Calotes calotes (Linnaeus, 1758)

Pal, Saunak, Vijayakumar, S. P., Shanker, Kartik, Jayarajan, Aditi & Deepak, V., 2018, A systematic revision of Calotes Cuvier, 1817 (Squamata: Agamidae) from the Western Ghats adds two genera and reveals two new species, Zootaxa 4482 (3), pp. 401-450 : 419-421

Calotes calotes (Linnaeus, 1758)

Lacerta calotes —Linnaeus, 1758. Syst. Nat. 10th ed. 1758: 207.

Iguana calotes —Laurenti 1768. Syn. Rept. 1768: 49.

Agama calotes —Daudin 1802. Hist. Nat. Rept. iii.1802: 361.

Calotes calotes —Lönnberg 1896. Bih. Svensk. Vet. Akad. Stockholm, xxii. 1896:15.

Original description. Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii, Holmiae. 10th Edition, 1758: 207.

Taxonomic comments. Calotes calotes was described based on specimens collected from ‘Zeylona’ ( Sri Lanka). This species is currently known to commonly occur in the wet zones of Sri Lanka and dry zones of southern India. Smith (1935) reported this species from the Nicobar Islands but this was not included in later works ( Harikrishnan et al. 2010). The original description by Linnaeus was a two-line description, which was translated by Amarasinghe et al. (2009). Our analysis shows 1% genetic variance (in the 16S gene) between the Sri Lankan and the Peninsular Indian population of Calotes calotes . This suggests that these species moved between the dry zones in Peninsular India and Sri Lanka.

Material examined. CESL 0 37 adult female collected from Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary , Kerala; CESL 374 adult male collected from Marayoor , Kerala and BNHS 378 adult male collected Chatikulam , Sri Lanka. Details of collection locality, specimen voucher and GenBank accession number in Appendix 1.

Diagnosis and comparison. A medium to large sized Calotes characterized by the posterodorsal orientation of lateral scales; antehumeral pit indistinct; 30–35 midbody scale rows; nuchal and dorsal crest continuous, nuchal crest composed of long lanceolate spines; dorsal spines smaller, gradually diminishing in size, extending beyond the midbody; a row of 8–9 compressed supratympanic spines, divided into two groups; dorsal and lateral scales large, smooth or feebly keeled, ventral scales strongly keeled, mucronate, equal to or slightly larger than laterals; paired postmentals, first pair separated by 1 to 2 median scales; 21–24 subdigital lamellae under fourth finger, 27– 29 subdigital lamellae under fourth toe; 10–12 supralabials and 9–11 infralabials; uniform, bright green above, with 5–6 thin white transverse stripes, often continuing on the tail as indistinct bands; a bright red horizontal stripe across the orbit; posterior part of the tail dull brown; ventrally pale green; juveniles bright green, white transverse stripes indistinct.

From other members of Smith’s C. versicolor group ( C. versicolor , C. nemoricola , C. grandisquamis , C. minor , C. maria , C. jerdoni , C. emma and C. mystaceus ) C. calotes can be distinguished by a combination of the following characters: smaller body size: adult SVL 73.6–96.8 mm, n=3 (vs. C. nemoricola , adult SVL 112–134.8 mm, n=7; and C. grandisquamis , adult SVL 110.0– 136.5 mm, n=5); 30–35 midbody scale rows (vs. 38–45 in C. versicolor , n=9, 36– 43 in C. nemoricola ; 58–63 in C. maria ; 45–57 in C. jerdoni ; 49–65 in C. emma ; 48–58 in C. mystaceus and 48–60 in C. minor ); ventral scales equal to or slightly larger than laterals (vs. ventral scales smaller than laterals in C. nemoricola , C. grandisquamis , C. versicolor , C. minor , C. maria , C. jerdoni , C. emma and C. mystaceus ); crescent-shaped patch of granular scales in front of the shoulder absent (vs. present in C. nemoricola , C. grandisquamis , C. jerdoni , C. emma and C. mystaceus ); and a row of 8–9 compressed supratympanic spines (vs. row of 3–4 compressed supratympanic spines in C. nemoricola and C. grandisquamis ; two well separated supratympanic spines in C. versicolor ; two parallel rows of compressed supratympanic scales in C. maria and C. jerdoni ; single well developed postorbital spine in C. emma ).

