Bronchocela cristatella ( Kuhl, 1820 )

Chandramouli, S. R., Adhikari, Omkar D., Amarasinghe, A. A. Thasun & Abinawanto, A., 2023, A review of the genus Bronchocela Kaup, 1827 (Reptilia: Agamidae) in the Nicobar Archipelago with the description of two new species, Zootaxa 5254 (4), pp. 493-516 : 496-497

Bronchocela cristatella ( Kuhl, 1820)

Agama cristatella Kuhl, 1820

Material studied: Java (n =13): UIMZ 0247–48; MZB 196, 304, 995, 1668, 3036, 4895, 6989, 8885–88, 9811

Differential diagnosis and comparisons: A species of Bronchocela occurring in the Greater Sunda Islands and southern Peninsular Malaysia characterized by: medium body size (79.4–105.6 mm SVL); relative tail length (357.5 % SVL); 61-79 scale rows around mid-body, of which, the first 4-8 rows on the dorsum oriented posterodorsally, the next two rows oriented posteriorly, followed by 20–30 rows oriented posteroventrally; 10–15 enlarged, elongated and backwardly curved scales forming the nuchal crest; dorsal crest rudimentary; three postmentals; 9–10 supralabials; 9–10 infralabials; 5 or 6 canthals; 6–7 supraciliaries; 31–34 subdigital lamellae under toe IV; 60–86 ventrals; bright bluish green dorsal colouration with bright yellow eyes in both sexes ( Table 2 ).

Description and variation: A medium sized species of Bronchocela (mean SVL 89.2 mm), with a long, tapering tail (TaL:SVL 3.57). Body relatively short and robust (AG:SVL 0.51). Head large (HL:SVL 0.29); longer than broad (HL:HW 1.91) and about as broad as deep. Snout less than half as long as the head (ES:HL 0.38) with a blunt, narrow and rounded tip. Canthus rostralis sharply defined, with five or six canthal scales. Orbit relatively large, a little more than 1/4 th the length of the head (ED:HL 0.32); tympanum ovoid, relatively smaller, a little smaller than half the eye diameter (TYH:ED 0.40) and green in colour. Scales between the eye and tympanum fairly enlarged. Nasal large and ovoid in shape. Scales on the cheek below the tympanum slightly enlarged; keeled. Mental semicircular, bounded by three small postmentals and nine or ten infralabials on either sides. Rostral relatively small, bounded by nine to ten supralabials on each side. Nostrils separated from each other by seven to nine small internasals. Nuchal crest composed of eight to ten shortened, lanceolate scales. Dorsal body scales not enlarged, feebly keeled and non-homogeneous in size, with the lateral scales being slightly larger, in 50–53 rows around the mid-body. Of the dorsal scales, the first row on the dorsum on either sides oriented posteriorly and slightly upwards; the next three to seven rows of scales oriented posterodorsally, with the rest of the scales on the lateral body oriented posteroventrally. Ventrals 60–86 in a longitudinal series; 3-5 times larger than the dorsal scales, bearing a strong median keel, projecting posteriorly towards the lower vertex. Limbs relatively robust and elongate; upper arm short; lower arm nearly as long as the upper arm; palm about as long as the lower arm (LAL:PAL 0.98). Fingers long and slender, relative length of fingers IV>III>V≥II>I. Thigh long and robust (FEL:SVL 0.28); tibia slightly longer than thighs (FEL:TBL 1.07); foot elongated, distinctively longer than thigh (FEL:FOL 1.37). Hindlimbs almost the size of body length (HLL:SVL 0.95). Relative lengths of toes IV>III>V>II>I; 31–34 subdigital lamellae under toe IV.

Dorsal and ventral coloration bluish green throughout the body; distal half of the tail brownish. Head yellowish green both dorsally and ventrally. Sides of the lips, cheeks yellow and orbits brownish or blakish. Tympanum green and chin uniform yellowish green in males.

Distribution and Natural history: This species is widely distributed in Great Sunda Islands and southern Peninsular Malaysia. The outranged populations of B. cristatella sensu lato represent several other distinct species and the work is currently in progress (Amarasinghe et al. in press). Following Figueroa (2021), here we restrict the type locality of B. cristatella to Java and we do not designate a neotype for the nomen as a systematic revision is in progress (fide Amarasinghe et al. 2022a, b). Amarasinghe et al. (2022b) pointed that the northern and western Sumatran population of B. cristatella sensu lato is close to B. shenlong Grismer, Wood, Lee, Quah, Anuar, Ngadi & Sites, 2015 described from Peninsular Malaysia. Bronchocela cristatella sensu stricto mostly utilizes closed canopy primary forests compared to its sympatric congener, B. jubata which uses open canopy forests (see Amarasinghe et al. 2022a). Bronchocela cristatella is a rare species in Java compared B. jubata , but it is common in other Greater Sundaic islands while B. jubata is rarer on those islands.