Acanthocercus Atricollis
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''Acanthocercus atricollis'', the black-necked agama or southern tree agama, is a species of tree agama that is native to
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, Central and
southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost region of Africa. No definition is agreed upon, but some groupings include the United Nations geoscheme for Africa, United Nations geoscheme, the intergovernmental Southern African Development Community, and ...
. Its largest continuous range is in southeastern Africa, and it occurs at high densities in the
Kruger National Park Kruger National Park () is a national park in South Africa covering an area of in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in the country's northeast. It extends from north to south and from east to west. The administrative headquarters are i ...
.


Description

The sexes have a comparable snout-to-vent length (SVL) and have similar tail lengths. Mature males have somewhat larger heads than females, which is deemed to be an adaptation for intraspecific competition for territory. Females reach sexual maturity when about long (SVL) and males from about (SVL).


Habits

They form structured colonies with a dominant male, several females and juveniles. The males defend territories and engage in combat. Although mostly diurnal, they sometimes exhibit nocturnal activity. It adapts readily to the vicinity of human habitation. They are classic ambush foragers which spend only some 4% of their time moving. This involves an average of less than one movement in two minutes. When stationary, the adults position themselves on lateral branches (42% of the time), on tree trunks (35%), or occasionally on the ground (23%). ''Acanthocercus a. atricollis'' can more commonly be found in higher densities around villages. This is due to the lack of natural predators like snakes or raptors that are often killed by humans and the preference of trees that are thicker, with more canopy cover.


Diet

They subsist on an insect diet, which consists mainly of
orthoptera Orthoptera () is an order of insects that comprises the grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets, including closely related insects, such as the bush crickets or katydids and wētā. The order is subdivided into two suborders: Caelifera – gras ...
ns, beetles and ants. Their full diet encompasses various orders (10 recorded) of arthropods. They also eat millipedes, which other lizard taxa tend to avoid. Gut contents reveal many ants (92% of items) and some beetles (4%). A large volume of orthopterans is consumed (27%), followed by beetles (26%) and ants (18%). Juvenile diet (by volume) is dominated by ants, though beetles and orthopterans are also taken. Prey diversity and volumes fluctuate seasonally.


Reproduction

Reproduction is seasonal. Testicular volume of males reaches a maximum during August to September (austral spring), and follicles of females become enlarged during August to December. Females lay a single clutch per annum, about 11 eggs on average, and larger females produce larger clutches than smaller females.


Range

It is found in
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,
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, D.R.C.,
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,
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and
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.


Subspecies

Two subspecies are usually accepted. Four more have been described however, which are not very distinct. * ''A. a. atricollis'' (Smith, 1849) – Southern tree agama, of southern Africa * ''A. a. loveridgei'' ( Klausewitz, 1957) – Tanzania


Gallery

Image:Acanthocercus atricollis.jpg, Proposed race ''A. a. kiwuensis'' (Klausewitz, 1957) at
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Image:Southern Tree Agama (Acanthocercus atricollis) female (32100887592).jpg, Image:Southern Tree Agamas (Acanthocercus atricollis) couple (31159640691).jpg, Image:Acanthocercus atricollis03.jpg,


References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q653785 Acanthocercus Reptiles of Africa Reptiles described in 1849 Taxa named by Andrew Smith (zoologist)