334 
SOMALILAND 
Water Tortoise. 
The Side-necked Tortoise {Pelomedusa galeata). 
Common at the bottom of wells in the Boorgha country ; in pools in the 
rock in Guban, and in rain lakes in Ogaden. 
These side-neck tortoises are so called because they draw their head and 
neck sideways within the shell when alarmed. The carapace is much 
flatter than that of the land tortoises, and is of a dull yellow colour. 
Measurements of two collected by me : 
1. Length of carapace 
••• ••• ••• ••• 
6^ inches. 
Breadth of 
••• ••• 
6 „ 
2. Length of 
55 
... 
4i „ 
Breadth of 
5 ? 
4 . „ 
LIZARDS. 
GECKOTID^ (The Geckos). 
{Platydactylus delalaudli.) 
(Hemidactylus mabonia. ) 
{Hemidadylus verruculatus.) 
Turkish Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus.) 
Guban. 
Claws compressed. Length 4 inches. Body covered with from fourteen 
to sixteen longitudinal rows of warts, of which some are white, others 
blackish ; upper parts grayish-brown spotted with flesh colour. 
(Pristiurus flavipunctatas.) 
(Gymnodactylus crucifer.) 
Galadi. 
Two lines of dark spots down back ; tail same length as body. 
AGAMID^ (The Agamoid Lizards). 
Ruppell’s Agama (Agama ruppelli). 
Curious thorny scales at sides of neck ; tail longer than body. Length 
13 inches. Head red ; throat spotted with yellow ; body and le§s deep 
blue ; white line along middle of back. These brilliant colours fade 
immediately after death. 
The Agile Agama (Agama agilis). 
Occipital scale of the head small ; no rings on tail. 
Agama (Agama ruder ata). 
East African Thorny-tailed Lizard (Aporoscelis princeps). 
Length inches. 
Broad Thorny-tailed Lizard (Aptoroscelis hatilliferus). 
For figure and description of this curious form see pages 175, 176. 
