Calotes medogensis Zhao & Li, 1984
|
publication ID |
https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.74.e109088 |
|
publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D85DA495-4568-48EC-B0AA-2A9B48F817EA |
|
persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/7C4C6A73-4A2F-56C7-8DD2-1ED53B6CE0A1 |
|
treatment provided by |
|
|
scientific name |
Calotes medogensis Zhao & Li, 1984 |
| status |
|
Calotes medogensis Zhao & Li, 1984 View in CoL
Figures 4 View Figure 4 , 7 View Figure 7 , 8 View Figure 8
Holotype.
CIB 1477/8380177, adult male from Yarang, Medog County, Nyingchi Prefecture, Xizang Autonomous Region, China.
Additional examined specimens.
KIZ 014003, 019546, adult females; KIZ 013861, subadult female; all from Beibeng, Medog County, Nyingchi Prefecture, Xizang Autonomous Region, China.
Referred specimens.
WII-ADR 1211, WII-ADR 452, both adult females from the East Himalaya ( Boruah et al. 2022).
Diagnosis.
Calotes medogensis is diagnosed from congeners by a combination of the following characters: (1) body size large SVL 75.7-95.9 mm; (2) tail slender, long, TAL 286.7-326.1% SVL; (3) conical scales forming two parallel ridges from posterior eye to temporal head, posterior most 3-5 scales of superior ridge distinctively raised and conical, but not elongated into spikes; (4) inferior ridge of conical scales 2-3 scale-rows away from superior tympanum, TRD 36.9-63.2% TD; (5) dorsal head scales posterolateral of parietal bearing transverse keels; (6) mental smaller than first pair of chin shields; (7) gular scale count 20-25 along central medial line, larger than ventrals, mucronate with feeble tips; (8) gular scales keeled, but keel often extending less than ½ of scale length on posterolateral region; (9) gular pouch present in life, weakly developed, but absent after preservation; (10) transverse gular fold absent; (12) shoulder fold present, short, covered with granular scales underneath; (13) nuchal crests relatively short, lanceolate shape, dorsal crests moderately developed, TNC 5.2-7.3% HL in males, 10.3-15.7% in females; (14) neck scales oriented posterosuperiorly, larger than ventrals; (15) axillary scales oriented near vertically; (16) middorsal crest scale count 37-42, (17) scale rows around midbody 53-60; (18) ventral scale count 57-65; (19) F4S 25-29, T4S 30-34; (20) dorsal and ventral background coloration Yellow Green (Color 103) to Grass Green (Color 110) in normal condition, can change drastically to dark brown to blackish under stress; (21) region underneath shoulder fold Dark Carmine (Color 61) to Poppy Red (Color 63); (22) white to Medium Paris White (Color 140), narrow, oblique streaks present on lateral dorsum, running anterosuperiorly to posteroinferiorly, each streak formed by a single row of scale.
Redescription of holotype.
Medium sized Calotes , SVL 75.7 mm, body not compressed dorsally, lachrymiform in cross-section; tail complete, swollen at base, long, TAL 217 mm, 286.7% SVL. Limbs slender, forelimb 42.0 mm, 55.4% SVL; hindlimb 59.2 mm, 78.2% SVL. Rostral rectangular, bordering six small scales excluding supralabials; supralabials 11/11, feebly keeled posteriorly; nasal elongated oval, bordering second supralabial, six scales away from orbit circle; loreals distinctively keeled, each bearing single longitudinal keel; canthal ridge distinct, canthus rostralis scales 10/11, elongated except posterior most two, supraciliaries only slightly overlapping, overlapping length one third of scale length; suborbital scale rows 4/4, scales about equal size, each bearing single distinct lateral keel. Distinctively protruding, enlarged keeled scales each bearing single lateral keel aligned laterally in two parallel ridges: superior row continuing from posterior most supraciliary to superior squamosal head, consisting of 9/10 conical scales; inferior row from posterior mid orbit to inferior squamosal head, consisting of 10/10 scales, anterior five sub-pyramidal, posterior most four conical. Inferior ridge two small scale rows away from anterior tympanum. Tympanum exposed, round; no post orbital, posterosuperior tympanic, or temporal spikes. Dorsal head scales heterogeneous in size and shape, distinctively keeled, each bearing single longitudinal keel except ones on temporal, which bearing single transverse keel; enlarged scales arranged in Y-shape four scales posterior to rostral along longitudinal midline, with posterior most scale on each opening branch of “Y” figure largest; 17 scales transversely across dorsal head between supraciliary at widest point; parietal scale enlarged, spear-shaped pointing posteriorly, parietal eye distinct; scales posterolateral of parietal bearing transverse keels.
