# Acanthosaura > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Acanthosaura > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Acanthosaura.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthosaura > Source revision: 1354639107 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Genus of lizards}} {{Italic title}} {{Automatic taxobox | name = ''Acanthosaura'' | image = Acanthosaura1.JPG | image_caption = ''Acanthosaura'' sp. | taxon = Acanthosaura | authority = [Gray](/source/John_Edward_Gray), 1831 }} '''''Acanthosaura''''' is a [genus](/source/genus) of [lizard](/source/lizard)s, [commonly](/source/Common_name) known as '''mountain horned dragons''' or '''pricklenape agamas''', in the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) [Agamidae](/source/Agamidae). The common name "pricklenape" refers to a row of dorsal spines which runs down the back of the neck. They are arboreal lizards found in [Southeast Asia](/source/Southeast_Asia). They are medium-sized, their total length (including tail) ranging from about {{convert|7.5|to|15|in|cm|abbr=on}}, depending on [species](/source/species) and individual. As the common name "mountain horned dragons" implies, they tend to prefer higher elevation areas with dense vegetation. ==Diet== Mountain horned dragons are [insectivorous](/source/insectivore), consuming only live food. Common foods in captivity include crickets, earthworms, silkworms, mealworms, moths, roaches, wax worms, and grasshoppers. They require a variety in diet and will often refuse food when offered in excessive redundancy. Typical ''Acanthosaura'' feeding behavior is a sit-and-wait style. They will perch {{convert|1|to|2|m|ft|abbr=on}} off the ground until they spot their prey, which is often down on the ground. A display of aerobatics is not uncommon from ''Acanthosaura'' species when hunting food. They will eat and hunt fish, but most will not submerge their heads to catch a meal. ==Reproduction== Females of the genus ''Acanthosaura'' lay their first [clutch](/source/Clutch_(eggs)) of [eggs](/source/egg_(biology)) about four months after mating. They may lay up to four clutches total per year, separated by a month or two. ==In captivity== Mountain horned dragons are popular pets, and readily available in the exotic pet trade. ''[A. capra](/source/Acanthosaura_capra)'' is considered the hardiest and most easily kept species of the genus, and is the most common species found for sale in the United States.{{Cite web |url=http://www.froggieb.com/MHDCaresheet.html |title=Captive care of mountain horned dragons |access-date=2005-04-30 |archive-date=2017-01-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170101001013/http://www.froggieb.com/MHDCaresheet.html |url-status=dead }} While not considered to be difficult to breed in captivity, most specimens available are wild caught. However, due to captive breeding, more and more captive bred lizards are available. ==Species== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Image !! Scientific name !! Common name !! Distribution |- |120px ||''[Acanthosaura armata](/source/Acanthosaura_armata)'' {{small|([Gray](/source/John_Edward_Gray), 1827)}} || armored pricklenape, peninsular horned tree lizard || [Burma](/source/Burma), [China](/source/China), [Indonesia](/source/Indonesia), [Malaysia](/source/Malaysia), [Thailand](/source/Thailand) |- |120px ||''[Acanthosaura