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Hypsilurus facts for kids

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Hypsilurus
Boyd's Forest Dragon on tree Alt Edit3.jpg
Hypsilurus boydii
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Agamidae
Subfamily: Amphibolurinae
Genus: Hypsilurus
W. Peters, 1867

Hypsilurus is a group of lizards. These lizards are often called "forest dragons." They are known for living mostly in trees, which means they are arboreal. You can only find these lizards in Melanesia, a region in the Pacific Ocean. This makes them endemic to that area. They belong to the family called Agamidae, which includes many types of dragons and agamas.

Meet the Hypsilurus Species

As of 2020, there are 18 known types of Hypsilurus lizards. Each one is a unique forest dragon! Here are some of them:

  • Hypsilurus auritus
  • Hypsilurus binotatus – This one is called the two-marked forest dragon.
  • Hypsilurus bruijnii – Also known as Bruijn's forest dragon.
  • Hypsilurus capreolatus
  • Hypsilurus geelvinkianus – This is the New Guinea forest dragon.
  • Hypsilurus godeffroyi – The northern forest dragon.
  • Hypsilurus hikidanus – Hikida's forest dragon.
  • Hypsilurus longi – Long's forest dragon.
  • Hypsilurus macrolepis
  • Hypsilurus magnus
  • Hypsilurus modestus – The modest forest dragon.
  • Hypsilurus nigrigularis
  • Hypsilurus ornatus – Denzer's forest dragon.
  • Hypsilurus papuensis – The Papua forest dragon.
  • Hypsilurus schoedei – Vogt's forest dragon.
  • Hypsilurus schultzewestrumi
  • Hypsilurus spinosus
  • Hypsilurus tenuicephalus

Species That Moved Groups

Some lizards that used to be in the Hypsilurus group have now moved to a different group called Lophosaurus. This happens when scientists learn new things about how animals are related. These three species are:

  • Hypsilurus boydii – This is the famous Boyd's forest dragon.
  • Hypsilurus dilophus – Known as the Indonesian forest dragon.
  • Hypsilurus spinipes – Also called the southern forest dragon.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Hypsilurus para niños

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