Calotes paulus SMITH, 1935
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Calotes paulus?
Calotes paulus
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| Higher Taxa | Agamidae (Draconinae), Sauria, Iguania, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Small Forest Lizard Chinese: 异鳞蜥 |
| Synonym | Calotes minor GRAY 1845: 244 Oriocalotes minor GÜNTHER 1864: 147 Oreocalotes [sic] minor — JERDON 1870:77 Charasia minor — THEOBALD 1876:113 (partim) Acanthosaura minor — BOULENGER 1885: 304 Acanthosaura minor — BOULENGER 1890 Oriocalotes paulus SMITH 1935: 166 (nom. nov.) Oriocalotes paulus — WERMUTH 1967: 73 Oriocalotes paulus — MANTHEY & SCHUSTER 1999: 86 Oriocalotes paulus — ANANJEVA 2011 Calotes paulus — GIRI et al. 2019 |
| Distribution | India (E Himalaya, Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, Sikkim ?), China (Xizang = Tibet) Type locality: from “Affghanistan” (in error, likely to be Khasi Hills [in Meghalaya state, Northeast India], fide Günther 1864; type locality referred to as “Khasi Hills” by Smith 1935 without discussion). |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Lectotype: BMNH 1946.8.11.28, adult male, (previously BMNH xxiii.30.B), designated by Giri et al. 2019: 461. Paralectotypes: BMNH 1946.8.11.27, 1946.8.11.29, BMNH 1946.8.11.35 (previously BMNH xxiii.30.D). |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis (genus Oriocalotes): Günther (1864) used the following suite of characters to diagnose his new genus “Tympanum naked, back and sides covered with scales of moderate size, between which larger ones are intermixed; their tips are directed backwards and upwards; a spine behind the supraciliary edge. Dorsal crest present, formed by non-united spines, less distinct in the female than in the male. Gular sac none. Tail rounded, with keeled scales below, which are as broad as long.” (cited from Giri et al. 2019: 451). |
| Comment | Synonymy: See SMITH 1935: 226 for reasons of name change. The name Calotes minor appears to be based on a misinterpretation of Agama minor HARDWICKE & GRAY 1827, hence SMITH’s name is the first legitimate name for the species (fide WERMUTH 1967). However, Smith’s replacement name “paulus” was unjustified and so Oriocalotes minor (Gray) should be the valid name. However Smith’s action has remained unquestioned until now and Oriocalotes paulus is the only name in use for this taxon (e.g., Wermuth 1967; Moody 1980; Diong & Lim 1998; Manthey & Schuster 1999; Manthey & Denzer 2000; Zhao et al. 2000; Mahony 2010; Venugopal 2010; Ananjeva et al 2011; Huang et al. 2011; Deepak et al. 2015). Distribution: possibly in Bhutan (Lenz 2012). Type species: Oriocalotes paulus SMITH 1935 is the type species of the genus Oriocalotes GÜNTHER 1864 which was synonymized with Calotes by Giri et al. 2019. |
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