Tropicagama temporalis (Günther, 1867)

Tropicagama temporalis is a moderately sized, slender agamid lizard that has long limbs and a long, slender tail.

Head Morphology

Its head is narrow and moderately elongated, with a short rounded snout, a prominent canthal ridge, and a visible tympanum.

Primary Lateral Stripe

A broad white stripe runs from the tip of the snout, across the lower and upper lips, continues below the tympanum, and extends down the side of the body. This stripe tapers off at the hind legs, and is crossed by three dark bands at the neck, shoulders, and upper back.

Head Coloration

The areas of the head above and below this white stripe are a uniform dark gray or brown.

Dorsal Crest

A prominent dorsal crest made of enlarged keeled scales stretches from the occiput (back of the skull) to the shoulder, and continues as a ridge from the shoulder along the spine to the base of the tail.

Limb Characteristics

The front legs are darker in color and have more strongly keeled scales than the hind legs.

Secondary Stripe

A shorter second white stripe is sometimes present, running from the posterior lower jaw to the region of the temporomandibular joint.

Adult Measurements

For adults, the snout-to-vent length is 103 millimeters (4.1 in), and hindlimb length is 87 millimeters (3.4 in).

Australian Distribution

Tropicagama temporalis occurs mainly in far northern Australian coastal regions, including the Northern Territory and the western part of Cape York Peninsula.

Non-Australian Distribution

It is also found in southern New Guinea, on some islands north of Australia, and as far north as Indonesia's Maluku Islands.

Habitat Types

This semi-arboreal species inhabits a variety of habitats across its range, including coastal dunes, tropical savanna woodlands, monsoon forests, paperbark swamps, billabongs, creeks, and riverine environments.

Recorded Ecoregions

Specific regions it has been recorded in include the Arnhem Land tropical savanna, Cape York Peninsula tropical savanna, Carpentaria tropical savanna, Trans-Fly savanna and grasslands, and Victoria Plains tropical savanna; it may also occur in the Kimberley tropical savanna.