Monilesaurus rouxii

Last updated

Monilesaurus rouxii
Monilesaurus rouxii from Ezhimala, Kannur by Manoj Karingamadathil.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Agamidae
Genus: Monilesaurus
Species:
M. rouxii
Binomial name
Monilesaurus rouxii
Synonyms [3]
  • Calotes rouxii
    A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1837
  • Monilesaurus rouxii
    Pal et al., 2018

Monilesaurus rouxii, commonly known as Roux's forest lizard, Roux's forest calotes, or the forest blood sucker, is a species of arboreal, diurnal, agamid lizard, which is endemic to hills of peninsular India. In July 2018, it was proposed that the species should be transferred to the new genus Monilesaurus. [4]

Contents

Etymology

The specific name, rouxii, is in honor of Jean Louis Florent Polydore Roux, who was a French painter and naturalist. [5]

Description

M. rouxii can attain a total length (including tail) of up to 30 cm (12 in), but 25 cm (9.8 in) is more common. Its body has an olive-brown color, with a lighter belly, a dark band along the side of the head on to the neck, and dark lines radiating from the eye. The limbs are slender, with elongated toes. Two small groups of spines adorn each side of the neck. [6] [7] In males, the upper part of the head, nape, and gular pouch become brick-red in the breeding season. [8]

Distribution and habitat

Monilesaurus rouxii is endemic to hills of peninsular India, including the Western Ghats from Surat Dangs till Palghat; and parts of the Eastern Ghats (Shevaroys, Yelagiri, Melagiri, and in Malkangiri, Araku, Devarakonda) and hills of Deccan plateau (Bellary, Sandur). It has been reported largely from the wet hill forest tracts of peninsular India, except the far south. The species is generally widespread and common throughout its range. It can be found at elevations of 100–900 m (330–2,950 ft) above sea level, in forest habitats ranging from moist evergreen to secondary deciduous forests. [1]

Ecology

M. rouxii is an insectivore, hunting during the day both on the ground and in trees. [1] It is oviparous, breeding between April and September. [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Calotes</i> Genus of lizards

Calotes is a genus of lizards in the draconine clade of the family Agamidae. The genus contains 25 species. Some species are known as forest lizards, others as "bloodsuckers" due to their red heads, and yet others as garden lizards.

<i>Gonocephalus</i> Genus of lizards

Gonocephalus is a genus of agamid lizards endemic to southeast Asia.

<i>Pseudocalotes</i> Genus of lizards

Pseudocalotes is a genus of agamid lizards endemic to Southeast Asia.

<i>Monilesaurus ellioti</i> Species of lizard

Monilesaurus ellioti, or Elliot's forest lizard, is a species of arboreal, diurnal, lizard in the family Agamidae, endemic to the Western Ghats, India.

<i>Calotes grandisquamis</i> Species of lizard

Calotes grandisquamis, the large-scaled forest lizard, is an arboreal, diurnal, insectivorous agamid lizard found in the evergreen rainforests of the Western Ghats of India; distributed from Agumbe to Agasthyamalai Hills.

<i>Calotes maria</i> Species of lizard

Calotes maria, called commonly the Khasi Hills forest lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to South Asia.

<i>Calotes nemoricola</i> Species of lizard

Calotes nemoricola, the Nilgiri forest lizard, is an agamid lizard found in the Western Ghats of India.

<i>Draco dussumieri</i> Species of lizard

Draco dussumieri, also known as the Indian flying lizard, Western Ghats flying lizard, or southern flying lizard, is a species of agamid lizard capable of gliding from tree to tree. It is found principally in the Western Ghats and some other hill forests of Southern India. They are almost completely arboreal, found on trees in forests and adjoining palm plantations where they climb trees to forage for insects and glide to adjoining trees by expanding the patagium, loose skin on the sides of the body which are supported by elongated ribs to act as wings. The skin on the sides of the neck are also extended to the sides using the hyoid bones of the tongue to support them. During the breeding season males maintain small territories which they defend from other males while courting females. Males have a more colourful patagium than females and they prominently extend their yellow dewlaps forward in display. Although living almost their entire lives on the trees, females descend to the ground to lay eggs in soil. This is the species with the westernmost distribution within the genus Draco, the majority of species occurring in Southeast Asia.

<i>Japalura tricarinata</i> Species of lizard

Japalura tricarinata is a species of agamid lizard endemic to Asia.

<i>Otocryptis beddomii</i> Species of Indian lizard

Otocryptis beddomii, commonly known as the Indian kangaroo lizard, is a diurnal, terrestrial, insectivorous agamid lizard, endemic to the Western Ghats of South India.

Blanfords rock agama Species of lizard

Blanford's rock agama is species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to Peninsular India. One of two species in the genus, P. blanfordanus is found mainly to the east of the distribution of P. dorsalis. Unlike the other species, the male P. blanfordanus in breeding season has the red body color restricted to the head and lacks the broad dorsal stripe.

<i>Salea horsfieldii</i> Species of lizard

Salea horsfieldii, commonly known as Horsfield's spiny lizard or the Nilgiri salea, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills of India. It is found mainly in the high altitude grassy hills. A related species, Salea anamallayana, is found in the grassy hills of the Anaimalai Hills.

<i>Ahaetulla perroteti</i> Species of snake

Ahaetulla perroteti, known commonly as the bronze-headed vine snake, Perrotet's vine snake, or the Western Ghats bronzeback, is a species of mildly venomous, rear-fanged snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats in South India.

Grypotyphlops acutus, also known as the beaked worm snake, beaked blind snake, or beak-nosed worm snake, is a harmless blind snake species endemic to peninsular India. No subspecies are currently recognized.

<i>Xylophis perroteti</i> Species of snake

Xylophis perroteti, commonly known as Perrotet's mountain snake and the striped narrow-headed snake, is a species of snake in the family Pareidae. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats of India.

Beddome's day gecko is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to India.

<i>Sphenomorphus dussumieri</i> Species of lizard

Sphenomorphus dussumieri, commonly known as Dussumier's forest skink, is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to southern India.

Microauris is a monotypic genus of agamid lizard. Its only species is Microauris aurantolabium, also known as the small-eared dragon or orange-lipped forest lizard, found in the forests of the southern Western Ghats and is currently known from the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. The species was formerly included in Pseudocalotes andamanensis of the Andaman Islands, but recognized as distinct in 2008. It was also classified under Calotes until 2018, where it was transferred to its own genus, Microauris, on the basis of its divergence from Calotes.

Bronchocela smaragdina, also commonly known as Günther's bloodsucker, is a Southeast Asian species of agamid lizard.

<i>Monilesaurus</i> Genus of lizards

Monilesaurus is a genus of lizards in the draconine clade of the family Agamidae and is a new genus described in 2018. Currently it consists of 4 species, with 2 new species and 2 species split from the genus Calotes.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Srinivasulu, B.; Srinivasulu, C.; Vijayakumar, S.P.; Ramesh, M.; Ganesan, S.R. (2013). "Monilesaurus rouxii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T172582A1346225. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T172582A1346225.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. Duméril AMC, Bibron G (1837). Erpétologie Générale ou Histoire Naturelle Complete des Reptiles. Tome quatrième [Volume 4]. Paris: Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret. 571 pp. + errata et emendanda. (Calotes rouxii, new species, pp. 407-408). (in French).
  3. Species Monilesaurus rouxii at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
  4. Pal, Saunak; Vijayakumar, S.P.; Shanker, Kartik; Jayarajan, Aditi & Deepak, V. (2018). "A systematic revision of Calotes Cuvier, 1817 (Squamata: Agamidae) from the Western Ghats adds two genera and reveals two new species". Zootaxa. 4482 (3): 401–450. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4482.3.1. PMID   30313808. (Monilesaurus rouxii, new combination, p. 427).
  5. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN   978-1-4214-0135-5. (Calotes rouxii, p. 228).
  6. Günther ACLG (1864). The Reptiles of British India. London: The Ray Society. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xxviii + 452 pp. + Plates I-XXVI. (Calotes rouxii, p. 142).
  7. Smith MA (1935). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. II.—Sauria. London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 440 pp. + Plate I + 2 maps. ("Calotes rouxi [sic]", pp. 206-207).
  8. 1 2 Sreekar R, Saini K, Rao SN, Purushotham CB (2011). "Predicting lizard gender: sexual dimporhism in Calotes rouxii (Reptilia: Agamidae) from Agumbe, Karnataka, India" (PDF). Herpetological Conservation and Biology. 6 (1): 75–80.

Further reading