New mountain horned dragon lizard named after fantasy creature discovered in Thailand

Scientists from Chulabhorn Royal Academy and Kasetsart University have formally identified Acanthosaura syrax, a new species of mountain horned dragon lizard endemic to the evergreen high-elevation forest of western Thailand’s Mae Wong National Park, above 1,300 m. The animal displays a distinctive yellow-green hue, the smallest neck and back crest scales in its genus, and unusually large egg clutches, traits that inspired its name after the fictional dragon Syrax.

DNA analysis of two genes showed the species is genetically separate from its closest relative, A. lepidogaster, and all other described species. Because it occupies a narrow habitat band, researchers warn that habitat pressure could endanger the population and propose the lizard serve as a flagship for conservation alongside other rare fauna. The findings were published in the open-access journal ZooKeys.