Lophognathus

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Lepidosauromorpha
Superordo: Lepidosauria
Ordo: Squamata
Cladus: Unidentata Episquamata Toxicofera
Subordo: Iguania
Infraordo: Acrodonta

Familia: Agamidae
Subfamilia: Amphibolurinae
Genus: Lophognathus
Species (2): L. gilberti – L. horneri
Name

Lophognathus Gray, 1842: 53

Type species: Lophognathus gilberti Gray, 1842, by monotypy.
Synonyms

Redtenbacheria Steindachner, 1867: 31 [preoccupied by Redtenbacheria Schiner, 1861]

Type species: Redtenbacheria fasciata Steindachner, 1867 by monotypy.
References
Primary references

Gray, J.E. 1842. Description of some hitherto unrecorded species of Australian reptiles and batrachians. Zoological Miscellany 2: 51–57. BHL
Steindachner, F. 1867. Reptilien. pp. 1–98 in Reise der Österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde in den Jahren 1857, 1858, 1859 unter den Befehlen des Commodore B. von Wüllerstorff-Urbair. Zoologie 1(3). State Printer: Vienna.

Additional references

Melville, J., Ritchie, E.G., Chapple, S.N.J., Glor, R.E. & Schulte, J.A. 2018. Diversity in Australia’s tropical savannas: An integrative taxonomic revision of agamid lizards from the genera Amphibolurus and Lophognathus (Lacertilia: Agamidae). Memoirs of Museum Victoria 77: 41–61. DOI: 10.24199/j.mmv.2018.77.04 Reference page.

Links

Uetz, P. & Hallermann, J. 2021. Lophognathus . The Reptile Database. Accessed on 19 July 2019.

Lophognathus is a genus of large-bodied agamid lizards, consisting of two species — L. gilberti and L. horneri — both of which are endemic to northern Australia. Along with several other closely related genera (e.g., Amphibolurus, Gowidon, and Tropicagama), these lizards are commonly referred to as "dragons". In Australia, these lizards are also colloquially known as "Ta Ta" lizards, due to their habit of "waving" after running across hot surfaces.

Lophognathus are slender, slightly compressed, semi-arboreal lizards. They occur in a variety of habitats, including sand dunes and arid regions, but frequently near watercourses.

The first description of a species in the genus Lophognathus was by John Edward Gray in 1842.[1] The species he described, Lophognathus gilberti, was named after English naturalist John Gilbert, the collector of the type specimen.[2]
Species

Three species are currently recognized in this genus:[3]

Lophognathus gilberti Gray, 1842 – Gilbert's lashtail, Gilbert's dragon
Lophognathus horneri Melville, Ritchie, Chapple, Glor, & Schulte, 2018
Lophognathus maculilabris Boulenger, 1883

Two species formerly included in genus Lophognathus have been reclassified, as follows:[3]

Lophognathus temporalis (also known as Amphibolurus temporalis, Gemmatophora temporalis, Gowidon temporalis, Grammatophora temporalis, Physignathus temporalis, Lophognathus labialis, Lophognathus lateralis, and Lophognathus maculilabris) has been reclassified as Tropicagama temporalis
Lophognathus burnsi has been reclassified as Amphibolurus burnsi

References

Gray JE (1842). "Description of some hitherto unrecorded species of Australian reptiles and batrachians". Zoological Miscellany (London: Treuttel, Würtz & Co.) pp. 51—57. (Lophognathus, new genus, p. 53; L. gilberti, new species, p. 53).
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. (Lophognathus gilberti, p. 101).
Melville, Jane; Ritchie, Euan G.; Chapple, Stephanie N.J.; Glor, Richard E.; Schulte, James A. (2018). "Diversity in Australia's tropical savannas: An integrative taxonomic revision of agamid lizards from the genera Amphibolurus and Lophognathus (Lacertilia: Agamidae)" (PDF). Memoirs of Museum Victoria. 77: 41–61. doi:10.24199/j.mmv.2018.77.04.