Added 10 June 2022.
Calotes is a genus of medium-sized agamids centred on the Indian subcontinent but found as far east as Indonesia. Murthy calls them “typical animals of the forested regions and plains of India”.
Boulenger gives the following characteristics for the genus: tympanum distinct; body compressed, covered with equal-sized scales; dorso-nuchal crest present; a more or less developed gular sac in the male ; no transverse gular fold, or a very feebly marked one; tail round or feebly compressed; no femoral or preanal pores. Some species have a colour-changing ability that is dependent on mood.
Although they do not seem to present any significant difficulty in their husbandry, for some reason Calotes are not well represented in the herpetocultural hobby, at least in the English-speaking world.
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QUICK INDEX |
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C. calotes, Southern Green Calotes, Common Beauty Lizard, Green Bloodsucker |
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C. ceylonensis, Ceylon Bloodsucker |
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C. emma, White-Banded Beauty Lizard |
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C. jerdoni, Eastern Green/Jerdon's Calotes |
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C. mystaceus, Turquoise Garden Lizard |
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C. nigriplicatus, Black-Lipped Bloodsucker |
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C. rouxii, Forest Calotes |
C. versicolor, Common Garden Lizard, Bloodsucker, Variable Lizard |
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Species Name |
Common Name |
Distribution |
Size |
Notes |
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Calotes |
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S Vietnam, Cambodia |
?? SVL |
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C Bhutan |
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Southern Green Calotes, Common Beauty Lizard, Green Bloodsucker, Common Green Forest Lizard |
S India (Kerla, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka), Sri Lanka |
13cm SVL, tail 50cm |
Arboreal, found in well-wooded country. Scalation details: body scales smooth or carinate dorsally and strongly carinate ventrally; oblique fold in front of the shoulder covered with small granular scales; cheeks swollen; gular sac not conspicuous; a cluster of spines above tynpanum; dorsonuchal crest developed; 30-33 scales round midbody. Other: tail rounded. Coloration: overall bright green with narrow white or cream transverse stripes. Reproduction: breeding season is February-May: multiple clutches of up to 10 eggs may be laid. In the Western Ghats, the female lays six to twelve eggs during September and presses the nest hole firmly with a layer of sand. The hatchlings emerge after a period of 2½-3 months. [SOURCE: Daniel (NB reproductive information based on personal communications to him), Murthy] |
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Ceylon Bloodsucker |
Sri Lanka |
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Myanmar |
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Sri Lanka |
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Elliott's Forest Lizard
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India (Western Ghats)
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More recently classified as a species of Monilesaurus. |
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C. e. ellioti |
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C. e. amarambalamensis |
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White-Banded Beauty Lizard |
China (Guangdong and Yunnan), India (Assam), Myanmar through Thailand to Vietnam and Malaysia |
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Pakistan |
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Formerly considered a subspecies of C. versicolor. |
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Myanmar, India |
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Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, China (Yunnan), |
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India (Travancore, S Western Ghats |
SVL 145 mm, tail 330 mm [Murthy] |
Similar to C. nemericola but with longer head, large dorsal and ventral scales and well-developed dorsonuchal crest. Coloration: overall green with transverse broad black bars; each black scale on the back may have an orange spot; belly pale green. [SOURCE: Murthy] |
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Myanmar |
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Myanmar, China (Yunnan) |
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Eastern Green/Jerdon's Calotes |
China (W Yunnan), Tibet, India (Assam), Myanmar |
38½cm TL |
Found in hilly areas in its range. Coloration: overall bright green with a pair of brown black-edged dorsal bands and conspicuous fold in front of the shoulder: tail is banded posteriorly. |
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China (W Yunnan), Tibet, Myanmar |
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C. k. kingdonwardi |
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Tibetan-Myanmar border (Adung Valley) |
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C. k. bapoensis |
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China (W Yunnan) |
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Lion-Headed Agama |
