The tropical spiny agama, northern ground agama, or Peter's ground agama (Agama armata) is a species of lizard from the family Agamidae, found in most of sub-Saharan Africa. The species is found in South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Eswatini, southern Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire), southwestern Kenya, and central Tanzania.[1]

Agama armata
Serengeti, Tanzania
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Agamidae
Genus: Agama
Species:
A. armata
Binomial name
Agama armata
Peters, 1855
Synonyms

Agama hispida armata
Agama hispida mertensi
Agama aculeata armata

Agama armata displaying on rock, Soutpansberg, South Africa

Description edit

A small ground-dwelling agama, it reaches a length of 22 cm and is coloured grey, brown, or red with pale crossbars along the vertebral pale stripe. Displaying males' heads are coloured green or blue.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ Agama armata at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database
  2. ^ Spawls, S., Howell, K.M. & Drewes, R.C., Reptiles and Amphibians of East Africa, Princeton:Princeton University Press, 2006.

External links edit

 
Full view, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania