Calotes minor (HARDWICKE & GRAY, 1827)
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Calotes minor
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| Higher Taxa | Agamidae (Draconinae), Sauria, Iguania, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Hardwicke's Bloodsucker, Dwarf Rock Agama |
| Synonym | Agama minor HARDWICKE & GRAY 1827: 218 Brachysaura ornata BLYTH 1856 Brachysaura ornata — STOLIZCKA 1872: 77 Charasia ornata — BOULENGER 1885: 334 Agama minor — SMITH 1935: 225 Laudakia minor — DAS 1996: 44 Agama minor — WERMUTH 1967: 18 Brachysaura minor — MANTHEY & SCHUSTER 1999: 26 Brachysaura minor — KHAN 2003 Brachysaura minor — VYAS 2007 Laudakia minor — MURTHY 2010: 110 Brachysaura minor — KHAN & KUMAR et al. 2010 Brachysaura minor — KHAN 2014 Calotes minor — DEEPAK et al. 2015 |
| Distribution | Pakistan (Sind, Punjab), NW/C India (Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Orissa = Odisha), Bangladesh Type locality: Chittagong, SE Bangladesh (probably in error fide KHAN & KUMAR 2010, DEEPAK et al. 2015) |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | |
| Diagnosis | |
| Comment | Type species: Brachysaura ornata BLYTH 1856 is the type species of the genus Brachysaura BLYTH 1856. Synonymy: Brachysaura has been synonymized with Calotes by DEEPAK et al. 2015. Brachysaura minor has the shortest tail length and fifth toe compared to many other Calotes; these morphological differences probably lead to the confusion in the allocation of the genus. The relative length of tail to SVL is remarkably distinct and was used as key for this species (Smith 1935). Gray (1845) listed Agama minor in the synonymy of Calotes minor but the latter is a different agamid, presently considered as Oriocalotes paulus (Günther 1864, Smith 1935, Ananjeva et al. 2011, cited in DEEPAK et al. 2015). The specimens of O. paulus referred by Gray (1845) under C. minor were misidentified and they were not types of the new species. The interpretation by Smith (1935) was wrong, which was corrected by Wermuth (1967). Type: not in BMNH fide P. Campbell (pers. comm., 25 July 2014) Distribution: The record of this species from Angul, Odisha by Chakraborty & Gupta (2009) is that of Psammophilus cf. blanfordi anus. The only record of B. minor from eastern part of the subcontinent is the type locality (Chittagong). Previous authors have raised their doubts about the occurrence of B. minor in Chittagong (see Khan & Kumar 2010). Deepak et al. 2015 also suspect this record is erroneous as the habitat at Chittagong is forested with high rainfall compared to open grassland in semi-arid and arid regions of western and central India (Deepak et al. 2015). |
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