aurantiacrista](/source/Acanthosaura_aurantiacrista)'' {{small|Trivalairat, Kunya, Chanhome, Sumontha, Vasaruchapong, Chomngam, Chiangkul, 2020}} || || [Thailand](/source/Thailand) |- | ||''[Acanthosaura bintangensis](/source/Acanthosaura_bintangensis)'' {{small|[Wood](/source/Perry_L._Wood_Jr.), [J. Grismer](/source/Jesse_Leland_Grismer), [L. Grismer](/source/%3Afr%3ALarry_Lee_Grismer), [Ahmad](/source/Norhayati_Ahmad), [Onn](/source/Chan_Kin_Onn) & [Bauer](/source/Aaron_Matthew_Bauer), 2009}} || Bukit Larut Mountain horned agamid, Bintang horned tree lizard || [Perak](/source/Perak), [Peninsular Malaysia](/source/Peninsular_Malaysia) |- | ||''[Acanthosaura brachypoda](/source/Acanthosaura_brachypoda)'' {{small|[Ananjeva](/source/Natalia_Ananjeva), [Orlov](/source/Nikolai_Liutsianovich_Orlov), [Nguyen T.T.](/source/Nguyen_Thien_Tao) & [Ryabov](/source/Sergei_A._Ryabov), 2011}}|| || [Vietnam](/source/Vietnam) |- |120px ||''[Acanthosaura capra](/source/Acanthosaura_capra)'' {{small|([Günther](/source/Albert_G%C3%BCnther), 1861)}} || green pricklenape || [Cambodia](/source/Cambodia), [Laos](/source/Laos), Vietnam |- |120px ||''[Acanthosaura cardamomensis](/source/Acanthosaura_cardamomensis)'' {{small|Wood, J. Grismer, L. Grismer, [Neang](/source/Neang%2C_Thy), [Chav](/source/Chav%2C_Thou) & [Holden](/source/Jeremy_Holden), 2010}}{{cite journal |last=Wood |first=Perry L. Jr |last2=Grismer |first2=L. Lee |last3=Grismer |first3=Jesse L. |last4=Neang |first4=Thy |last5=Chav |first5=Thou |last6=Holden |first6=Jeremy |title=A new cryptic species of ''Acanthosaura'' Gray, 1831 (Squamata: Agamidae) from Thailand and Cambodia |journal=Zootaxa |volume=2488 |issue= |pages=22–38 |date=2010 |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.2488.1.2 |url=http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2010/f/z02488p038f.pdf}} (''Acanthosaura cardamomensis'', new species). || || western Cambodia, eastern Thailand |- |120px ||''[Acanthosaura coronata](/source/Acanthosaura_coronata)'' {{small|Günther, 1861}} || crowned spiny lizard || Vietnam |- |120px ||''[Acanthosaura crucigera](/source/Acanthosaura_crucigera)'' {{small|([Boulenger](/source/George_Albert_Boulenger), 1885)}} || Boulenger's pricklenape, masked horned tree lizard || Burma, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam |- |120px ||''[Acanthosaura lepidogaster](/source/Acanthosaura_lepidogaster)'' {{small|([Cuvier](/source/Georges_Cuvier), 1829)}} || brown pricklenape || Burma, Cambodia, China, Thailand, Vietnam |- |120px ||''[Acanthosaura liui](/source/Acanthosaura_liui)'' {{small|Liu, Hou, Mo ,& Rao, 2020}} || || [China](/source/China) |- | ||''[Acanthosaura longicaudata](/source/Acanthosaura_longicaudata)'' {{small|Liu, Rao, Hou, Orlov, Ananjeva, & Zhang, 2022}} || long-tailed horned tree lizard, long-tailed horned agamid || [China](/source/China) |- | ||''[Acanthosaura meridiona](/source/Acanthosaura_meridiona)'' {{small|[Trivalairat](/source/Poramad_Trivalairat), [Sumontha](/source/Montri_Sumontha), [Kunya](/source/Kirati_Kunya), & [Chiangkul](/source/Krittiya_Chiangkul), 2022}} || || Thailand |- | ||''[Acanthosaura murphyi](/source/Acanthosaura_murphyi)'' {{small|[L.T. Nguyen](/source/Luan_Thanh_Nguyen), [Do](/source/Dang_Trong_Do), [Hoang](/source/Ha_Van_Hoang), [T.T. Nguyen](/source/Thang_Tai_Nguyen), [McCormack](/source/Timothy_E._M._McCormack), [T.Q. Nguyen](/source/Truong_Quang_Nguyen), Orlov, [V.D.H. Nguyen](/source/Vu_Dang_Hoang_Nguyen) & [S.N. Nguyen](/source/Sang_Ngoc_Nguyen), 2018}} || || [Central Vietnam](/source/Central_Vietnam){{cite journal|author=Nguyen, Luan Thanh|author2=Do, Dang Trong|author3=Hoang, Ha Van|author4=Nguyen, Thang Tai|author5=McCormack, Timothy E. M.