Calotes (garden lizard)

garden lizard also commonly known as girgit are able to change their colours in response to the environment

1. C a l o t e s ( Garden- lizard )

2. Classification Phylum Chordata Group Craniata Sub phylum Vertebrata Division Gnathostomata Super class Tetrapoda Class Reptilia Sub class Diapsida Order Squamata Genus Calotes Presence of notochord Presence of cranium Vertebral column True jaws Paired limbs Creeping vertebrate Temporal vacuities on each side of skull Variable scales

3. Body -head, neck, trunk and tail Head - Large and pyramidal shape head with short conical snout Mouth is anteriorly placed on head. Behind each eye tympanum is present.

4. Neck - Head is connected with trunk by short neck Trunk - Trunk is laterally compressed and ventrally flattened Bears two pairs of limbs Hind limbs are longer than forelimbs.

5. Body is covered with imbricate epidermal horny scales A crest of sharp spines is present on the dorsal surface of the neck and back Skin is rough and dry without glands

6. Cloacal opening is transverse situated on the ventral surface at the root of the tail

7. Tail long and cylindrical with alternate light and dark annuli

8. They are remarkable for change of colour. Normal colour is green but body becomes yellow and neck and sides of the head becomes red in panic situation also during breeding season; so called bloodsucker

9. Habit and habitat -Arboreal -commonly found in hedges and shrubs -Diurnal -Insectivorous -Runs fast on ground and swims in water -Sexes are sperate -Development is direct

10. Distribution They are distributed in India, Nepal, Afghanistan and southern China

11. Economic Importance Calotes is non- poisonous and helpful to farmers because it mainly feeds on the insects Used as study material in the laboratories

12. References https://www.britannica.com/animal/Calotes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woe6VFKiGjE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jzR4P7KFEs https://www.notesonzoology.com/reptilia/nervous-system-of-calotes-with-diagram-zoology/3902