Acanthosaura

Acanthosaura is a genus of lizards, commonly known as mountain horned dragons or pricklenape agamas, in the family 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. They are medium-sized, their total length (including tail) ranging from about Template:Convert, depending on 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, 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 Template:Convert 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 of eggs 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 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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

Image	Scientific name	Common name	Distribution
	Acanthosaura armata Template:Small	armored pricklenape, peninsular horned tree lizard	Burma, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand
	Acanthosaura aurantiacrista Template:Small		Thailand
	Acanthosaura bintangensis Template:Small	Bukit Larut Mountain horned agamid, Bintang horned tree lizard	Perak, Peninsular Malaysia
	Acanthosaura brachypoda Template:Small		Vietnam
	Acanthosaura capra Template:Small	green pricklenape	Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam
	Acanthosaura cardamomensis Template:Small<ref>Template:Cite journal (Acanthosaura cardamomensis, new species). </ref>		western Cambodia, eastern Thailand
	Acanthosaura coronata Template:Small	crowned spiny lizard	Vietnam
	Acanthosaura crucigera Template:Small	Boulenger's pricklenape, masked horned tree lizard	Burma, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam
	Acanthosaura lepidogaster Template:Small	brown pricklenape	Burma, Cambodia, China, Thailand, Vietnam
	Acanthosaura liui Template:Small		China
	Acanthosaura longicaudata Template:Small	long-tailed horned tree lizard, long-tailed horned agamid	China
	Acanthosaura meridiona Template:Small		Thailand
	Acanthosaura murphyi Template:Small		Central Vietnam<ref>Template:Cite journal (Acanthosaura murphyi, new species).</ref>
	Acanthosaura nataliae Template:Small		Vietnam
	Acanthosaura phongdienensis Template:Small		Vietnam
	Acanthosaura phuketensis Template:Small	Phuket horned tree agamid	southwestern Thailand
	Acanthosaura prasina Template:Small		Vietnam
	Acanthosaura rubrilabris Template:Small	red-lipped horned tree lizard, red-lipped horned agamid	China
	Acanthosaura titiwangsaensis Template:Small	Malayan Mountain horned agamid, Titiwangsa horned tree lizard	Fraser's Hill and Cameron Highlands, Pahang, and Peninsular Malaysia
	Acanthosaura tongbiguanensis Template:Small		China

Gallery

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  Acanthosaura capra at Chester Zoo
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  Acanthosaura phuketensis
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  Acanthosaura phuketensis (juvenile)