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Literatur und Schriften
Abstract:
Iranische Dornschwanzagame / Iranian Mastigure ANANJEVA, N.B. & T.N. DUJSEBAYEVA (1997): SEM Study of skin sense organs in two Uromastyx species (Sauria: Agamidae) and Sphenodon punctatus (Rhynchocephalia: Sphenodontidae). – Russian Journal of Herpetology, 4 (1): 46-49. External morphology and distribution of sense organs in the integument of Uromastyx assmussi and U. hardwickii and also of tuatara, Sphenodon punctatus were studied using SEM. Bristless skin organs in both species of Uromastyx and Sphenodon have large diameter (to 160 μm) and are few in the number (0 – 1 per scale) on cephalic and flank body scales. The reduction of sense organ number is discussed with respect of possible significance of this character in agamid system.
Indischer Dornschwanz / Hardwick´s Spiny-tailed Lizard ABDULALI, H. (1960): Notes on the spinytailed lizard Uromastix hardwicki Gray. – J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc., 57: 421-422. AFROZ, H., ISHAQ, M. & S.S. ALI (1971): Seasonal changes in the lipids of adipose tissue in a hibernating lizard (Uromastix hardwickii). – Proceedings Soc. exp. Biol. Med., 136 (3): 894-898. AHMAD, M.M., JAHANGEER, S. & A.K. MIR (1977): Effect of different anaesthetics on plasma glucose levels in Uromastyx hardwickii Gray. – Biologia, Lahore, 23 (1): 17-21. AHMAD, U., TARIQ, S., SHABAB, M. & M. ARSLAN (1998): Annual histological changes in the adrenal gland of spiny-tailed lizard, Uromastyx hardwicki. – Pakistan Journal of Zoology, 30: 7-11. AKHTAR, P. (1988): Effect of steroids on the oviduct of female spiny-tailed lizard. – Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Research, 9: 120-124. Effect of steroids (oestradiol, testosterone, methyl testosterone and cortisol) were studied on oviductal morphology of the spiny tailed lizard, Uromastix hardwicki, at different times of the year, infect of various steroids on oviductal histology was assessed in lizards obtained in July. Oestradiol and testosterone treatment induced a hypertrophy of the various layers of the oviduct and enlargement of the submucosal glands. Histology of the oviduct from methyl testosterone and cortisol treated lizards, was not different from that of the control animals. In cortisol treated lizards, the oviductal glands were markedly regressed. External morphology and distribution of sense organs in the integument of Uromastyx assmussi and U. hardwickii and also of tuatara, Sphenodon punctatus were studied using SEM. Bristless skin organs in both species of Uromastyx and Sphenodon have large diameter (to 160 μm) and are few in the number (0 – 1 per scale) on cephalic and flank body scales. The reduction of sense organ number is discussed with respect of possible significance of this character in agamid system. Observations on the Indian Spiny-tailed Lizard Saara hardwickii (Gray, 1827) were undertaken in Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan, India during the monsoons (July) following quadrat sampling that was time-constrained. The study revealed that the area is one of the preferable habitats for the species. A population analysis showed that the relative abundance of the subadults was higher, followed by juveniles and adults during the study period. The beginning of activity of the lizards was found to vary over the study period depending on prevailing weather conditions. The activity pattern was bimodal, except across rain events. The study revealed two important ecological findings about these lizards; complete sealing of burrow during rains which differed from partial sealing on normal days and complete diurnal cycle of body colour changes during the monsoon. Feeding was the predominant activity of this lizard followed by basking, resting and chasing each other. The adult lizards were found to be strictly herbivorous, in spite of an abundance of insects available in the area during the period. Subadults and juveniles were found to eat both plant parts, as well as insects. Microhabitat use such as inside grass clumps was found to be higher followed by barren ground, under shade and on stones. KHAN, S.A. & M.I. QURESHI (1959): Chemical investigations on the fat of Uromastix hardwickii. – Pakist. J. sci. Res., 11: 54-58. KHANNA, S.S. & S. KUMAR (1975): Blood glucose in the common Indian sand lizard Uromastix hardwicki. – Copeia, 1975 (4): 767-771. KHAN, S.A., ZAIDI, A.A., QAZI, M.H. & M. ARSLAN (1977): Effect of ACTH on reproductive organs and oestrogen levels of Uromastyx hardwickii Gray. – Biologia,Lahore, 23 (1): 1-5. KHANNA, S.S. & S. KUMAR (1974): Cellular composition of the islets of Langerhans in the Indian sand-lizard Uromastix hardwickii. – Acta anat., 88 (1): 67-75. KRISHNA, D. & K.C. DAVE (1957): Observations on the food and feeding habits of Uromastix hardwickii Gray. - Proc. Indian Sci. Congr. Ass., 43 (4): 35. KUMAR, S. & S.S: KHANNA (1977): Response of the blood glucose and the pancreatic islets of the lizard, Uromastix hardwickii (Gray) to exogenous insulin. – Zeitschrift mikrosk.