Bronchocela

QUICK INDEX

B. celebensis, Sulawesi Bloodsucker

B. cristatella, Green Crested Lizard

B. danieli, Daniel's Forest Dragon

B. hayeki, Sumatra Bloodsucker

B. jubata, Maned Forest Lizard

B. marmorata, Marbled Bloodsucker

B. orlovi, Orlov's Forest Lizard

B. smaragdina, Gunther's Bloodsucker

Scientific Name

Common Name

Distribution

Size

Notes

Bronchocela

B. celebensis

Sulawesi Bloodsucker

Indonesia (Sulawesi)

SVL approx. 9 cm: TL 41.5 cm

Scalation details: head-scales above small, nearly equal, keeled, those on the supraocular region slightly larger; tympanum small, less than half the diameter of the orbit. 9 upper and lower labials; a row of enlarged scales on each side of the chin parallel to the labials. A small gular sac, covered with feebly keeled scales; no fold in front of the shoulder. A nuchal crest of small compressed spines. Body strongly compressed, covered with small keeled scales, 53-67 round the middle of the body, the upper ones pointing upwards; dorsal crest very low. Ventral scales much larger, strongly keeled. Tail: slightly compressed, very long, thrice as long as head and body. Other: limbs long, the hind limb reaches beyond the eye; digits long, 3^rd and 4^th fingers equal, 5^th toe much shorter than 3^rd. Coloration: green above, uniform or with brown, red and white markings. Lower parts yellowish-green. Length of head and body 92 mm; tail 325 mm. [SOURCE: de Rooij]

B. cristatella

Green Crested Lizard, Indonesian Calotes

India (Andaman and Nicobar Islands), Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea

87-107 mm SVL: max TL 44cm

De Rooij called this an extremely common lizard throughout the Indonesian archipelago, and according to Alcala it is also widely distributed throughout the Philippines, where it is found on trunks of forest trees, in arboreal ferns and on forest shrubs and along streams, and in coconut and garden trees. In Indonesia it has been found at altitudes of up to 5,000 m. Tail is 3-5 times the SVL. Body is slender, with very long limbs. A small gular pouch is present. Scalation: 8-9 supralabials; nuchal crest of 8-9 pointed scales in both sexes; vertebral row is enlarged and strongly keeled, sometimes with the end of the keel slightly raised. Dorsal, lateral, ventral and head scales are also keeled. Dorsal rows: 66-74 at midbody. Other: 33-36 subdigital lamellae under 4th toe; the ear is large with the typanum near the surface. Coloration: variable and changeable, but overall may be green or green with large yellowish or brown blotches; ear area brown, the whole body changing to this colour when the lizard feels threatened [Das]; possibly also indistinct dark or light transverse bars or several rows of light spots. Darker longitudinal lines may be present on the throat. Ventrally whitish, ivory or greyish. Reproduction: throat pouch of males may sometimes be reddish. 1-2 eggs laid, long and oval in shape. [SOURCES: Alcala, de Rooij, Manthey and Schuster]

B. danieli

India (Nicobar Islands)

B. hayeki

Sumatra Bloodsucker

Indonesia (Sumatra)

B. jubata

Maned Forest Lizard

Indonesia (inc. Borneo, Bali, Java and Sulawesi), Philippines (Mindanao)

13-15 cm SVL, TL 57-60 cm

Found in trees and hedges: followers of civilisation. In Indonesia it has been found at up to 2,300 m altitude: de Rooij described it as a very common form in Java. Tail is 3-5 times the SVL. Body is slender, with very long limbs. A small gular pouch is present. Scalation details: head-scales above rather large, keeled, almost equal; 2-3 compressed scales behind the supraciliary edge; 9-10 upper and 8-9 lower labials; a row of slightly enlarged scales on each side of the chin parallel to the labials. A gular sac, with large keeled scales; no fold in front of the shoulder. Nuchal crest large, its spines falciform and directed backwards, the longest about as long as the diameter of the orbit; some rows of smaller spines at the base. Body strongly compressed, covered with large, keeled scales, 43-53 round the middle of the body; the scales of the first row next to the dorsal crest pointing upwards, those of the second row pointing straight backwards, the others downwards; dorsal crest less developed than nuchal, diminuating backwards. Ventral scales largest of all, strongly keeled. Tail: very long, round, slightly compressed at the base and with a slight ridge there. Other: tympanum large, half or more than half the diameter of the orbit; limbs long, the hind limb nearly reaching the nostril; digits long, 3^rd and 4^th fingers equal, 5^th toe much shorter than 3^rd. Coloration: variable and changeable, but overall green or green with yellow or red spots or vertical bars. Reproduction: 1-2 eggs laid. [SOURCE: de Rooij, Manthey and Schuster]

B. marmorata

Marbled Bloodsucker /Philippine Calotes

Philippines (Luzon, Polillo, Mindoro, Panay and Negros)

105-123 mm SVL

The range of the species today may be restricted to Luzon, specimens from the other islands having been reported by Taylor in the 1920s. Tail and limbs are very long. Nuchal and dorsal crests were present on the males available to Alcala (see closing remark). Scalation: 10 supralabials; 70-72 midbody scale rows; crests made up of 35-45 long pointed scales; 33-35 subdigital lamellae under 4th toe. Coloration: see closing remarks: Alcala's specimens were presumably preserved in alcohol so this would not give an accurate life description. [SOURCE: Alcala - NB based apparently on 2 specimens and Taylor's 1922 account, although Alcala describes this as a common species]

B. m. marmorata

B. m. sanchezi

B. orlovi

Orlov's Forest Lizard

S Vietnam

B. smaragdina

Gunther's Bloodsucker 

Cambodia, C Vietnam