Steppe agama - Trapelus sanguinolentus. Steppe agama Agama Caucasian shape and body color
Description
The total length of the steppe agama does not exceed 30 cm, with a body length up to 12 cm with a head, the tail is 1.3-2 times longer than the body. Body weight up to 45 g (according to other sources up to 62 g). In Ciscaucasia, agamas are smaller compared to Central Asian ones: their body length is up to 8.5 cm, weight is up to 27 g. Adult males are noticeably longer than females, they have a preanal callus. Upper head shields slightly convex, not ribbed. The occipital shield, on which the parietal eye is located, is the same size as the surrounding shields. The nostrils are located at the back of the nasal shields and are almost invisible from above. Upper labials 15-19. A small external ear opening is well expressed, in the depth of which the tympanic membrane is located. Above it are 2-5 elongated spiny scales. The scales of the body are homogeneous (this is what the steppe agama differs from the closely related ruin agama), rhomboid, ribbed, only smooth on the throat, dorsal large, with sharp spines, caudal arranged in oblique rows and do not form transverse rings.
The coloration of young dragons is light gray above, with a row of light gray more or less oval spots running along the ridge, extending to the base of the tail, and two rows of the same elongated spots along the sides of the body. Larger dark brown or dark gray spots are located between the spots of adjacent rows. On the upper side of the legs and on the tail there are unsharp darker transverse stripes. With the onset of sexual maturity, the color changes, and adult lizards become gray or yellowish-gray in color. In males, dark spots almost completely disappear, and light gray ones darken; females generally retain their juvenile coloration.
With an increase in temperature, as well as in an excited state, the color of adult agamas changes and becomes very bright. At the same time, there is a clear sexual dimorphism in color. In males, the throat, belly, sides and limbs become dark or even black-blue, cobalt-blue spots appear on the back, and the tail becomes bright yellow or orange-yellow in color. The females become bluish or greenish yellow, the dark dorsal patches turn orange or rusty orange, and the legs and tail become the same but less brightly colored as the males. However, in the agamas from Ciscaucasia, the described color differences between the sexes are absent.
Range and habitats
The steppe agama is common in the deserts and semi-deserts of the Eastern Ciscaucasia (Russia), Southern Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Northern and Northeastern Iran, Northern Afghanistan, Northwestern China. In Central Asia, the northern border of the range runs from east coast little Caspian Sea south of the river Embi, goes around the Mugodzhar mountains from the south and through the lower reaches of the Turgai river and the valley of the middle reaches of the Sarysu river descends to the northern coast of Lake Balkhash, reaching further the foothills of Tarbagatai. Along the river valleys it penetrates into the foothills of the Tien Shan and Pamir-Alay, meeting in the vicinity of the cities of Osh in Kyrgyzstan and Chubek in Southwestern Tajikistan.
It lives in sandy, clay and rocky deserts and semi-deserts, preferring places with shrub or semi-woody vegetation. It is also found on gentle rocky slopes in the foothills (in Kopetdag it is known up to an altitude of 1200 m above sea level), along the outskirts of loosely fixed sands, along river banks and in tugai forests, often in close proximity to water, near settlements and along roadsides.
In the Asian part of the range, the steppe agama is one of the most common lizards of the steppes and deserts, its average number is about 10 individuals / ha, in the spring in colonies of gerbils up to 60. In the Eastern Ciscaucasia, the range of this species is very small and is constantly decreasing, the number is low, which is due with rather severe for steppe agamas climatic conditions and intense anthropogenic impact.
Lifestyle
After wintering, steppe agamas appear in mid-February - early April, depending on the area of \u200b\u200bdistribution, males leave winter shelters before females. They leave for the winter at the end of October. In spring and autumn, lizards are active in the middle of the day, in summer in the morning and evening. The periods of maximum activity of adults and juveniles usually do not coincide. Deftly climbing trunks and branches, agamas often climb branches of bushes, protecting themselves from overheating on hot sand during the hot time of the day and escaping from enemies, males survey their site, protecting it from the invasion of other males. In the eastern Karakum, they sometimes even spend the night in the bushes. They are able to jump from branch to branch at a distance of up to 80 cm. Agamas run very quickly on the ground, keeping their body elevated on outstretched legs and not touching the ground with their tail. In villages, they can be seen running along the vertical surfaces of adobe and stone fences and the walls of buildings. As shelters, steppe agamas use burrows of gerbils, jerboas, ground squirrels, hedgehogs, turtles, voids under stones and cracks in the ground. Less often, they dig their own holes, located between the roots or at the base of the stones. Each adult lizard has a relatively small habitat area, beyond which it very rarely goes. Demonstrative behavior includes squats combined with rhythmic nodding of the head.