Sri Lanka |
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Sri Lanka |
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Sri Lanka |
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India (Assam) |
TL 488 mm; tail 370 mm [Boulenger] |
Scalation details: upper head-scales rather large, smooth or feebly keeled, imbricate, very slightly enlarged on supraorbital region ; two parallel longitudinal series of enlarged erect scales, terminating in long spines, above the temple, the lower series separated from the tympanum by several rows of scales ; tympanum very small, measuring less than one third the diameter of the orbit. Gular pouch not developed; gular scales strongly keeled, larger than ventrals, not larger than dorsals. No oblique fold in front of the shoulder. Dorso-nuchal crest well developed anteriorly, the longest spines measuring nearly two thirds the diameter of the orbit, gradually decreasing in size and reduced to a feebly serrated edge on the posterior half of the back. 53-61 scales round the middle of the body; dorsal scales feebly keeled, all directed upwards and backwards ; ventral scales much smaller than dorsals, strongly keeled. Other: The adpressed hind limb reaches the anterior border of the orbit, or between the latter and the nostril ; third and fourth fingers nearly equal. Tail round. Coloration: Green, with a few light (red) markings constantly present on the limb-joints. [SOURCE: Boulenger] |
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Tibet |
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Known only from the type locality. |
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Pakistan, India, Bangladesh |
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Considered by some to be a part of the genus Brachysaura. |
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Turquoise Garden Lizard |
China (Yunnan), India (Andaman and Nicobar Islands), Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos |
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Nilgiri Forest Lizard |
S India (S Western Ghats) |
TL 33 cm, SVL max 14½ cm |
Found in gardens, trees and on the ground: a follower of civilisation. Diet includes small lizards and insects, including black ants. Scalation details: dorsal scales unusually large, about three time as wide as ventrals ; midbody scale rows vary from 36 to 43; a cluster of 3 or 4 compressed spines above the tympanum. Coloration: dorsally green or brownish (Western Ghats, dorsally greenish) with indistinct dark markings; black streak from the eye to above the tympanum; black stripes on throat; gular pouch in males pink to bright red; ventrally dirty whitish. Reproduction: breeding season lasts April-September. 8-16 eggs laid that hatch after 49-51 days. [SOURCE: Murthy] |
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Black-Throated Bloodsucker |
Sri Lanka |
TL 27-31 cm, SVL 8½-10½ cm |
A large-headed Calotes with the areas around the jaw angles being rather inflated. The small tubercular scales on the shoulder form a characteristic "pit". It is found in the highlands at altitudes of 1300-2500m, where it may also be seen by the roadside on rocks or posts. Scalation details: rostral small, bordered by 2 labials and 5 postrostral scales; nasal rather large, nostril occupying less than half of its area, separated from rostral by single scale; elongate supranasal; 4 scales in canthal row, canthal edge rather short; 3 superciliaries; dorsal head scales smooth and unequal; supraorbital area bordered by row of larger and unequal scales; supraorbital areas separated by 2 scale rows; 15-17 unequal supraoculars; tympanum large; 9 supralabials, 8 infralabials; mental has labial border equal to that of rostral. Dorsal scalation: nuchal crest rather high, beginning between pair of slightly elongate, somewhat elevated ridges on occiput; scales of crest crest flattened, compressed, highest at back of head and continuous with a low serrated dorsal crest. Ventral scalation: larger than lateral scales, keeled. Tail: base swollen, surrounded by 15 scale rows; scales keeled. Other: approx. 43 scale rows around middle of body; scales on limbs keeled; throat has suggestion of a pouch; lateral scales also keeled. Coloration: overall olive or greenish but dirty grey-blue on head, body and limbs; back of head and neck olive-grey; tail olive-greenish; infralabials bluish; black mark along supralabials, leaving a series of tiny bluish spots on labials; light line runs from below the eye to the tympanum. Reproduction: 2-4 eggs laid in sandy soil between October and December. [SOURCES: Manthey and Schuster, Taylor]. |
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Black-Lipped Bloodsucker? |
Indonesia (Ambon) |
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Indonesia (Ambon) |
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India, Tibet |
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Formerly considered part of the genus Oriocalotes: see Reptile Database entry for details. |
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Sri Lanka |
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Forest Calotes |
India (Travancore) |
25cm TL |
Arboreal, widely distributed in the forests of its range. It may be confused with young C. versicolor but can be distinguished from the latter by the presence of a distinct dark fold across the neck and two slender spines on each side of the back of the head. Coloration: overall brown with markings. Reproduction: breeding season is May-September. During this time the head and a narrow strip along the back of the male turn bright red. Females lay a clutch of 4-9 eggs. [SOURCE: Daniel] |