-anat. Forsch., 91 (1): 131-143. KUMAR SHARMA, I. (1977): The dabb lizard, Uromastyx hardwickii. – Lacerta, 35 (4): 53-57. (In Niederländisch) KÜPPERS-HECKHAUSEN, C. (1993): Zur Lebensweise des Indischen Dornschwanzes. – Die Aquar. Terrar. Z., Stuttgart, 46 (9): 572-575. KÜPPERS-HECKHAUSEN, C. & T. ACKERMANN (1995): Über Haltung und Nachzucht des Indischen Dornschwanzes (Uromastyx hardwickii) im Terrarium. – Salamandra, Rheinbach, 31 (2): 65-78. MAJUPURIA, T. (1957): On the myology, blood vascular and nervous supply of cloaca and hemipenes in Uromastix hardwickii Gray. – Proc. Indian Sci. Congr., 44: 326-327. MAJUPURIA, T. (1959): On the burrowing habits of the common Indian Mastigure, Uromastix hardwickii Gray. – Proc. Indian Sci. Congr., 46 (3): 409-410. MAJUPURIA, T. (1970): The muscles, blood vessels and nerves of the cloaca and copulatory organs of Uromastix hardwickii, Gray; together with the mode of everson of the hemipenis, the copulation and the sexual dimorphism. – Zool. Anz., 184: 48-60. MATHUR, R.S. & O.P. CHHABRA (1977): Male reproductive cycles of Hemidactylus flaviviridis (Ruppell) and Uromastix hardwickii (Gray). – Current Sci., 46 (3): 81-82. MOAZEN, M. (2008): Investigating the biomechanics of a lizard skull using advanced computer modelling techniques with experimantal validation. Thesis. University of Hull. 185 pp. MOAZEN, M., CURTIS, N., EVANS, S.E., O’HIGGINS, P. & M.J. FAGAN (2008): Combined finite element and multibody dynamics analysis of biting in a Uromastyx hardwickii lizard skull. – J. Anat. 213: 499-508.Lizard skulls vary greatly in shape and construction, and radical changes in skull form during evolution have made this an intriguing subject of research. The mechanics of feeding have surely been affected by this change in skull form, but whether this is the driving force behind the change is the underlying question that we are aiming to address in a programme of research. Here we have implemented a combined finite element analysis (FEA) and multibody dynamics analysis (MDA) to assess skull biomechanics during biting. A skull of Uromastyx hardwickii was assessed in the present study, where loading data (such as muscle force, bite force and joint reaction) for a biting cycle were obtained from an MDA and applied to load a finite element model. Fifty load steps corresponding to bilateral biting towards the front, middle and back of the dentition were implemented. Our results show the importance of performing MDA as a preliminary step to FEA, and provide an insight into the variation of stress during biting. Our findings show that higher stress occurs in regions where cranial sutures are located in functioning skulls, and as such support the hypothesis that sutures may play a pivotal role in relieving stress and producing a more uniform pattern of stress distribution across the skull. Additionally, we demonstrate how varying bite point affects stress distributions and relate stress distributions to the evolution of metakinesis in the amniote skull. MOAZEN, M., CURTIS, N., O’HIGGINS, P. JONES, M.E.H., EVANS, S.E. & M.J. FAGAN (2009): Assessment of the role of sutures in a lizard skull: a computer modelling study. - Proc. R. Soc. B 276: 39–46. Sutures form an integral part of the functioning skull, but their role has long been debated among vertebrate morphologists and palaeontologists. Furthermore, the relationship between typical skull sutures, and those involved in cranial kinesis, is poorly understood. In a series of computational modelling studies, complex loading conditions obtained through multibody dynamics analysis were imposed on a finite element model of the skull of Uromastyx hardwickii, an akinetic herbivorous lizard. A finite element analysis (FEA) of a skull with no sutures revealed higher patterns of strain in regions where cranial sutures are located in the skull. From these findings, FEAs were performed on skulls with sutures (individual and groups of sutures) to investigate their role and function more thoroughly. Our results showed that individual