Calotes andamanensis
Encyclopedia
The Andaman Garden Lizard or the Andaman and Nicobar Forest Lizard (Calotes andamanensis) is an agamid lizard found on the Nicobar Islands
, the Andaman Islands
and Western Ghats
of India
. It is also known as the Green Crestless Forest Lizard or the Andaman Green Calotes.
The holotype
of the Andaman and Nicobar Forest Lizard is an adult male from Nicobar Islands
, India; collected by Frederick Adolph de Roepstorff (1842-1896) on 7 January 1882.
s on caudal surface of thigh, obtusely keel
ed scales over head, smooth dorsal body scales (uppers six rows directed posterodorsally, remainder posteroventrally). It lacks s body crest, antehumeral pit present. The Andaman and Nicobar Forest Lizard has 67 scales around its midbody. Its third toe is shorter than its fourth toe. This species is distinguished from Calotes aurantolabium
in having smooth dorsals, dorsal body scales unequal, upper six scale rows larger, remainder equal in size to ventral scales; three enlarged scales on caudal thigh; dorsal head scales obtusely keeled; parietal ridge raised; enlarged scale between nuchal crest and tympanum; antehumeral pit present; toe-IV longer than III; stretched hindlimb reaches eye. Distinguished from Calotes versicolor
and Calotes liocephalus groups and C. rouxi and C. ellioti in presence of enlarged keeled scales on caudal surface of thigh. Distinguished from Calotes versicolor group lizards in scale orientation – distinguished from Calotes versicolor in having an antehumeral pit; distinguished from C. nemoricola and C. grandisquamis in having equal size dorsal and ventral scales, toe-IV longer than III, scales around midbody 67 (36-43 and 27-35 respectively); distinguished from C. calotes in lacking flattened spines above tympanum. Distinguished from C. ellioti and C. rouxi in having an antehumeral pit and in lacking spines. It is distinguished from the species Calotes liocephalus and similar lizards (C. ceylonensis, C. desilvai, C. liolepis, C. nigrilabris) in lacking spine
s on the head. It is distinguished from C. liocephalus by midbody scale count and body crest.
It originally included the species now reclassified Calotes aurantolabium
The description given here is used in the newer sense, rather than the one of by Ishwar and Das (1998).
Nicobar Islands
The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean...
, the Andaman Islands
Andaman Islands
The Andaman Islands are a group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal between India to the west, and Burma , to the north and east...
and Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is also known as the Green Crestless Forest Lizard or the Andaman Green Calotes.
The holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
of the Andaman and Nicobar Forest Lizard is an adult male from Nicobar Islands
Nicobar Islands
The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean...
, India; collected by Frederick Adolph de Roepstorff (1842-1896) on 7 January 1882.
Description
The Andaman and Nicobar Forest Lizard has been noted as having enlarged keeled scaleReptile scales
Reptile skin is covered with scutes or scales which, along with other characteristics, distinguish reptiles from animals of other classes . Scales are made of keratin and are formed from the epidermis...
s on caudal surface of thigh, obtusely keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
ed scales over head, smooth dorsal body scales (uppers six rows directed posterodorsally, remainder posteroventrally). It lacks s body crest, antehumeral pit present. The Andaman and Nicobar Forest Lizard has 67 scales around its midbody. Its third toe is shorter than its fourth toe. This species is distinguished from Calotes aurantolabium
Calotes aurantolabium
The Orange-lipped Forest Lizard is an agamid lizard found in the forests of the southern Western Ghats and is currently known from the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve...
in having smooth dorsals, dorsal body scales unequal, upper six scale rows larger, remainder equal in size to ventral scales; three enlarged scales on caudal thigh; dorsal head scales obtusely keeled; parietal ridge raised; enlarged scale between nuchal crest and tympanum; antehumeral pit present; toe-IV longer than III; stretched hindlimb reaches eye. Distinguished from Calotes versicolor
Calotes versicolor
The Oriental Garden Lizard, Eastern Garden Lizard or Changeable Lizard is an agamid lizard found widely distributed in Asia. It has also been introduced in many other parts of the world...
and Calotes liocephalus groups and C. rouxi and C. ellioti in presence of enlarged keeled scales on caudal surface of thigh. Distinguished from Calotes versicolor group lizards in scale orientation – distinguished from Calotes versicolor in having an antehumeral pit; distinguished from C. nemoricola and C. grandisquamis in having equal size dorsal and ventral scales, toe-IV longer than III, scales around midbody 67 (36-43 and 27-35 respectively); distinguished from C. calotes in lacking flattened spines above tympanum. Distinguished from C. ellioti and C. rouxi in having an antehumeral pit and in lacking spines. It is distinguished from the species Calotes liocephalus and similar lizards (C. ceylonensis, C. desilvai, C. liolepis, C. nigrilabris) in lacking spine
Spine (zoology)
A spine is a hard, thorny or needle-like structure which occurs on various animals. Animals such as porcupines and sea urchins grow spines as a self-defense mechanism. Spines are often formed of keratin...
s on the head. It is distinguished from C. liocephalus by midbody scale count and body crest.
It originally included the species now reclassified Calotes aurantolabium
Calotes aurantolabium
The Orange-lipped Forest Lizard is an agamid lizard found in the forests of the southern Western Ghats and is currently known from the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve...
The description given here is used in the newer sense, rather than the one of by Ishwar and Das (1998).