Except scales beneath shoulder fold, all dorsal body scales broad, triangularly shaped, regularly arranged, imbricate, homogeneous, weakly keeled; neck scales oriented posterosuperiorly; axillary scales oriented vertically upward; remaining lateral and superior body scales oriented posterosuperiorly, inferolateral body scales more distinctively keeled, oriented straight posteriorly; midbody scale row around body 46. Nuchal crest low triangular shaped, slightly damaged, ninth nuchal crest tallest, 1.2 mm in height, 1.0 mm in longitudinal width at base; nuchal crest gradually transitioned to lower, serrated dorsal crest posteriorly; mid-dorsal crest scale count 40 anterior to cloaca; distinct shoulder fold present, short, with fine granular scales underneath. Dorsal scales of dorsal limbs homogeneous, slightly larger on distal appendages, keeled. Tail scales homogeneous, feebly keeled, or smooth anteriorly, more distinctively keeled posteriorly.
Mental pentagonal, not enclosed by and smaller than first pair of chin shields; chin shields smooth anteriorly, feebly keeled posteriorly, slightly enlarged than nearby gulars, 6/6, anterior most 2 in contact with infralabials on each side, remaining ones separated by one or two rows of small scales; infralabials 11/12, feebly keeled; gular scales all distinctively keeled; anterior gulars small, juxtaposed, various in shape and size; remaining posterior gular scales larger, similar size to dorsals, rhomboid shaped, more homogeneous, imbricated, keel of individual scale only extending less than half of scale length; posterior gular scales slightly mucronate with feeble tips; post mental gular scales 23 along medial line. Ventral body scales imbricated, smaller than gulars and dorsals, distinctively keeled, carinated, ventral scale count 58 along medial axis from neck to cloaca. Ventral limb scales homogeneous in size, more distinctively keeled than dorsal limb scales; subdigital lamellae 29/27 under finger IV, 34/31 under toe IV. Ventral tail scales distinctively keeled, carinated.
Description of coloration in life.
The lateral sides of head are uniformly Yellow Green (Color 103). The dorsal surface of the head is darker than lateral sides, which are Light Grass Green (Color 103). Lateral sides of the head gradually transition to Pistachio (Color 102) or Light Grass Green (Color 103) posteriorly to the dorsal and lateral dorsum, and further inferiorly to Pale Cyan (Color 156) on ventrolateral dorsum. The region underneath the shoulder fold is Dark Carmine (Color 61) to Poppy Red (Color 63). Most individuals have white to Medium Paris White (Color 140) oblique streaks that run anterosuperiorly to posteroinferiorly, and each streak is formed by a single row of scale. The ventral surfaces of the head and body are uniform Yellow Green (Color 103). Some individuals have a small patch on the knee and ankle, respectively, which is Orange-Rufous (Color 56) in color.
Natural history and conservation.
Calotes medogensis is arboreal, inhabiting tropical forests at mid to low elevations, and individuals were observed sleeping on twigs and vines less than 2 m above the ground at night. Calotes medogensis is an insectivore, feeding on various beetles and other insects. Currently, the species is known from Medog County, Xizang Autonomous Region, China and the adjacent region in northeastern India ( Boruah et al. 2022). In Medog, C. medogensis is sympatric with other agamids such as C. paulus , Japalura andersoniana , and Mictopholis austeniana . Possible predation may come from lizard-feeding snakes such as Lycodon cf. fasciatus , Oligodon spp., and Ptyas nigromarginata ( Che et al. 2020). One of the voucher females (KIZ 014003) is gravid with 11 eggs. With no pressing threats and protection coverage by nature reserves in both China and India, we propose to list the species as Least Concern (LC) for China’s Red List Assessment and IUCN Assessment.
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.