Added 9 February 2025.
The genus Callopistes comprises just two species, and these separated from each other geographically by some distance. The common name is a result of their superficial similarity to Old World monitor lizards (Varanus).
Boulenger gives the characteristics of the genus as follows: tongue long, narrow, bilobate and retractile at the base. Teeth compressed longitudinally, hi- or tricuspid. Head with very small shields; anterior nasal separated from its fellow; nostril pierced in the suture between the two nasals. Eyelids developed. Ear exposed. Limbs well developed, pentadactyle. Dorsal scales small, juxtaposed, equal; ventral plates rather small, elongate-quadrangular, smooth, forming regular series. A double collar-fold. No femoral pores. Tail cyclotetragonal.
Harvey et al give the characteristics of the genus as follows: femoral and abdominal pores absent (in contrast to all other extant Teiidae); three or more loreals, 2-3 complete rows of lorilabials separating the suboculars from the supralabials; heavily fractured prefrontals; vertical fold of skin in front of auditory meatus; tail about 2.3 x SVL; posterior maxillary and dentary teeth longitudinally compressed, anteriorly unicuspid and recurved, becoming tricuspid posteriorly; pupil round.
These lizards are sometimes seen in herpetoculture, and it would surely be worth breeding captive stock in view of the somewhat restricted range (basically, western South America) of the genus. Details of husbandry can be found in Bartlett and Bartlett (both species) and Rogner (C. maculatus).
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C. flavipunctatus, False Monitor |
C. maculatus, Spotted False Monitor |
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Scientific Name |
Common Name |
Distribution |
Size |
Notes |
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Callopistes |
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False Monitor, Monitor Tegu |
Peru, S Ecuador |
SVL 32.5 cm |
Scalation details: prefrontal fractured; frontal heavily fractured, lacking longitudinal ridge; key-hole shaped depression between eyes and in parietal region; frontoparietals fractured; parietals heavily fractured; medial pair of enlarged occipitals absent; supratemporals slightly to moderately enlarged, separated from parietals by one or more scales; loreals heavily fractured; supraoculars 10–14; first supraocular heavily fractured; circumorbital semicircles consisting of 16–27 small scales, extending to posterior border of first supraocular;.supraciliaries subequal, 24–33; supralabials 19–24; first supralabial subequal to second, its ventral margin straight; infralabials 19–22; first pair of chinshields contacting infralabials; first and second pairs of chinshields in medial contact; Dorsal scalation: smooth; scales on flank subequal to middorsals, supported by small apical granules and supported by noticeably enlarged apical granules and projecting laterally giving flanks “bristly” appearance. Ventral scalation: smooth, in 42–66 transverse and 25–56 longitudinal rows; subrectangular scales lateral to ventrals gradually decreasing in size on flanks, bordering transverse folds of skin; [BOULENGER] More slender, resembling a Varanus. Vertex with numerous small plates, similar to those on the snout; a few slightly enlarged supraocular plates, separated from the plates on the vertex by two or three rows of granules; loreal plates small, numerous, irregular; two rows of small scales between the labials and the infraorbitals. Dorsal scales granular, oval. Coloration: blackish-brown above, dotted with yellow; lower surfaces yellow, the throat marbled, and the belly more or less irregularly spotted with brown. [SOURCE: Boulenger, Harvey et al] |
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Spotted False Monitor, Dwarf Tegu ES: Iguana chilena |
Chile |
SVL approx 16.5 cm |
Boulenger described this species as somewhat resembling the European Jewelled Lacerta, Timon lepidus. Scalation details: prefrontal fractured; frontal entire or transversely divided, lacking longitudinal ridge; scales of frontoparietal region smooth, outwardly convex to flat; frontoparietals paired; interparietal entire, smaller than flanking parietals; parietals consist of three regular scales; medial pair of enlarged occipitals absent; occipitals 11–14, usually larger than first row of dorsals; supratemporals slightly to moderately enlarged, separated from parietals by one or more scales; loreals 3; supraoculars 10–14; first supraocular heavily fractured; circumorbital semicircles consisting of 16–27 small scales, extending to posterior border of first supraocular; supraciliaries subequal, 24–33, separated from supraoculars by 1.5–4.5 rows of 38–45 granular scales; supralabials 19–24; first supralabial subequal to second, its ventral margin straight; infralabials 19–22; first pair of chinshields partially separated from infralabials by small granular scales; first and second pairs of chinshields in medial contact;. Dorsal scalation: smooth; scales on flank subequal to middorsals, supported by small apical granules and not projecting laterally. Ventral scalation: smooth, in 42–66 transverse and 25–56 longitudinal rows; subrectangular scales lateral to ventrals gradually decreasing in size on flanks, bordering transverse folds of skin. ||| Other: 34-51 total preanal-femoral pores; subdigital lamellae on 4th finger 14-18; subdigital lamellae on 4th toe 25-31. Coloration: reddish-yellow; dorsal blackish-brown transverse bands which are distinct in small individuals; ventrally whitish yellow with indistinct irregular transverse dark spots. In contrast with T. teguixin the head plates lack dark spots or black outlines. [SOURCES: Boulenger, Harvey et al] |
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C. m. maculatus |
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Chile (Copiapó to Cauquenes, occupying the central valley) |
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The subspecies have not been reexamined since 1960 and are not well defined. C. m. maculatus is distributed across most of the country. As its name suggests, C. m. atacamensis is found in part of the Atacama Desert. |
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C. m. atacamensis |
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Chile (coastal zone of Caldera) |
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C. m. manni |
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Chile (south of Antofagasta to the north of Coquimbo) |
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Monitors, Tegus and Related Lizards, R D and Patricia Bartlett, Barrons Pet Series 1996. Useful guide to the large lizards: the Teiidae section also includes notes on Callopistes and Dracaena.
“Ficha De Antecedentes De Especie. Callopistes maculatus Gravenhorst 1838”, Dr. Juan Carlos Ortiz, Dra. Helen Díaz-Páez, Dr.(c) Mauricio Aguayo y señores Herman Nuñez and Juan Carlos Torres-Mura. Universidad de Concepción (2007), 1 December 2015. PDF retrieved 4 February 2025.
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