Acanthosaura coronata Günther

Stuart Ko Sok Thy Neang, Bryan L., 2006, A Collection Of Amphibians And Reptiles From Hilly Eastern Cambodia, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 54 (1), pp. 129-155 : 145-146

Acanthosaura coronata Günther

( Fig. 14 )

Material examined. – O’Rang: FMNH 262964 , hilly evergreen forest near O Doeung Por Stream, 12°18'02.6”N 107°03'18.1"E, 500 m elev., 2 Nov.2003 ; FMNH 262965 , hilly evergreen forest with bamboo, 12°15'41.6”N 107°03'48.2"E, 480 m elev., 7 Nov.2003 .

Pichrada : FMNH 263034 , Phnom Nam Lyr Mountain, hilly evergreen forest mixed with deciduous and bamboo, near 12°32'16"N 107°32'00"E, 600-700 m elev., 20 Jun.2000 .

Remarks. – Three males agree with the original description ( Günther, 1861) and expanded descriptions ( Günther, 1864; Boulenger, 1885) of A. coronata by having a prominently projecting, serrated supraciliary edge that obscures the eyelid and orbit in dorsal view; a single short spine (sometimes broken) posterior to the supraciliary edge and separated from it by a notch; a single (sometimes two adjacent) short spine on the back of head about midway between the tympanum and nuchal crest; a continuous nuchal and dorsal crest; a light-coloured band edged with black across the crown and from the eye to upper lip; and small body size (SVL 67.5 – 70.3, mean ± SD 68.5 ± 1.6, N = 3). Acanthosaura coronata is morphologically distinct from A. lepidogaster (Cuvier) and should be removed from its synonymy, where it was placed by Smith (1935).

The colouration of FMNH 262964 follows. In life, upper parts of body light green with gray-brown mottling; crown, nape, tympanum, and upper lip light green; distinct, light green (“yellowish-olive” according to Günther, 1861) bar edged with black on crown between supraciliary edges; distinct white and light green (“yellowish” according to Günther, 1861) bar edged with black from eye to upper lip; five narrow, black, chevron-shaped markings on vertebral line, first at the level of insertion of forelimbs with body and fifth slightly posterior to level of insertion of hindlimbs with body; limbs brown with dark brown bands; white spot on elbow and white stripe on outer surface of tibia; white band edged with black on dorsal surface of hand and foot; tail with brown and pinkish-orange bands; orange-red bar on chest extending between forelimbs; throat and venter grayish-white with black flecking; ventral surface of foot and fourth toe with brown bands; and iris reddish-brown. In preservative, the light green on the upper parts and the orange-red bar on the chest is lost. Günther (1864) stated that “the ground-colour of the male is grey, of the female brownish red; irregular dark-brown bands across the back,” but the three males reported here vary considerably in preservative in ground-colour and the extent of dorsal dark markings. FMNH 263034 has reddish-brown ground-colour but the others are grey-brown, and FMNH 262965 has heavy black chevron-shaped markings on the vertebral line but these are only slightly visible or absent in the others.

The species appears to live on or near to the ground. FMNH 262694 was observed during the day (1625 hrs.) on the ground in the forest and ran up a 15 cm diameter at breast height tree when pursued. FMNH 263034 was taken during the day (1300 hrs.) on a rock near a small stream. FMNH 262965 was sleeping at night (1915 hrs.) on the twig of a small sapling 1 m above the ground.

This is the first report of the species since its original description from Cambodia.

Figures

Fig. 14. Male Acanthosaura coronata (FMNH 262965) from the Seima Biodiversity Conservation Area, O’Rang District, Mondolkiri Province, Cambodia.