The Pethiyagoda's crestless lizard (''Calotes pethiyagodai'') is an
agamid
Agamidae is a family of over 300 species of iguanian lizards indigenous to Africa, Asia, Australia, and a few in Southern Europe. Many species are commonly called dragons or dragon lizards.
Overview
Phylogenetically, they may be sister to the ...
lizard endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to
Sri Lanka.
Description
Researchers named the species "Pethiyagoda's crestless lizard" to honor Rohan Pethiyagoda
Rohan David Pethiyagoda is a Sri Lankan biodiversity scientist, amphibian and freshwater-fish taxonomist, author, conservationist and public-policy advocate.
Early life and career
Born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 19 November 1955 Pethiyagoda had hi ...
for his contributions to the biodiversity of Sri Lanka. This species has earlier been misidentified as '' Calotes liocephalus'' but researchers found that the males of ''C. pethiyagodai'' lack a gular pouch unlike the males of ''C. liocephalus''; scalation is also different.[
]
Distribution
The lizard is restricted to the Knuckles Mountain Range
The Knuckles Mountain Range lies in central Sri Lanka, in the Districts of Matale and Kandy. The range takes its name from a series of recumbent folds and peaks in the west of the massif which resemble the knuckles of clenched fist when viewed ...
, at elevations of asl. It inhabits forest edges and is found in trees and shrubs.[
]
Diet
Diet consists of insects like dragonflies and moths.[
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q16649039
pethiyagodai
Reptiles of Sri Lanka
Endemic fauna of Sri Lanka
Reptiles described in 2014
Taxa named by Jakob Hallermann