|author6=Nguyen, Truong Quang|author7=Orlov, Nikolai L.|author7-link=Nikolai Liutsianovich Orlov|author8=Nguyen, Vu Dang Hoang|author9=Nguyen, Sang Ngoc|year=2018|url=http://novataxa.blogspot.com/2019/02/acanthosaura-murphyi.html|title=A New Species of the Genus ''Acanthosaura'' Gray, 1831 (Reptilia: Agamidae) from Central Vietnam|journal=Russian Journal of Herpetology|volume=25|issue=4|pages=259–274|doi=10.30906/1026-2296-2018-25-4-259-274|accessdate=11 February 2019|url-access=subscription}} (''Acanthosaura murphyi'', new species). |- | ||''[Acanthosaura nataliae](/source/Acanthosaura_nataliae)'' {{small|Orlov, [Q.T. Nguyen](/source/Quang_Truong_Nguyen) & [V.S. Nguyen](/source/Van_Sang_Nguyen), 2006}} || || Vietnam |- | ||''[Acanthosaura phongdienensis](/source/Acanthosaura_phongdienensis)'' {{small|[S.N. Nguyen](/source/Sang_Ngoc_Nguyen), [Jin](/source/Jie-Qiong_Jin), [Vo](/source/Ba_Dinh_Vo), [L.T. Nguyen](/source/Luan_Thanh_Nguyen), [Zhou](/source/Wei-Wei_Zhou), [Che](/source/Jing_Che), [Murphy](/source/Robert_W._Murphy), & [Zhang](/source/Ya-Ping_Zhang), 2019}} || || Vietnam |- |120px ||''[Acanthosaura phuketensis](/source/Acanthosaura_phuketensis)'' {{small|[Pauwels](/source/Olivier_Sylvain_G%C3%A9rard_Pauwels), [Sumontha](/source/Montrin_Sumontha), [Kunya](/source/Kirati_Kunya), [Nitikul](/source/Awat_Nitikul), [Samphanthamit](/source/Phamon_Samphanthamit), Wood & L. Grismer, 2015}} || Phuket horned tree agamid || southwestern [Thailand](/source/Thailand) |- | ||''[Acanthosaura prasina](/source/Acanthosaura_prasina)'' {{small|Ananjeva, Ermakov, Nguyen, Nguyen, Murphy, Lukonina, Orlov, 2020}} || || [Vietnam](/source/Vietnam) |- | ||''[Acanthosaura rubrilabris](/source/Acanthosaura_rubrilabris)'' {{small|Liu, Rao, Hou, Orlov, Ananjeva, & Zhang, 2022}} || red-lipped horned tree lizard, red-lipped horned agamid || [China](/source/China) |- | ||''[Acanthosaura titiwangsaensis](/source/Acanthosaura_titiwangsaensis)'' {{small|Wood, J. Grismer, L. Grismer, Ahmad, Onn & Bauer, 2009}} || Malayan Mountain horned agamid, Titiwangsa horned tree lizard || [Fraser's Hill](/source/Fraser's_Hill) and [Cameron Highlands](/source/Cameron_Highlands), [Pahang](/source/Pahang), and Peninsular Malaysia |- |120px ||''[Acanthosaura tongbiguanensis](/source/Acanthosaura_tongbiguanensis)'' {{small|Liu & Rao, 2019}} || || China |- |} ==Gallery== Image:Acanthosaura2.JPG|''Acanthosaura capra'' at [Chester Zoo](/source/Chester_Zoo) Image:Acanthosaura phuketensis, Phuket horned tree agamid.jpg|''Acanthosaura phuketensis'' Image:Acanthosaura phuketensis, Phuket horned tree agamid (juvenile).jpg|''Acanthosaura phuketensis'' (juvenile) ==References== {{Reflist}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q643613}} Category:Acanthosaura Category:Reptiles of Southeast Asia Category:Lizard genera Category:Taxa named by John Edward Gray --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Acanthosaura](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthosaura) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthosaura?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.