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Common Garden Lizard, Bloodsucker, Variable Lizard, Eastern Garden Lizard, Oriental Garden Lizard |
Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, India ( and Andaman), Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, W Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra), Vietnam, China (Yunnan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Hainan); poss. introduced to Oman; poss. Maldives |
SVL 96-129 mm; tail 300-350 mm |
A laterally very compressed agamid with a short snout. It is found at altitudes from sea level to 2100m and in variable habitat, not being bound to trees. Manthey and Schuster call this species "purely a follower of civilisation" and note that such human activities as road construction actually help it to increase its range. At the same time it has a negative impact on the populations of smaller agamids. Murthy notes that although it is arboreal, being found at up to 9 m above ground, it is also found in open fields, hedges and garden. It is also a good jumper from branch to branch. In the Western Ghats it is very common during hot and rainy weather but conspicuously absent during winter, during which time it may be found in the sheltered spaces. It seems that rather like a Green Iguana it is prone to head bobbing. See Manthey and Schuster for important details on the keeping and breeding of this species. Scalation details: rostral relatively very small, less than one fifth of mental; nasal scale over twice size of nostril, separated from rostral by two scales; 11 supralabials, 9-10 infralabials; mental large, sharply pointed posteriorly; labial border over three times that of rostral; scale rows delimiting supraocular area scarcely distinguishable from other scales; dorsal head scales smooth and irregular; 5 superciliaries; pair of high soft spines above tympanum, each flanked by erect, smaller soft spines or scales. Dorsal scalation: nuchal crest of flattened, somewhat curved, sharply pointed soft spines about 1cm high; dorsal crest lower and continuous, gradually decreasing in height until stopping about 2cm behind level of hind leg; dorsonuchal crest composed of 41-49 lanceolate spines extending on to the tail; in females this crest covers at most the anterior third of the back and often less. Ventral scalation: ventrals smaller than lateral scales, keeled. Tail: rather rounded, very swollen at base; caudal scales keeled; in males, 18 scales around widest part of tail base. Other: scales keeled, imbricate, arranged in approx. 42 (Murthy, 37-47) scale rows around body; lateral scales point backwards and upwards, all keeled; gular pouch inconspicuous or absent; head and eye large; tympanum about diameter of eye opening; limbs well developed, with long, slender digits ending in powerful claws. Coloration: variable across the range: males are dorsally olive brown or greyish, often with distinct scattered flecks of bluish-white; tail very faintly barred with darker spots, some of which are indistinct; ventrally grey-white; some dark markings on limbs. Females are often overall a dark reddish-tan with seven rather broad transverse dorsal bands, these being overrun on each side by a lateral cream line from shoulder onto tail; younger males may have similar banding on overall grey colour but only very young males also have the cream lateral line; chin may have some converging black lines, and there may be some scattered black flecks on the ventral surfaces of the limbs and of the venter itself. Displaying males usually change colour around the head (usually bright yellow, but red in males from S Thailand, and scarlet or crimson in males from Western Ghats, in whom this breeding coloration may spread over much of the body, with black patches possibly appearing on neck, cheeks or throat) and the gular pouch (red in S Thailand, brick red, yellow or red otherwise) and the body becomes predominantly yellow or red with black extremities. The throat of fully grown males has a black bar. Reproduction: the breeding season begins just before the rainy season, when males change colour and fight for territory, sometimes inflicting serious injury on one another. Females are then courted. 1-25 eggs are laid in the middle of the rainy season. In the Western Ghats, the breeding season starts in early May and ends in September, with 4-12 eggs usually being laid in the period June-August, being buried deeper than a couple of inches in the soil. Sexual maturity is reached within 9-12 months. [SOURCES: Daniel, Manthey and Schuster, Murthy, Taylor] |
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C. v. versicolor |
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C. v. farooqi |
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Now considered a full species. |
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C. v. nigrigularis |
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Now considered a full species. |
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Myanmar, China (Yunnan) |
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NE India |
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“A Field Guide to the Lizards of Western Ghats”, T S N Murthy, Records of the Zoological Survey of India, Miscellaneous Publication Occasional Paper no. 72, Calcutta, 1985.