page_title: Agamidae
section_title: Systematics and distribution
hierarchical_section_title: Agamidae / Systematics and distribution
caption_attribution_description: English: Fan-throated lizard Sitana ponticeriana in Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park, Hyderabad, India.
context_page_description: Agamidae is a family of over 300 species of iguanian lizards indigenous to Africa, Asia, Australia, and a few in Southern Europe. Many species are commonly called dragons or dragon lizards.
context_section_description: Very few studies of the Agamidae have been conducted.  The first comprehensive assessment was by Moody (1980) followed by a more inclusive assessment by Frost and Etheridge (1989). Subsequent studies were based on mitochondrial DNA loci by Macey et al. (2000) and Honda et al. (2000) and also by sampling across the Agamidae by Joger (1991). Few other studies focused on clades within the family, and the Agamidae have not been as well investigated as the Iguanidae.
  The agamids show a curious distribution. They are found over much of the Old World, including continental Africa, Australia, southern Asia, and sparsely in warmer regions of Europe. They are, however, absent from Madagascar and the New World. The distribution is the opposite of that of the iguanids, which are found in just these areas but absent in areas where agamids are found. A similar faunal divide is found in between the boas and pythons.
caption: Fan-throated lizard Sitana ponticeriana from the Agaminae
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