Identification of Two Similar Indian Agamid Lizards Calotes nemoricola Jerdon, 1853 and C. grandisquamis Günther, 1875

S. R. Ganesh, S. R. Chandramouli

Abstract


The distinction between two, similar, Western Ghats-endemic agamid lizards – Calotes nemoricola and C. grandisquamis is discussed here in the context of published misidentifications that we identified based on portrayed characters appearing in their captioned photographs. Therefore, to further differentiate and accurately identify these two sister-species, we here provide complementary diagnostic characters viz. size of scales between orbit and tympanum with respect to tympanum size, gular scale size with respect to mental scale size, lower jaw scale size and carination with respect to tympanum size.

Keywords


Calotes nemoricola; C. gandisquamis; misidentification; scales; size; carination

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2013-20-1-33-35

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