Emma Gray's Forest Lizard

About the Emma Gray's Forest Lizard

Calotes emma, commonly known as the forest garden lizard or Emma Gray's forest lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is native to China, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. There are two recognized subspecies.

The specific name, emma, is in honor of English conchologist Maria Emma Gray, the wife of John Edward Gray, the describer of this species. C. emma has the following morphology. Physical Structure: There are three small groups of spines, completely separate from each other, on each side of the head, one behind the superciliary margin and two above each tympanum. The dorsal crest is well developed on the neck and on the anterior part of the trunk, gradually disappearing behind. There is a transverse fold in front of each shoulder, and the gular sac is but little developed. The tail is laterally compressed. There are about 51 series of scales round the middle of the trunk.

Color pattern: The dorsum is brownish olive, with brown bands across the back, which are lighter in the middle and interrupted by a white band running along each side of the back. The eyelids have short, radiating brown streaks. There is a brown band from... Wikipedia →