sutures relieved strain locally, but only at the expense of elevated strain in other regions of the skull. These findings provide an insight into the behaviour of sutures and show how they are adapted to work together to distribute strain around the skull. Premature fusion of one suture could therefore lead to increased abnormal loading on other regions of the skull causing irregular bone growth and deformities. This detailed investigation also revealed that the frontal–parietal suture of the Uromastyx skull played a substantial role in relieving strain compared with the other sutures. This raises questions about the original role of mesokinesis in squamate evolution. QURESHI, G., MALIK, S., DILAWAR, A., SHIRVANI, T., KHURRAM, U. & R. KHAN (2015): Effect of seasonal variations on organ weights (fat, liver and gonads) in a male poikilotherm vertabrate, Uromastyx hardwickii. – Esculapio, 11 (1): 1-3. RAMASWAMI, L.S. & D. JACOB (1963): Effect of testosterone on the male genital tract of the adult spiny tailed lizard Uromastix hardwickii Gray. – Naturwissenschaften, 50 (12): 453-454. RAMESH, M. (2009): Status survey of the Indian Spiny-tailed lizard Uromastyx hardwickii in the arid reegions of Rajasthan, North-Western India. - Abstracts of presentations hold on DeAGAMIS the 1st International Symposium on Agamid Lizards. Bonner Zoologische Beiträge, Bonn, 56 (4): 300-301. RAMESH, M. & N.M. ISHWAR (2008): Status and distribution of the Indian spiny-tailed lizard Uromastyx hardwickii in the Thar Desert, western Rajasthan. – Technical Report T 01. Group for Nature Preservation and Education. 50 pp. RAMESH, M. & R. SANKARAN (2013): Natural history observations on the Indian Spiny tailed Lizard Uromastyx hardwickii in the Thar Desert. – In: Sharma, B.K. et al (Eds.): Faunal Heritage of Rajasthan, India: General Background and Ecology of Vertebrates. Springer, New York: 295-310. RAO, C.A. & G.F.X. DAVID (1967): The effects of certain steroids on the serum protein concentrations of the lizard Uromastyx hardwickii Gray. – Gen. Comp. Endocr., 9: 227-233. RAZA, S.M. (1957): The brain of Uromastix hardwickii Gray, Part I. External morphology. – Biologia, Lahore, 3 (1): 19-28. SACHS, W.B. (1922): Mein indischer Dornschwanz, Uromastyx Hardwickei Gray. - Blätter für Aquarien und Terrarien-Kunde (1922) 33 (17): 306-307. SCHMIDT, H.-D. (1979): Indische Dornschwänze (Uromastyx hardwickii). – Die Aquar. Terrar. Z., Stuttgart, 32 (11): 391-393. SESHADRI, C. (1957): Water conservation in Uromastix hardwickii (Gray), with a note on the presence of Mullerian ducts in the male. – J. Zool. Soc. India, 9: 103-113. SESHADRI, C. (1958): Dehydration of urine for conservation of water in the Indian spiny tailed lizard Uromastix hardwickii (Gray). – Proc. Indian Sci. Congr., 45 (3): 377-378. SETHI, J.S. & H.B. TEWARI (1975): Histenzymological mapping of acetylcholinesterase in the tegmental and pretectal nuclei of midbrain of Uromastix hardwickii. – Proceedings Indian Sci. Congr., 62 (3), (B): 197. SHAAD, F.U., & M.A. QAYYUM (1975): Anatomical and neurohistological observations on the heart of the spiny lizard, Uromastix hardwickii. – Acta anat., 93 (3): 399-410. Ectotherms are particularly vulnerable to climate change, especially those living in extreme areas, such as deserts, where species are already thermally constrained. Using the vulnerable herbivorous lizard Saara hardwickii as a model system, we used a multi-pronged approach to understand the thermal ecology of a desert agamid and potential impacts of rising temperatures. Our data included field-based measures of operative temperatures, body temperatures, and activity, as well as lab-based measures of thermal limits, preferences, and sprint speed. As expected, the temperature dependence of locomotor performance and foraging activity were different, and in the worst-case global warming scenario (SSP5-8.5), potential sprint speed may decrease by up to 14.5% and foraging activity may decrease by up to 43.5% by 2099. Burrows are essential thermal refuges, and global warming projections suggest that S. hardwickii may be restricted to burrows for up to 9 h per day by 2099, which would greatly limit critical activities, like foraging and seeking mating opportunities. Overall, we show that key information on thermal ecology, including temperaturesensitive behaviours in the wild, is necessary to understand the multiple ways in which increasing temperatures may influence ectothermic vertebrates, especially for species like S. hardwickii that are already vulnerable to environmental change.
