Psammophilus Fitzinger, 1843

Pal, Saunak, Vijayakumar, S. P., Shanker, Kartik, Jayarajan, Aditi & Deepak, V., 2018, A systematic revision of Calotes Cuvier, 1817 (Squamata: Agamidae) from the Western Ghats adds two genera and reveals two new species, Zootaxa 4482 (3), pp. 401-450 : 437-438

Psammophilus Fitzinger, 1843

Type species: Agama dorsalis ( Gray, 1845)

Content: Psammophilus dorsalis , Psammophilus blanfordanus ( Stoliczka, 1871)

Etymology: None provided but probably from Latin “Psammo” meaning sand and “Philus” meaning loving.

Diagnosis. The genus Psammophilus can be distinguished from the genera Cophotis, Ceratophora , Lyriocephalus , Ptyctolaemus , Phoxophrys , Japalura otai Mahony 2009 , J. planidorsata Jerdon, 1870 , J. sagittifera Smith, 1940 and Otocryptis by the presence of an external tympanum ( Boulenger, 1885; Smith, 1935; Inger, 1960; Pethiyagoda & Manamendra-Arachchi 1998; Schulte II et al. 2004; Bahir & Silva 2005; Manamendra-Arachchi et al. 2006; Samarawickrama et al. 2006); from other members of genus Japalura by the absence of heterogenous dorsal scales and short and thick nuchal scales.

The genus Psammophilus can be diagnosed from all other species of draconinae lizards from the Indian subcontinent except Calotes minor , in having a dorso-ventrally compressed body. Psammophilus differs from Calotes minor in having small body scales and higher number of around the body scales 80–150 (vs 48–60). Psammophilus are characterized by a medium to large adult body size (SVL mm to mm); body dorso-ventrally compressed; presence of an antehumeral fold; supratympanic spines present, reduced in size; dorsal and lateral scales rows slightly irregular; nuchal and dorsal crest small, reduced; dorsal and lateral scales small, keeled, scale rows directed postero-dorsally. Psammophilus can be distinguished from its sister genus Monilesaurus gen. nov. and Calotes in having a dorso-ventrally compressed body (vs dorso-laterally compressed) and higher number of scales on the mid-body scales (more than 80 vs less than 65) and reduced nuchal crest (vs. well developed); and from Microauris gen. nov. by having a relatively large tympanum ( Fig. 9d vs 9b). Scales on head large uniform shield like (vs small, sub-triangular) ( Fig. 10c vs 10d). Supratympanic spines are present, in the form of two separated spines vs clusters in Calotes . Psammophilus are sexually dimorphic, adult males are larger than females and have enlarged cheeks. Psammophilus are also sexually dichromatic; during breeding season males acquire bright yellow and orange colors on the dorsum while females remain dull to dark brown with or without orange/ yellow spots.

Taxonomic comments. The two species Psammophilus dorsalis and Psammophilus blanfordanus were earlier placed in the genus Agama (Daudin, 1802) and the now obsolete genus Charasia ( Gray, 1845) . Smith (1935) transferred the two species Charasia dorsalis and Charasia blanfordanus to the genus Psammophilus . Most likely due to their dorso-ventrally compressed body, Psammophilus was placed among the Agaminae but molecular data suggest that they are nested well within the subfamily Draconinae .

Both P. dorsalis and P. blanfordanus have been recorded in the Western Ghats ( Smith, 1935). Stoliczka (1871) provided a brief description of P. blanfordanus without mentioning a type locality and later provided a detailed description ( Stoliczka, 1872) based on a large number of samples collected from central India (Udaypore west of Chotanagpur, West of Raipore, West of Ranchi) which are currently recognized as syntypes in ZSI with additional syntypes in NMW and ZMB (Das et al. 1998). Stoliczka (1872) also mentions that P. blanfordanus is not uncommon in Parisnath (Parasnath) hill. Psammophilus dorsalis was described by Gray (1831).

The key character to diagnose this species is number of scales around the body, which overlap with each other ( Boulenger, 1885; Smith, 1935). Boulenger (1885) used a combination of specimens from Southern India (Nilgiris, Malabar, Madras and a few specimens with locality “ India ”) to describe P. dorsalis . To describe P. blanfordanus, Boulenger (1885) used specimens from Godavari valley and “Jeypore” (Northern Andhra) and Ranchi (now in Jharkhand state). One single specimen collected from Parasnath, Jharkhand that is relatively close to the type locality (Central India) of P. blanfordanus had 1–3% genetic divergence in the 16S gene from P. dorsalis samples used in this study.

We were unable to find P. blanfordanus from the Western Ghats during our fieldwork. Given the amount of morphological variation among the observed individuals and wide distribution of this group, we would suggest a thorough evaluation of this species group from the entire peninsula with detailed sampling. In the present work, we only describe P. dorsalis as we were unable to confirm the presence of P. blanfordanus in the Western Ghats.

Members. Psammophilus dorsalis and Psammophilus blanfordanus .

Figures

FIGURE 9. Lateral close-up of head characteristics of the four sister clades A. Calotes, B. Microauris, C. Monilesaurus and D. Psammophilus. Scale bar: 10 mm.

FIGURE 10. Dorsal and ventral close-ups of head characteristics of the four sister clades A., E. Monilesaurus; B., F. Calotes; C., G. Psammophilus; and D., H. Microauris.