Draco guentheri

Draco guentheri
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Agamidae
Subfamily: Draconinae
Genus: Draco
Species: D. guentheri
Binomial name
Draco guentheri
Boulenger, 1885
Synonyms
  • Draco guentheri Boulenger, 1885
  • Draco rizali Wandolleck, 1900
  • Draco volans reticulatus
    Hennig, 1936 (part)
  • Draco reticulatus Gaulke, 1993
  • Draco guentheri
    McGuire & Alcala, 2000[1]

Draco guentheri, commonly known as Günther's flying lizard[2] or Guenther's flying lizard,[1] is a species of agamid "flying dragon" endemic to the Philippines.

Geographic range

D. guentheri is found on the islands of Basilan, Bongao, Jolo, Mindanao, Sanga-Sanga, Siasi, and Simunul.

Etymology

The specific name, guentheri, is in honor of German-British zoologist Albert Günther.[1][2]

Taxonomy

This species was originally described in 1885 by the Belgian-British zoologist George Albert Boulenger, who named it Draco guentheri.

This species is also notable for having been collected by the Philippine national hero José Rizal during his exile in Dapitan, Mindanao. Rizal sent specimens to Europe, to the German zoologist Benno Wandolleck. In 1900 Wandolleck, thinking Rizal's specimens represented a new species, described it and named it Draco rizali, thereby creating a synonym. Rizal's specimens, subsequently, were destroyed during the bombing of Dresden in World War II.[3]

In 1936 Hennig considered this lizard to be part of what he called a subspecies, Draco volans reticulatus. In 1993 Gaulke raised it to full species status. And most recently, in 2000, McGuire and Alcala once again recognized Boulenger's original Draco guentheri as a valid species.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Uetz, Peter; Hallermann, Jakob; Hosek, Jiri. "Draco guentheri BOULENGER, 1885". The Reptile Database. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  2. 1 2 Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M. 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Draco guentheri, pp. 110-111).
  3. Fadul, José A., ed. (2007). Encyclopedia Rizaliana: Student Edition. Lulu. p. 32. ISBN 1430311428.

Further reading

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