Nutrition
The steppe agama feeds mainly on a variety of insects, predominantly beetles and ants, as well as spiders, centipedes, wood lice, and succulent parts of plants, in particular flowers, leaves, and stems. Lizards deftly capture insects with a sticky tongue.
reproduction
Sexual maturity occurs in the second year of life with a body length of 6.5-8.0 cm. During the breeding season, sexually mature males rise to the upper branches of the bushes, from where the site is clearly visible. When an opponent appears, the owner quickly descends to meet him and drives the stranger away. During this period, males and females usually stay in pairs, one, less often two or three females live on the site of the male. Mating usually takes place in April. In late April - early June, the female lays eggs in a cone-shaped hole 3-5 cm deep dug in loose soil or in a hole. The clutch size depends on the age of the female. 1-2 repeated clutches per season are possible. The second laying in Central Asia occurs in mid-June - early July, the third, if any, in mid-late July. During the season, the female lays 4-18 eggs in three to four portions, 9-13 x 18-21 mm in size. The incubation period lasts 50-60 days, young lizards 29-40 mm long and weighing 0.95-2.22 g appear from the second half of June until late autumn.
Subspecies
- Trapelus sanguinolentus sanguinolentus- nominative subspecies, lives in Russia in the Eastern Ciscaucasia isolated from the main range within Chechnya, Dagestan (Nogai steppe) and Stavropol Territory;
- Trapelus sanguinolentus aralensis- East Caspian subspecies, distributed throughout the rest of the vast range of the species.
Type territory of the species: Kum-Ankatar in the Terek valley.
Steppe agamas are kept in horizontal terrariums at a temperature of +28…+30 °C during the day (under a heater up to +35 °C), +20…+25 °C at night and low humidity. Sand is used as soil with moistening from below. Be sure to place branches on which the agamas spend a lot of time. Since the males in mating season very pugnacious, steppe agamas are best kept in groups of one male and several females. They feed mainly on insects, but also on apples, oranges, bananas, lettuce, and oat sprouts, which they also eat well. Mating in March - May. Starting from April, in 2-3 portions, the female lays 4-18 eggs. Thus, pregnancy lasts about 40 days. Egg incubation at a temperature of +27…+28 °C lasts 50-52 days.
A photo
Notes
Literature
- Bannikov A. G., Darevsky I. S., Ishchenko V. G., Rustamov A. K., Shcherbak N. N. Key to amphibians and reptiles of the fauna of the USSR. - M.: Education, 1977. - S. 105-108. - 415 p.
- Ananyeva N. B., Orlov N. L., Khalikov R. G., Darevsky I. S., Ryabov S. A., Barabanov A. V. Atlas of reptiles Northern Eurasia(taxonomic diversity, geographical distribution and conservation status). - St. Petersburg: Zoological Institute RAS, 2004. - S. 53. - ISBN 5-98092-007-2
- Life of animals. Volume 5. Amphibians, Reptiles / Ed. A. G. Bannikova. - 2nd ed. - M.: Enlightenment, 1985.
- Kudryavtsev S. V., Frolov V. E., Korolev A. V. Terrarium and its inhabitants (review of species and keeping in captivity). - M.: timber industry, 1991. - S. 283. - 349 p. ISBN 5-7120-018-2
(Pallas, 1814)
(= Agama sanguinolenta(Pallas, 1814); Agama aralensis Lichtenstein, 1823)
Appearance. lizards medium sizes with a slightly flattened body. Dimensions bodies with a tail up to 12 cm; males are somewhat larger than females. Head large and relatively high, has a heart-shaped shape and is sharply delimited from the neck. Eardrum located on the surface, so that there is a clearly defined external auditory meatus. Above the ear there are 2-3 elongated spiny scales. The upper body is covered with uniform, rhomboid, ribbed, overlapping scales. Lateral, thoracic and ventral scales with blunt ribs, while throat scales are smooth or with underdeveloped ribs. Ribbed tail scales are arranged in oblique rows that do not form transverse rings:
Upper tail scales of agamas:
1 - Himalayan agama (Laudakia himalayana), 2 - Caucasian agama (Laudakia caucasia), 3 - Khorasan agama (Laudakia erythrogastra), 4 - Turkestan agama (Laudakia lehmanni) and 5 - steppe agama
Fingers almost round. The fourth toe on the hind limbs is longer than the third.