Description. Based on specimen CESL 374. A large sized adult male (SVL- 84.7 mm) collected from a shrub along the road near Marayoor, Kerala. Morphometric and meristic data are summarised in Appendix 2 & 3. General habitus moderately compressed. Head moderate (HL/SVL ratio 0.23), elongate (HW/HL ratio 0.73), maximum height slightly less than maximum width; snout pointed; rostral broader than high; nostrils in single nasal shield which is separated from rostral by three scales; mental shield broader than rostral; two postmentals, first pair separated from each other by two small scales; genials smooth; gular sac small, indistinct, composed of strongly keeled scales, slightly smaller than genials; scales on top of snout smooth; scales on top of head heterogenous in size and shape, smooth; canthus-rostralis and supraciliary edge sharp; a row of 8 compressed, spines divided into two groups above the tympanum, the one closer to the nuchal crest longer; orbit diameter 86% of distance between anterior border of orbit and snout tip; tympanum exposed, its greatest diameter 49% of horizontal diameter of orbit; partially keeled, scales between tympanum and orbit smooth, some enlarged, a few with partially keeled edges; posterior region of jaws swollen; supralabials 10/11; infralabials 10/10.

Nuchal crest well developed, dorsal crest slightly reduced, continuous; nuchal crest composed of 12 long, conical spines, the first being the smallest; dorsal crest composed of much smaller spines reaching slightly behind midbody; 30 longitudinal scale rows around midbody; dorsal and lateral scales sub-triangular, smooth, ones on the lower back feebly keeled, oriented postero-dorsally; ventrals strongly keeled, mucronate, almost equal to the dorsal and lateral scales.

Limbs slender and covered with keeled scales forming parallel longitudinal rows; scales under thighs weakly keeled; length of hindlimb ca. 101 % SVL; relative length of fingers 4>3>5>2>1, second and fifth 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; 27 subdigital lamellae under fourth toe; subdigital lamellae with sharp keels, bicarinate; slender, swollen at the base; dorsal and ventral tail scales keeled, ventral tail scales mucronate, strongly keeled; tail length 268 mm.

Colouration. In life: dorsum and head uniform, bright green with 5 thin, white transverse stripes, continuing on the tail as indistinct bands; head bright green laterally, lighter towards the cheeks; nuchal spines brownish, a brick red horizontal stripe from posterior corner of the eye till end of orbit, darker behind the eye; few blackish scales below the eye; gular scales lighter, yellowish green; posterior half of the tail dull greyish brown with alternating white bands; tympanum pale grey with greenish edge, ventrally lighter, uniform pale green. Representative image showing live colouration ( Fig. 4a ). In preservative: colouration mostly similar to that in life, except overall paler.

Variation and secondary sexual characteristics. Meristic and morphometric data of two adult males and one adult female are given in Appendix 2 & 3. The examined specimens agree with each other in general morphology and scalation. The examined female specimen (CESL 037) is slightly larger in size and has much smaller nuchal spines, compared to the males, almost equal to the dorsal spines.

Distribution. Calotes calotes is distributed in the low and medium elevation dry forests (up to 1000 m asl) of the southern Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats and across Sri Lanka. In the present study, C. calotes was recorded from various sites in the low to mid elevation dry and deciduous forests of the southern Western Ghats (See Appendix 1 for details). This species is common in and around open scrub, secondary and degraded forest patches.

Ecology and natural history. Calotes calotes is a diurnal lizard, semi-arboreal to arboreal in habit, and so far, has been recorded mostly in scrub, secondary deciduous forests and plantations. Individuals were mostly seen perching on shrubs, bushes and on trees near edges of forests. In some instances, it has also been observed near villages and within plantations. During this study, it was never recorded from primary evergreen forests. In some sites, they might occur syntopically in the same habitat as C. versicolor .

Figures

FIGURE 4. Lateral photograph showing live coloration of A. adult female C. calotes and B. adult male C. cf. versicolor.