>Niterurea at 07:00, 3 July 2021

2021-07-03T07:00:10Z

New page

{{Short description|Species of lizard}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Speciesbox | name = ''Draco norvillii''
| image = Reptile Draco norvilli.jpg
| taxon = Draco norvillii
| authority = [[Alfred William Alcock|Alcock]], 1895
}}

'''''Draco norvillii''''', also known as '''Norvill's flying lizard''', is [[species]] of [[agamid]] [[Draco (genus)|flying lizard]] [[endemic]] to [[India]].<ref name=RDB>{{NRDB species|genus=Draco |species=norvillii |accessdate=27 June 2016}}</ref> This species is capable of gliding from tree to tree, and has been recorded gliding up to {{convert|50|m|ft}}. It feeds on insects and other small invertebrates.

==Etymology==
The [[Specific name (zoology)|specific name]], ''norvillii'', is in honor F.H. Norville who was the collector of the [[holotype]].<ref>Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. {{ISBN|978-1-4214-0135-5}}. (''Draco norvillii'', p. 191).</ref>

==Taxonomy==
Musters (1983) examined specimens of ''D. norvillii'' but was not able to examine the [[Type (biology)|type]]. He opines that this lizard is a [[subspecies]] of ''[[Draco blanfordii]]''.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Muster CJM. |year=1983 |title=Taxonomy of the genus ''Draco'' L. (Agamidae, Lacertilia, Reptilia) |journal=Zoologische Verhandelingen |issue=199 |pages=17–19 |publisher=E.J. Brill, Leiden |url=http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/document/364347 |access-date=27 April 2013}}</ref> This view has not been endorsed in McGuire & Heang's (2001) study on the phylogenetic systematics of Southeast Asian flying lizards (Iguania: Agamidae: ''Draco'').<ref>{{cite journal |last1=McGuire |first1=Jimmy A. |last2=Heang |first2=Kiew Bong. |year=2001 |title=Phylogenetic systematics of Southeast Asian flying lizards (Iguania: Agamidae: ''Draco'') as inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequence data |journal=Biological Journal of the Linnean Society |volume=72 |issue= 2|pages=203–229 |doi=10.1006/bijl.2000.0487 |url=http://ib.berkeley.edu/labs/mcguire/McGuire.Kiew.BJLS.pdf |access-date=27 April 2013}}</ref>

==Geographic range==
''Draco norvillii'' has been recorded from [[Assam]], [[Nagaland]], and [[Arunachal Pradesh]] in NE India.<ref name=RDB/> A rare and endangered species of lizard, it was described by Alcock and named after the collector of the type (F. H. Norvill) of Doom Dooma, Upper Assam (now Arunachal Pradesh). The type locality may be considered restricted to "North-eastern India, possibly Doom Dooma (27.57°N 95.57°E), Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India".

''D. norvillii'' was recently rediscovered after 118 years in the Jeypore Reserve Forest by Mazedul Islam and Professor Prasanta Kumar Saikia of the Animal Ecology and Wildlife Biology Laboratory of the Zoology Department, [[Gauhati University]] in 2012. Two lizards were recorded.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=apr1813/at092 |title=Flying lizard rediscovered in State after 118 years |last1=Patowary |first1=Ajit. |date=18 April 2013 |website=The Assam Tribune |access-date=28 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140110125107/http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=apr1813%2Fat092 |archive-date=10 January 2014 }}</ref>

==Description==
Two individuals of ''D. norvillii'', a female and juvenile, were encountered in Jeypore Reserve Forest in 2012 during a survey by biologists from Gauhati University.<ref name="Islam&Saikia2013">{{cite journal |last1=Islam |first1=Mazedul |last2=Saikia |first2=Prasanta Kumar. |year=2013 |title=Inventory and Natural History of Lizards in Jeypore Reserve Forest, Assam |journal=Reptile Rap : Newsletter of the South Asian Reptile Network |volume=15 |issue=January 2013 |pages=16–26 |publisher=South Asian Reptile Network |issn=2230-7079 |url=http://www.rufford.org/files/Reptile%20Rap%2015%20January%202013.pdf#page=16 |access-date=27 April 2013}}</ref>

Islam & Saikia describe the specimens as follows :<ref name="Islam&Saikia2013"/>
* Head : Broader than its length. Tympanum partially scaled over. The nostrils are inclined towards the vertical. Nine supralabial scales.
* Body: Grayish above. Middle portion of dorsal part barred with light transverse lines. The neck and head regions were with greenish markings. The tail was with alternate white and black bands.
* Throat : The base of the gular pouch was scarlet in colour. Gular appendage of female is yellow in colour and shorter than the head in length.
* [[Patagium#Lizard patagium|Patagium]] : Female - lower half red. Upper half black. Stippled with white and yellow broken lines and spots. Supported by 5 ribs on each side. Greyish upper side and orange lower half in juveniles.
* Belly : Yellow. No caudal crest present. Tail denticulated towards latter side.
* Hind limbs: Possessing thorny scutes.
* Measurements :
** Length [[Snout–vent length|Snout to Vent]] : {{convert|68|mm|in|abbr=on}}
** Length Tail : {{convert|124|mm|in|abbr=on}}
** Distance between the armpit to groin : {{convert|34|mm|in|abbr=on}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* [[Alfred William Alcock|Alcock A]]. (1895). "On a New Species of Flying Lizard from Assam". ''J. Asiatic Soc. Bengal'' '''64''' (1): 14–15. (''Draco norvillii'', new species).

{{Taxonbar|from=Q3007976}}

[[Category:Lizards of Asia]]
[[Category:Draco (genus)|norvillii]]
[[Category:Reptiles of India]]
[[Category:Endemic fauna of India]]
[[Category:Reptiles described in 1895]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Alfred William Alcock]]

Draco norvillii - Revision history

>Niterurea at 07:00, 3 July 2021