Coloring. The upper side of the body is gray or yellowish-gray, the underside is white. Juveniles have one row of light gray more or less oval spots along the spine, continuing to the base of the tail, and two rows of elongated spots of the same color on the sides of the body; between the spots of two adjacent rows there are larger dark brown or dark gray spots. Unsharp dark transverse stripes are visible on the upper side of the legs and on the tail. With the onset of sexual maturity in males, dark spots almost disappear, and light gray ones darken; in females, the juvenile pattern is generally preserved. The color of the body can change under the influence of temperature or depending on the physiological state of the animal, while demonstrating sexual dimorphism. In males, when excited, the throat, body sides, belly and limbs become dark blue or black-blue, cobalt blue spots appear on the back, while the tail becomes bright yellow or orange-yellow in color. Under the same conditions, the general background of the body of the female becomes bluish or greenish-yellow, the spots on the back become orange or rusty-orange, and the tail takes on the same color as in males, but less bright.
Spreading. The species is distributed in the deserts and semi-deserts of the eastern Ciscaucasia, Central Asia and Kazakhstan, as well as in northern and northeastern Iran, northern Afghanistan, and on the eastern border of its range it also penetrates into northwestern China. In Central Asia, the northern border of the range runs somewhat south of the line of the Emba River from the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, goes around the Mugodzhar mountains from the south, and through the lower reaches of the Turgay and the valley of the middle reaches of the Sarysu river descends to the northern coast of Balkhash, further reaching the foothills of Tarbagatai. Along the river valleys it penetrates into the foothills of the Tien Shan and Pamir-Alay, meeting in the vicinity of the city of Osh in Kyrgyzstan and Chubek in southwestern Tajikistan.
Systematics of the species. In the eastern Ciscaucasia, isolated from the main range within Chechnya, Dagestan and Stavropol Territory common nominative subspecies Trapelus sanguinolentus sanguinolentus, and the rest of the vast range of the species is inhabited by the East Caspian subspecies Trapelus sanguinolentus aralensis Lichtenstein, 1823.
Habitat. It lives in sandy, clay and rocky deserts and semi-deserts, preferring areas with shrubs or semi-woody vegetation, as well as on gentle rocky slopes in the foothills at an altitude of up to 1200 m above sea level, along the outskirts of loosely fixed sands, along river banks and in riparian forests. The northern border of the range quite clearly correlates with the northern border of the desert zone, going beyond its limits only in the eastern Ciscaucasia.
Like other species with such a wide range, the steppe agama has a shift in biotopic preference, while in the isolated western part of its range, the agama is confined only to sandy soils, while in the Asian part it is one of the most eurytopic reptile species. It does not avoid the proximity of a person, settling on the outskirts of settlements and along roadsides. It uses burrows of gerbils, ground squirrels, jerboas, hedgehogs, turtles, voids under stones and cracks in the soil as shelters.
Activity. In the hot time of the day, agamas often climb the branches of shrubs, thus protecting themselves from overheating on the soil heated by the sun. From here, sexually mature males survey their individual territory, protecting it from the intrusion of competitors. In the eastern Karakum, agamas spend the night on the bushes quite often. Under optimal conditions, a very high number is observed, up to 10 individuals per 1 ha. After wintering in different parts of the range and depending on the climatic conditions of the year, they appear in late February - March - early April.
Reproduction. Agamas begin to breed after the second wintering at the age of about two years. Pairing in southern Kazakhstan it lasts from the beginning of April to May. First laying eggs in southern Turkmenistan occurs already in late April - early May. Depending on age, the female lays 4-18 eggs size 9-13 x 18-21 mm per season, 2-3 clutches are possible. The eggs are laid in a burrow or in a cone-shaped hole dug by the female. Young size 80-100 mm (with a tail) appear from the second half of June until late autumn.
Nutrition. The basis of nutrition is insects, they also feed on spiders, centipedes and, to a small extent, plant foods.
Similar types. It is well distinguished from other agamas by its bright color; from mountain agamas - the absence of a ringed tail; from the ruin agama - uniform scales of the upper surface of the body and more large size. It differs from round heads by the presence of an external ear hole.
On our website you can also find information on anatomy, morphology and ecology of reptiles: general characteristics of reptiles, integument, movement, and skeleton of reptiles, digestive organs and nutrition, respiratory organs and gas exchange, circulatory system and blood circulation, excretory organs and water-salt metabolism, genital organs and reproduction, nervous system and sensory organs, behavior and image life, the annual cycle of life, geographical distribution and role in biocenoses, the importance of reptiles for humans, as well as: some rules of zoological nomenclature, identification of reptiles by external signs, recommended literature on reptiles.