BLANFORD, W.T. (1874): Description of two Uromasticine lizards from Mesopotamia and Southern Persia. – Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1874: 656-661. HAMERS, K. (2019): Haltung und Nachzucht von Saara loricata, der Irakischen Dornschwanzagame. – Reptilia, 24 (5): 22-33. KAFASH, A., KABOLI, M., KÖHLER, G., YOUSEFI, M. & A. ASADI (2016): Ensemble distribution modeling of the Mesopotamian Spiny-tailed Lizard, Saara loricata (Blanford, 1874), in Iran: an insight into the impact of climate change. – Turk. J. Zool., 40 (2): 262-271. We recently studied whether, on islands, predation or intraspecific aggression is the main driver of tail-loss, a common defense mechanism among lizards. We concluded the latter was the stronger driver (Itescu et al. 2017). Werner (2017) suggested that we failed to falsify an alternative hypothesis. He claims that on low-predation islands lizards live longer. Thus while tail loss is caused by predators, it accumulates over longer periods, resulting in overall higher tail-loss rates in populations experiencing weak predation. Here we test this hypothesis and three other arguments he presented, and fail to support them. We therefore adhere to our original conclusion that intraspecific aggression is the main driver of lizard tail loss on islands. The Mesopotamian spiny-tailed lizard, Saara loricata, is one of the largest lizard species in the Middle East. Here, we report on the diet of the lizard and their potential role in seed dispersal in Southwestern Iran. We analyzed lizard fecal pellet groups (n =?124) for their food item composition and seed content. We calculated the relative frequency of occurrence (FO%), relative volume (V%), and importance value (IV%) for each food item. Moreover, the number of seeds of each plant food item was counted. Our findings reveal the first solid evidence of omnivorous behavior in the lizard. In total, 16 plant food items and 14 animal food items were identified. Herbaceous plants (IV = 110.2%) and invertebrates (4.8%) were the most important food groups. The plant food items with the highest FO% were Poaceae (56.4%), Centaurea sp. (43.5%), and Medicago polymorpha (27.4%); and the V% for these items were 53.6%, 30.9%, and 13.1%, respectively. Most of the seeds that were consumed by lizards were from Poaceae (547 seeds; 47.81%) and Fabaceae (285 seeds; 24.91%). We also found that each individual lizard could play an equal role in the seed dispersal of all plant families identified. Previous studies show that plant species density and richness are important features for the burrow site selection of Mesopotamian spiny-tailed lizard. This study highlights the potential role of lizards in influencing the vegetation communities around their burrows through seed dispersal. The excretory response of nasal salt glands of the Uromastixs loricatus, from southern Iran has been investigated following injections treatment of KCl, NaCl, potassium acetate, sodium acetate and histidine chloride. This lizard like other herbivorous lizards, effectively eliminates the extra electrolytes load. Some herbivorous reptiles species, such as some lizards possess a pair active nasal salt gland which exude the extra ions from blood plasma. In order to prove this, Uromastixs loricatus exposed to the mentioned treatments.These experimental works indicated that nasal salt gland is able to secret a big part of the injected electrolytes. Prior to salt injection to lizards, a little amount of salt eliminated by nasal glands, and high percent of ions was eliminated in urine by cloaca. After injecting sodium chloride,potassium chloride and other treatments to animals, the rate of salt in blood plasma increased, and the nasal glands excreted a considerable percent of increased ions, included Na+, K+ and Cl-, and low percent of salt was excreted by cloaca. |
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