| Laudakia stellio | |
|---|---|
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| Dana Biosphere Reserve, Jordan | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Agamidae |
| Genus: | Laudakia |
| Species: | L. stellio |
| Binomial name | |
| Laudakia stellio | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Laudakia stellio is aspecies ofagamid lizard.[3][1] also known as thestarred agama or theroughtail rock agama.
Common names forL. stellio includedikenli keler,hardim,hardun,kourkoutas (Cypriot Greek),kourkoutavlos,painted dragon,roughtail rock agama,short-toed rock agama,sling-tailed agama,star lizard,starred agama, andstellion.[citation needed]
Laudakia stellio can be found in Greece and Turkey, the other species in this species complex are recorded elsewhere.[2]
Laudakia stellio may attain a total length (including tail) of 35 cm (14 in) or slightly longer.[4]
Like many agamids,L. stellio can change its color to express its mood. It basks on stone walls, rocks, and trees. It is usually found in rocky habitats, and is quite shy, being very ready to dive into cracks to hide from potential predators.[citation needed]
Thecommon name "stellion" comes from Latinstellio,stēlio (stelliōn-,stēliōn-), fromstella,star.[5] It may have referred to any spotted lizard.[citation needed]
Stellio is mentioned inOvidsMetamorphoses Book 5 line 461. A naughty boy mocks thegoddessCeres for drinking a drink containinghoney andbarley with too much greed, as she is quite thirsty. Angrily the goddess throws the drink in the face of the boy, and there by changes him into a Stellio or a starred agama. It is anetiological myth explaining how the starred agama got its spotted skin.
For the indigenous people of Europe, and perhaps the Middle East, traditionally the excrement of the stellio was a popular medicine for the eyes, also used as a cosmetic, known ascordylea,crocodilea orstercus lacerti (i.e. 'lizard shit'), the faeces being imported to European pharmacies from the Levant – a rarer and more potent form was acquired from monitor lizards in olden days (stercus magni lacerti). The dung was used to improve one's eyesight, as well as take away any itches and cure cataracts (webbe).[5][6]
The following 2 subspecies, including thenominotypical subspecies, are recognized as being valid.[2]
Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other thanLaudakia.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