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(Agama sanguinolenta)
STEPPE AGAM (Agama sanguinolenta) is one of the most characteristic lizards of the steppes and deserts of Kazakhstan and Central Asia. It differs from other Central Asian representatives of its genus in its homogeneous, ribbed, with pointed spines scales of the body and long tail and a small ear hole, in the depths of which the eardrum is located. The total length of the animal does not exceed 30 cm, and adult males are noticeably longer than females. Young agamas are light gray above with a row of light gray more or less oval spots running along the ridge, extending to the base of the tail, and two rows of the same elongated spots along the sides of the body. With age, the color changes, and adult lizards become gray or yellowish-gray in color, and in males the dark spots often disappear almost completely. With an increase in temperature, as well as under the influence of any nervous excitement the modest coloring of sexually mature agamas gives way to extremely bright colors, and significant color differences between the sexes are found. In males, the throat and the entire lower surface of the body and limbs become dark or even black-blue, cobalt-blue spots appear on the back, and the tail acquires a bright orange-yellow color. Under the same conditions, in females, the main background of the body becomes bluish or greenish-yellow, dark spots on the back become bright rusty-orange, and the legs and tail acquire the same, but less bright, color as in males. The steppe agama inhabits sandy, clay and rocky deserts and semi-deserts, adhering to places with shrub or semi-woody vegetation. It is also found in tugai forests along river banks, often in close proximity to water. As shelters, steppe agamas use rodent burrows, spaces under stones and cracks in the ground. Less often, they dig their own holes, located between the roots or at the base of the stones. They feed on all kinds of insects, spiders and wood lice, as well as the succulent parts of plants, in particular flowers. Of insects, these lizards prefer ants, which they deftly capture with a sticky tongue. Agamas run very fast, keeping the body elevated on outstretched legs and not touching the ground with their tail. They climb extremely deftly up the trunks and branches of trees and shrubs, sometimes jumping from branch to branch up to a distance of half a meter. In the villages they can be seen running along the vertical surfaces of adobe and stone fences and the walls of buildings. Each adult lizard has a relatively small habitat area, beyond which it very rarely goes. During the breeding season, sexually mature males rise to the upper branches of the bushes, from where the site is clearly visible. When an opponent appears, the owner quickly rolls towards him and puts the alien to flight. On the site of the male lives one, less often two females. In late April - early May, the female digs a cone-shaped hole 3-5 cm deep in loose soil and lays 5-10 eggs in it. Repeated clutches occur at the end of May and at the end of July. After 50-60 days, young lizards 32-40 mm long hatch from the eggs. The steppe agama is widespread in the desert and steppe zones of Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Afghanistan and Northern Iran to the Eastern Ciscaucasia in the west and Northwestern China in the east.
Practical work No. 1"The study of the adaptability of organisms to the environment"
Objective: consider the adaptability of organisms to the environment using specific examples.
Equipment: table depicting various types of insect limbs, images of animals from the same genus, sources additional information, determinants or identification cards.
Working process
Consider Various types limbs of insects (running, jumping, swimming, digging). Give examples of insects that have these types of limbs. What is common in their structure? What is different? Explain the reasons for these differences.
Consider the pictures of the animals offered to you. Fill the table.
3. Make a conclusion about the adaptability of specific living organisms to living conditions.
1.
A- running (an limb of an ant)
B- jumping (grasshopper limb)
B- digging (limb bear)
G- swimming (limb of a swimming beetle)
The limbs of insects, representing a system of levers movably connected to each other with a large number degrees of freedom, capable of various and perfect movements.
The limbs are used to move insects. Differences in the structure of the limbs depend on the diverse specialization of insect life, on environment.
For example: the jumping limb has powerful muscles, the running limbs are longer than the digging limbs.
Agama caucasian
2.
Agama steppe
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View |
area |
Habitat |
Body shape and color |
claw development |
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Agama caucasian |
Transcaucasia, Dagestan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan. |
Mountains, rocks, rocky slopes, large boulders. |
Color often depends on the background of the environment. It happens olive-gray, dirty-brown, ash-gray. Length up to 36 cm, weight up to 160 g, body, head flattened, heterogeneous scales. Has a long tail. |
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Agama steppe |
Desert and steppe zones Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Northern Iran, etc. |
Sandy, clayey, rocky deserts, semi-deserts. They often nest near water. |
The color is light gray, with oval spots. Color changes with age. Males are brighter than females. The length is not more than 30 cm. The scales are uniform, ribbed with spines. Has a long tail. |
Agamas have thin fingers with short hooked claws, limbs are equipped with five or more fingers, with the fourth finger longer than the third. |
Conclusion: organisms adapt to specific environmental conditions. This can be seen on a specific example of agamas. Means of protection of organisms - camouflage, protective coloration, mimicry, behavioral adaptations and other types of adaptations allow organisms to protect themselves and their offspring.
