Appearance
Total length of ''S. stellio'' is up to 35 centimetres or slightly longer.
Naming
Common names for ''S. stellio'' include stellion, hardim, hardun, star lizard, painted dragon, starred agama, sling-tailed agama, roughtail rock agama and kourkoutavlos.The name "stellion" comes from Latin ''stellio'', ''stēlio'' , which referred to any spotted lizard, from ''stella'', star.There are several subspecies, and ''S. stellio'' is likely a species complex. More research will be done, and this species may yet be split into several species.The following seven subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.
⤷ ''Stellagama stellio brachydactyla''
⤷ ''Stellagama stellio cypriaca''
⤷ ''Stellagama stellio daani''
⤷ ''Stellagama stellio picea''
⤷ ''Stellagama stellio salehi'' Y. Werner in Lachmann et al., 2006
⤷ ''Stellagama stellio stellio''
⤷ ''Stellagama stellio vulgaris''
''Nota bene'': A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than ''Stellagama''.
Behavior
Like many agamids, stellions can change color to express their moods. They bask on stone walls, rocks, and trees. They are usually found in rocky habitats, and are quite shy, being very ready to dive into cracks to hide from potential predators.Habitat
Like many agamids, stellions can change color to express their moods. They bask on stone walls, rocks, and trees. They are usually found in rocky habitats, and are quite shy, being very ready to dive into cracks to hide from potential predators.References:
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