophorus fionni
A peninsula dragon in captivity
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Agamidae
Genus: Ctenophorus
Species:
C. fionni
Binomial name
Ctenophorus fionni
(Procter, 1923)
Synonyms[1]
  • Amphibolurus fionni
    Procter, 1923
  • Ctenophorus fionni
    — Cogger, 2000

Etymology

The specific name, fionni, is in honor of someone called "Fionn", the identity of whom Procter never revealed.[4]

Description

Adults of C. fionni have a total length (including tail) of 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 in). Females range in colour from brown to reddish-brown, with dark mottling. Males tend to have grey backs, brown heads and a multitude of white, cream and yellow-orange spots. The patterns and colours of males can vary drastically between different geographically isolated populations, with each isolated population having its own unique colour/pattern combination.[5]

Ecology and behaviour

The peninsula dragon is native to the rocky areas of Arcoona. It spend basks on rocks, and retreats to rock crevices for shelter. It is fast and agile, and will immediately dash to safety in between rocks when threatened. Peninsula dragons communicate through body posture, body movement, and color display, and these communications are most likely to be displayed during breeding seasons.

Reproduction

The breeding season of C. fionni starts at around spring, when the weather is beginning to warm up. Males in this time of year become very active, showing dominance and fighting for females. Females are known to lay up to 6 eggs, typically during spring and summer depending on the location and conditions.[6]

Diet

The peninsula dragon is an omnivore, meaning that it feeds on a diet of both meat, in this case insects, and vegetation. The peninsula dragon's diet comprises approximately 70% insects and 30% vegetation.

Threats

Threats to C. fionni include habitat loss, car roads, and introduced species.

References
  1. "Ctenophorus fionni ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  2. "Peninsula dragon". arod.com.au. Australian Reptile Online Database. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  3. "PENINSULA ROCK DRAGON". www.kingsnake.com. kingsnake.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-24. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  4. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Ctenophorus fionni, p. 90).
  5. Wilson, S., Swan, G. (2013) A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, New Holland Publishers, Sydney, New South Wales, ISBN 9781921517280
  6. Johnston, Greg (December 1999). "Reproductive Biology of the Peninsula Dragon Lizard, Ctenophorus fionni". Journal of Herpetology. 33 (4): 697. doi:10.2307/1565588. JSTOR 1565588.

Further reading
  • Procter JB (1923). "On New and Rare Reptiles and Batrachians from the Australian Region". Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1923: 1069-1077. (Amphibolurus fionni, new species, pp. 1075-1076, Text-figures 4a, 4b, 4c).
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