Calotes versicolor

Original description. Daudin (1802). Histoire naturelle, generale et particuliere des reptiles, ouvrage faisant suite, a l'histoiure naturelle, generale et particuliere composee par Leclerc de Buffon, et redigee par C. S. Sonnini, vol. III. Paris, F. Dufart, 452 pp.

Sumber: Molecular phylogenetics and taxonomic reassessment of the widespread agamid lizard Calotes versicolor (Daudin, 1802) (Squamata, Agamidae) across South Asia

Distribution. The species appears to be endemic to India, occurring largely on the Southern Granulite Terrain and the eastern coast of India. The species was found in the Southern Western Ghats, the south-west coast of India, the southern Eastern Ghats, the eastern coast of India till Mahanadi basin in the north, and in the low-elevation areas of Peninsular India between the Eastern and the Western Ghats during this study. The species also has been introduced to the Maldives (Figs 1 - 3).

Sumber: Molecular phylogenetics and taxonomic reassessment of the widespread agamid lizard Calotes versicolor (Daudin, 1802) (Squamata, Agamidae) across South Asia

DISTRIBUTION. A tropical Asian lizard widely distributed from the extreme SE Iran through Pakistan and India, S China and SE Asia including Sumatra. Introduced to Borneo, S Oman, Kenya, and USA (Arnold 1986 a; Das et al. 2008; Šandera & Starostová 2009; Meshaka 2011). DISTRIBUTION IN IRAN. Fig. 6. Sistan and Baluchistan Prov. HABITAT. An arboreal lizard occurring wherever there are trees or shrubs available, most common by water streams and riversides. Although it can tolerate considerable aridity, in desert habitats it is confined to oases and vegetation along the water courses (Khan 2006). SE Iran represents the westernmost projection of the species’ autochthonous range, however, it is found here only on date palms and its presence may be caused by humanmediated transfer (Anderson 1999).

Sumber: Annotated checklist and distribution of the lizards of Iran

Figure 1; Table 2 Distribution in the KTM Valley: A single individual was encountered in Shivapuri National Park. Pokhrel et al. (2011) recorded them from Nagarjun NP. Remarks: This specimen was encountered at 1400 on an exposed hillside in dry disturbed habitat (grassland) on the south side of Shivapuri National Park (Figure 1). It fled when approached.

Sumber: A herpetological survey of the Kathmandu Valleyı Nepalı and phylogenetic identification of Megophrys (Xenophrys) zhangi

Ecology and natural history. Calotes cf. versicolor is a diurnal lizard, semi-arboreal to arboreal in habit, and so far, has been recorded mostly in scrub, deciduous forests and plantations. Individuals were mostly seen perching on shrubs, hedges, gardens and along compound walls of houses in villages along forests. C. cf. versicolor has often been found within plantations and prefers open patches to forested areas. During this study, it was never recorded from primary evergreen forests. In some sites, they might occur syntopically in the same habitat as M. rouxii comb. nov. but tend to be restricted to forest edges.

Sumber: A systematic revision of Calotes Cuvier, 1817 (Squamata: Agamidae) from the Western Ghats adds two genera and reveals two new species

Description. Based on specimen CESL 182. A large sized adult male (SVL 99.4 mm), morphometric and meristic data are summarised in Appendix 2 & 3. General habitus moderately compressed. Head moderate (HL / SVL ratio 0.22), slightly elongate (HW / HL ratio 0.95), maximum height slightly less than maximum width; snout pointed; rostral broader than high; nostrils in single nasal shield which is separated from rostral by two scales; mental shield narrower than rostral; two postmentals, first pair separated from each other by two small scales; genials keeled; gular sac small, composed of strongly keeled scales, slightly smaller than genials; scales on top of snout smooth except median row, which is keeled; scales on top of head heterogenous in size and shape, keeled; supraorbital scales keeled; canthus-rostralis and supraciliary edge sharp; two separated spines on posterior end of head, the anterior much longer, closer to the nuchal crest, posterior above tympanum; orbit diameter 87 % of distance between anterior border of orbit and snout tip; tympanum exposed, its greatest diameter 42 % of horizontal diameter of orbit; slightly keeled, scales between tympanum and orbit smooth, slightly enlarged; posterior region of jaws swollen; supralabials 11 / 10; infralabials 10 / 10. Nuchal and dorsal crest well developed, continuous; nuchal crest composed of 11 long, conical spines, the first being the smallest; dorsal crest composed of 33 curved spines till above the vent, slightly smaller than the nuchal spines; 36 longitudinal scale rows around midbody; dorsal and lateral scales sub-triangular, keeled, oriented postero-dorsally; ventrals strongly keeled, mucronate, smaller than dorsal and lateral scales. Limbs slender and covered with strongly keeled scales, similar to laterals, forming parallel longitudinal rows; scales under thighs weakly keeled; length of hindlimb ca. 75 % SVL; relative length of fingers 4> 3> 2> 5> 1, third and fourth finger almost equal; relative lengths of toes 4> 3> 5> 2> 1; fourth toe much longer than fifth finger; 21 subdigital lamellae under fourth finger; 25 subdigital lamellae under fourth toe; subdigital lamellae with sharp keels, bicarinate; slender, swollen at the base; dorsal and ventral tail scales mucronate, strongly keeled; tail broken, incomplete; tail length 90 mm. Colouration. In life: dorsum and head uniform, greyish-brown with irregular darker patches towards the flank; each lateral scale with a darker blackish spot towards the base, followed by lighter grey edges; head laterally paler, whitish towards the cheeks; a small, thin darker stripe from posterior corner of the eye till end of orbit; legs with irregular dark crossbars; a black coloured patch above the shoulder, near throat; tympanum pale grey with many small black spots, ventral uniformly lighter, pale grey; tail with alternating dark and light bands. Representative image showing live colouration (Fig. 4 b). In preservative: colouration mostly similar to that in life, except overall paler. Variation and secondary sexual characteristics. Meristic and morphometric data of four adult male and four adult female specimens are given in Appendix 2 & 3. The examined specimens agree with each other in general morphology and scalation. All the examined female specimens (CESL 0 48, CESL 163, CESL 306 and BNHM 374) have much smaller nuchal and dorsal spines compared to the males and lack a gular sac.

Sumber: A systematic revision of Calotes Cuvier, 1817 (Squamata: Agamidae) from the Western Ghats adds two genera and reveals two new species