Data from: A new species of Coryphophylax fitzinger in: Steindachner, 1867 (Sauria: Iguania: Agamidae) from the Andaman Islands, India

The systematic position of the agamid genus Coryphophylax (Squamata: Agamidae) is given as monotypic and endemic to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal, India. After having surveyed intensively in thirteen different Islands and examined several individuals in the Andamans group of islands, we describe a second species of Coryphophylax from the lowland rainforests of the South Andaman Island. Coryphophylax brevicaudus sp. nov. is differentiated from its congener, C. subcristatus (Blyth, "1860" 1861) by its smaller size, relatively shorter tail, presence of nuchal and dorsal crests in both sexes, midbody scale row counts and colour pattern. The new species lives in sympatry with C. subcristatus. The taxonomic history and systematic status of the genus Coryphophylax are discussed, and the need for continued surveys in the Islands is emphasized.

有鳞目（Squamata）鬣蜥科（Agamidae）冠棘蜥属（Coryphophylax）的系统学地位此前被认定为单型属，且为印度孟加拉湾安达曼-尼科巴群岛的特有类群。本研究团队通过对13座独立岛屿开展密集野外调查，并检视了安达曼群岛群的多号个体标本，从南安达曼岛的低地热带雨林中记述了冠棘蜥属的第二个物种——短尾冠棘蜥（Coryphophylax brevicaudus sp. nov.，新种）。该新种可通过以下特征与同属物种C. subcristatus（Blyth，“1860” 1861）相区分：体型更小、尾相对更短、两性均具颈鬣与背鬣、体中部鳞列数及体色斑纹模式。短尾冠棘蜥与C. subcristatus同域分布。本文还探讨了冠棘蜥属的分类学历史与系统学地位，并强调了持续开展该群岛野外调查的必要性。