Phrynocephalus mystaceus explained

Phrynocephalus mystaceus, also known as the secret toadhead agama and toad-headed agama, is a species of agamid lizard. It is found in southern Russia, Kazakhstan, and northwestern China (Xinjiang) and southward to northern Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.The most exciting feature of the toad-headed agamas is their defense mechanism. When threatened, they flatten their bodies and open their mouths wide, such that their bright-colored flaps open. This, along with continuous hissing, scares whatever predator they encounter.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized:

Habitat

Phrynocephalus mystaceus is generally associated with unvegetated tops of large, high sand dunes and occurs at elevations of -45m–1000mm (-148feet–3,000feetm) above sea level.

Notes and References

1. Whiting, M. J., Noble, D. W. A., & Qi, Y. (2022, May 30). A potential deimatic display revealed in a lizard. OUP Academic. https://academic.oup.com/biolinnean/article/136/3/455/6595062?login=false
2. Solovyeva, E. N., Dunayev, E. N., Nazarov, R. A., Rajabizadeh, M., & Jr., N. A. P. (2018, April 5). Molecular and morphological differentiation of secret toad-headed Agama, phrynocephalus mystaceus, with the description of a new subspecies from Iran (Reptilia, Agamidae). ZooKeys. https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/20507/
3. Zheng, P., Liang, T., & Shi, L. (2024, September 30). Are toe fringes important for lizard burying in highly mobile sand? - frontiers in zoology. BioMed Central. https://frontiersinzoology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12983-024-00546-y