Despite the name, the steppe agama does not live in real saline steppes. This large and highly visible lizard prefers the arid climate of deserts and semi-deserts.
Agamas are a rather extensive family, including more than 400 species that live throughout the Eastern Hemisphere. These lizards occupy various ecological niches and therefore are quite diverse in their own way. appearance and building. main feature of this family, which distinguishes its representatives from most other reptiles - teeth different shapes: incisors, canines and molars, as in mammals.
BREAKED AREAL
The steppe agama has a vast range, consisting of two unequal parts. The smaller, European one is located in Ciscaucasia, in the semi-desert regions of Dagestan, Chechnya and the Stavropol Territory. Large, Asian, covers the South, Central Asia, northern parts and Afghanistan, as well as the northwest. Scientists believe that the break in the range of more than 600 km in this and some other species of reptiles occurred during the Khvalyn transgression of the Caspian Sea, which ended about 7 thousand years ago. Then the sea (formerly called Khvalynsky) overflowed and flooded vast territories north of its modern borders. However, it remains unclear why some species subsequently managed to successfully populate Caspian lowland and restore a single area, while others do not.
I SIT HIGH, I LOOK FAR
The steppe agama is the only species of lowland agamas that lives in Kazakhstan. Like all representatives of this genus, this is a medium-sized bisexual oviparous lizard, active during daylight hours. It has a body rounded in section, covered with uniform ribbed scales, a high head and a rather short muzzle. It does not have occipital and dorsal-caudal crests, like all lowland agamas. There is usually a throat pouch on the neck, especially well developed in males. This lizard lives in sandy, clay and rocky deserts and semi-deserts, preferring areas with shrub vegetation. It can also be found on gentle rocky slopes in the foothills, along the outskirts of loosely fixed sands, along river banks, on the outskirts of settlements and irrigated fields. In the mountains, the lizard rises to a height of 1200 m above sea level (Kopetdag, Turkmenistan).
Agamas use burrows of rodents, hedgehogs and turtles, voids under stones and cracks in the soil as shelters. These reptiles lead a terrestrial and semi-arboreal lifestyle. In the very heat, lizards either sit in shelters or climb onto the branches of bushes, protecting themselves from overheating on the soil heated by the sun. They are able to jump from branch to branch up to 50 cm. Agamas are territorial. Males, sitting on a dais, survey their individual area and protect it from the intrusion of competitors. In the possessions of the male lives one, less often two or three females.
FLOWER FOR DESSERT
The basis of the diet of agamas is beetles, butterflies, ants and many other insects, as well as arachnids.
Their lizards prey both on the surface of the soil and on the branches of shrubs. However, in addition to this, they also willingly eat plant foods: leaves, stems and flowers of some plants. Their share can be from 20 to 40% of the total diet.
In turn, in nature, agamas often become the prey of snakes, monitor lizards, birds of prey and animals like eared hedgehog, corsac or fox. Ornithologists have repeatedly observed how long-legged buzzards grab lizards sitting on the tops of bushes. Being widespread and numerous species reptiles, the steppe agama occupies an important place in the food chain.
CONTINUATION
2-3 weeks after leaving the wintering period, which lasts from October to March, the males acquire a bright breeding color and show it by inflating their throats, rising on their front legs and nodding their heads. Females confirm their readiness for mating by clinging to the ground. After 35-45 days they lay from 4 to 18 eggs, tearing out a cone-shaped hole in the sand. Having completed the laying, the female crawls out of the hole and falls asleep outside. After another 50-60 days, the cubs hatch from the eggs, which begin to actively feed immediately after the assimilation of the yolk reserve. During the season, the female usually makes 2-3 clutches. Young agamas reach puberty in the second year of life.
Like some tropical lizards and chameleons, the steppe agama is able to dramatically change the intensity of color depending on its physiological state and "mood". So, in excited or well-warmed males in the sun, the throat, limbs and sides of the body become dark blue, and the tail is orange-yellow. In females, bright rusty-red spots cover the back.
A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF
Class: reptiles.
Order: lizards.
Family: Agama lizards.
Genus: Plains Agamas.
Species: steppe agama.
Latin name: Trapelus sanguinolentus
Size: body length with tail - up to 30 cm.
Coloration: in adults in a calm state yellowish-gray, in young ones the top is brownish-gray with light spots, the belly is light with numerous dark stripes and spots.
Agama life span: up to 10 years.
