Agama planiceps Peters, 1862

Ceríaco, L. M. P., De Sá, S., Bandeira, S., Valério, H., Stanley, E. L., Kuhn, A. L., Marques, M. P., Vindum, J. V., Blackburn, D. C. & Bauer, A. M., 2016, Herpetological Survey of Iona National Park and Namibe Regional Natural Park, with a Synoptic List of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Namibe Province, Southwestern Angola, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 63 (2), pp. 15-61 : 21-23

NAMIB ROCK AGAMA – Fig. 4

Agama planiceps Peters, 1862

MATERIAL.— ‘Lion Cave’ at 3.4 km SW of Espinheira camp, 30 November 2013, 16º48ʹ45.0ʺS, 12º20ʹ22.9ʺE, 463 m (CAS 254753); Omauha Lodge camp, 2 December 2013, 16º11ʹ55.4ʺS, 12º24ʹ0.3ʺE, 335 m (CAS 254832); INP, north of Tambor, 4 December 2013, 15º59ʹ46.0ʺS, 12º24ʹ24ʺE, 307 m (CAS 254839); INP, south side of Curoca River crossing, 29 November 2013, 16º18ʹ15.6ʺS, 12º25ʹ1.56ʺE, 209 m (CAS 254845), 1 December 2013, 16º18ʹ14.8ʺS, 12º24ʹ2159.8ʺE, 210 m (CAS 254848); Pediva Hot Springs, 2 December 2013, 16º7ʹ19.7ʺS, 12º33ʹ40.0ʺE, 244 m (CAS 254859); Namibe-Lubango road, road marker 59, 1.8 km west by road from Caraculo, north side of the road, 6 December 2013, 15º0ʹ57.6ʺS, 12º38ʹ36.8ʺE, 500 m (CAS 254900, CAS 254910); Pico Azevedo, 7 December 2013, 15º32ʹ2.4ʺS, 12º29ʹ31.1ʺE, 359 m (CAS 254941).

COMMENTS.— The species has been cited throughout Angola, although many previous records remain doubtful. Agama planiceps appears to be restricted to arid savannas and Namibe Province, or perhaps Beguela, is most probably its northernmost limit. Mertens (1938) described the subspecies Agama planiceps shackii from Cubal (Benguela Province), and it is likely that the central and northern Angolan records of planiceps are in fact shackii. The status of this form remains in question, but preliminary examination of topotypical material suggests that it is specifically distinct. Our specimens fit the morphological description and current known distribution of nominotypical planiceps . The species is cited for several localities in Namibe Province, including Biballa ( Bocage 1895), Fazenda Bumbo (Laurent 1964a), and Pico Azevedo ( Schmidt 1933). Some of our records represent a southern range extension of the species in the Province, although a record from the Kwito region, in Cunene Province ( Angel 1923) is the southernmost Angolan record. The species likely also occurs in rocky areas extending south to the Namibian border. The majority of these specimens were seen basking on the top of rocks. Males and females present a striking sexual dimorphism, with the males being considerably larger than the females, and having an intensely red head and a dark blue body (the posterior half of the tail is usually also red). Females are typically dark-grey on the dorsum with yellow marking on the head and dorsum.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Adult male Namib Rock Agama, Agama planiceps Peters, 1862, from Pico Azevedo. Photo by Luis Ceríaco.