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Taxonomic status of Coryphophylax maximiliani Fitzinger in: Steindachner, 1867 with notes on Coryphophylax subcristatus (Blyth, “1860” 1861)

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The insular agamid genus Coryphophylax Fitzinger in Steindachner, 1867, is endemic to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal, India. These diurnal lizards are currently represented by two putative species, Coryphophylax subcristatus (Blyth, “1860” 1861) and Coryphophylax brevicauda Harikrishnan, Vasudevan, Chandramouli, Choudhury, Dutta & Das, 2012. The species C. subcristatus is said to be distributed through the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, even across the Ten Degree Channel, which is a recognised biogeographic barrier. A reassessment of the taxonomy of C. subcristatus shows the population south of the Ten Degree Channel, for which the nomen Coryphophylax maximiliani Fitzinger in Steindachner, 1867 is available, to be distinct. The results are based on morphological data from museum material, including type specimens and mitochondrial 16S rRNA sequences. The members of the genus Coryphophylax are abundant and widespread across the islands and may serve as an illuminating example for studying the patterns of colonization and diversification across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Source: PeerJ

DOI: 10.7717/peerj.19841

Authors: Zeeshan A. Mirza, Saunak Pal, Tejas Thackeray, Harshil Patel, Aaron M. Bauer

Institutions: Max Planck Institute for Biology, Newcastle University, Thackeray Wildlife Foundation, Villanova University

Language: English

Topic: Amphibian and Reptile Biology

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,395

Funder: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft