Calotes liolepis Boulenger, 1885

Common Name & Camouflage

Calotes liolepis, commonly called the whistling lizard, has color-changing camouflage ability, shifting from green to brown to match its surrounding environment.

Head & Tail Morphology

This species has a relatively long head and tail, with the tail typically reaching twice the length of its body.

Male Crest Structure

In males, a dorso-nuchal crest is formed by a series of spines on the nape.

Dorsal & Ventral Scales

Both males and females have scales covering the dorsal surface of the body. Ventral scales are the same size as the scales found on the lizard's flanks.

Head Coloration

The forehead of this species is pale brown, with pale inter-orbital bands.

Body, Limb & Tail Coloration

The dorsum is pale gray with dark gray bands, and the limbs and tail have similar dark banding.

Habitat Range

This species is restricted to submontane forests below 100 meters, and occurs in both forested areas and plantations.

Distribution in Sri Lanka

While it is widely distributed in its range, it is most frequently found in the central hills of Sri Lanka.

Confirmed Locations

Confirmed locations where it has been found include Knuckles, Kotmale, Sinharaja, Talawakele, Hanguranketha, Kanneliya, Galle, Kandy, Dambulla, Peradeniya, Namunukula, and Gampola.

Alarm Behavior

Unlike most other agamid lizards, this species has the unusual habit of producing a high-pitched whistle when it is alarmed.

Diet

It feeds primarily on insects and ants.

Gravid Female Period

Gravid females of this species are observed between July and August.