Calotes Explained

Calotes is a genus of lizards in the draconine clade of the family Agamidae. The genus contains 29 species. Some species are known as forest lizards, others as "bloodsuckers" due to their red heads, and yet others (namely C. versicolor) as garden lizards. The genus name Calotes has been derived from the Greek word Καλότης (Kalótës), meaning ‘beauty’, referring to the beautiful pattern of this genus.^[1]

Geographic range

Species in the genus Calotes are native to South Asia, southern China, mainland Southeast Asia and Ambon. Additionally, C. versicolor has been introduced to Florida (USA), Borneo, Sulawesi, the Seychelles, Mauritius and Oman.^[2] The greatest species richness of the genus is from the Western Ghats, northeast India, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Description

Calotes is distinguished from related genera in having uniform-sized dorsal scales, and lacking a fold of skin extending between the cheek and shoulder, and in having proportionately stronger limbs than Pseudocalotes. Compared to Bronchocela, Calotes have a proportionately shorter tail and limbs. Calotes as we know it today was classified by Moody (1980) prior to which all of the above-mentioned genera were included in this genus.

Taxonomy

The genus Calotes is still a heterogeneous group that may be divided into the C. versicolor and C. liocephalus groups.^[3] The former occurs through most of South Asia and further east. All species in this group have their dorsal and lateral scales directed upward. The latter is restricted to the southern Western Ghats and Sri Lanka. All species in this group have their scales directed back, or up and down, or down only. Whether further splitting is necessary or whether the groups constitute subgenera of a monophyletic Calotes remains to be studied.

Species

Listed alphabetically by specific name.^[4]

• Calotes bachae ^[5]
• Calotes bhutanensis
• Calotes calotes – common green forest lizard
• Calotes ceylonensis – painted-lip lizard, Ceylon bloodsucker
• Calotes chincollium
• Calotes desilvai - Morningside lizard, Ceylon black-band whistling lizard
• Calotes emma – Emma Gray's forest lizard, forest crested lizard
  • Calotes emma alticristatus
  • Calotes emma emma
• Calotes farooqi – Farooq's garden lizard
• Calotes geissleri
• Calotes goetzi
• Calotes grandisquamis – large-scaled forest lizard
• Calotes htunwini
• Calotes irawadi
• Calotes jerdoni – Jerdon's forest lizard
• Calotes liocephalus – spineless forest lizard, crestless lizard, lionhead agama
• Calotes liolepis – whistling lizard, Sri Lanka agama
• Calotes manamendrai – Manamendra-Arachchi's whistling lizard
• Calotes maria – Khasi Hills forest lizard
• Calotes medogensis – Medog bloodsucker
• Calotes minor – Hardwicke's bloodsucker
• Calotes mystaceus – Indo-Chinese forest lizard, blue-crested lizard
• Calotes nemoricola – Nilgiri forest lizard
• Calotes nigrilabris – black-cheek lizard
• Calotes nigriplicatus
• Calotes paulus – small forest lizard
• Calotes pethiyagodai
• Calotes versicolor – Oriental garden lizard, changeable lizard, eastern garden lizard
• Calotes vindumbarbatus
• Calotes wangi
• Calotes zolaiking – Mizoram montane forest lizard

Two species formerly treated as members of the genus Calotes were separated into a new genus, Monilesaurus, in 2018.^[6]

• Monilesaurus ellioti – Elliot's forest lizard
• Monilesaurus rouxii – Roux's forest lizard, Roux's forest Calotes

Nota bene

A binomial authority in parentheses or a trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species or the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Calotes.

Further reading

• HALLERMANN J, BÖHME W (2000). "A review of the genus Pseudocalotes (Squamata: Agamidae), with description of a new species from West Malaysia". Amphibia-Reptilia 21: 193–210.
• HALLERMANN J (2005). "A taxonomic review of the genus Bronchocela (Squamata: Agamidae), with description of a new species from Vietnam". Russian Journal of Herpetology 12 (3): 167–182.
• MOODY SM (1980). Phylogenetic relationships and historical biogeographical relationships of the genera in the family Agamidae (Reptilia: Lacertilia). PhD dissertation. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. 373 pp.
• ZUG GR, BROWN HHK, SCHULTE JA II, VINDUM JV (2006). "Systematics of the Garden Lizards, Calotes versicolor Group (Reptilia, Squamata, Agamidae), in Myanmar: Central Dry Zone Populations". Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Fourth Series 57 (2): 35–68.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Agassiz nomenclator zoologicus nomenclatore zoologico . it.
2. Calotes versicolor. The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. Retrieved 17 January 2013
3. [Malcolm Arthur Smith|Smith MA]
4. Calotes. The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
5. [species:Timo Hartmann|Hartmann T]
6. 10.11646/zootaxa.4482.3.1. 30313808. A systematic revision of Calotes Cuvier, 1817 (Squamata: Agamidae) from the Western Ghats adds two genera and reveals two new species. Zootaxa. 4482. 3. 401–450. 2018. Pal. Saunak. species:Saunak Pal. Vijayakumar. S.P.. species:Seenapuram Palaniswamy Vijayakumar. Shanker. Kartik. species:Kartik Shanker. Jayarajan. Aditi. species:Aditi Jayarajan. Deepak. V.. species:Veerappan Deepak.