Ctenophorus

Ctenophorus
File:Ctenophorus fordi.jpg
Ctenophorus fordi, Mallee dragon
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Iguania
Family:	Agamidae
Subfamily:	Amphibolurinae
Genus:	Ctenophorus Fitzinger, 1843
Species
28 species, see text

File:Central Netted Dragon closeup at Sydney Wildlife World.jpg

Ctenophorus nuchalis

Ctenophorus is a genus of lizards, also known as comb-bearing dragons, that contains the most diverse group of dragon lizards in Australia. Many of these have been grouped by a similar morphology. The informal names and groupings within this genus — rock, crevice-, ground, sand-, and bicycle-dragon — are named after the mythological creature, the dragon.

Species

There are 28 recognized species in the genus.

• Ctenophorus adelaidensis (Gray, 1841) – western heath dragon
• Ctenophorus butlerorum (Storr, 1977)
• Ctenophorus caudicinctus (Günther, 1875) – ring-tailed bicycle-dragon, ring-tailed dragon
• Ctenophorus chapmani (Storr, 1977)
• 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, 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, 1974) – Bulldust ground-dragon, gibber dragon
• Ctenophorus isolepis (Fischer, 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 et al., 2013
• Ctenophorus nguyarna Doughty, Maryan, Melville & J. Austin, 2007 – Lake Disappointment dragon
• Ctenophorus nuchalis (De Vis, 1884) – central netted dragon, central netted ground-dragon
• Ctenophorus ornatus (Gray, 1845) – ornate dragon, ornate crevice-dragon
• Ctenophorus parviceps (Storr, 1964)
• Ctenophorus pictus (W. Peters, 1866) – painted dragon
• Ctenophorus reticulatus (Gray, 1845) – western netted dragon, western netted ground-dragon
• Ctenophorus rufescens (Stirling & 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 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

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Ctenophorus.

Polymorphism

This genus of lizards is known to display color polymorphism, when more than one color type is 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

Further reading

• Fitzinger L. (1843). Systema Reptilium, Fasciculus Primus, Amblyglossae. Vienna: Braumüller & Seidel. 106 pp. + indices. (Ctenophorus, new genus, p. 83). (in Latin).
• Wilson S, Swan G. (2003). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia. Second edition. Sydney: New Holland Publishing.