CLASSIFICATION OF CROTAPHYTUS (COLLARED LIZARD)
PHYLUM :- CHORDATA (Notochord, dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill slits present)
GROUP :- CRANIATA (Definite head. Cranium with brain present)
SUB-PHYLUM :- VERTEBRATA (vertebral column present)
DIVISION :- GNATHOSTOMATA (Jaws and paired appendages present)
SUPER CLASS :- TETRAPODA (Paired limbs, lungs, bony skeleton and cornified skin)
Class :- REPTILIA (Scaly vertebrates with right and left aortic arches. Single condyle, pulmonary respiration. Embryo with amnion and allantois).
SUB-CLASS :- DIAPSIDA ( Skull with two temporal openings separated by postorbital and squamosal ).
ORDER :- SQUAMATA (Lizards and snakes with horny epidermal scales or shields. Quadrate bone movable. Vertebrae procoelous. Anal opening transverse).
SUB-ORDER :- SAURIA (Lizards. Body slender, limbs 4. Pterygoid in contact with quadrate. Eyelids movable)
FAMILY :- IGUANIDAE (Limbs normal. Teeth homodont).
GENUS :- Crotaphytus
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
- Crotaphytus is widely distributed in West Indies, Mexico, Southern and Central America.
HABIT AND HABITAT
- Crotaphytus is a land lizard adapted for fast running and can jump like frog. It is nocturnal, carnivorous, oviparous and capable of changing colours.
GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF CROTAPHYTUS (COLLARED LIZARD)
- Commonly called as collared or inflated lizard.
- Body divided into head, neck, trunk and tail.
- Head small containing mouth, eyes, nares and tympanum. Eyes have movable eyelids. Tongue is small. Teeth pleurodont.
- Neck is small and in male possesses a double black collar and female has a slaty grey narrow collar.
- Forelimbs and hind limbs are stout, clawed and elongated.
- Vertebrae procoelous
- Tail is elongated and narrowly pointed.
SPECIAL FEATURES
- The lizard shows brilliant pigmentation specially during breeding season. The abdomen is inflated. The male is bright green coloured and the body surface is adorned with yellow spots. Females are grey coloured. The tail breaks in danger i.e., it shows autotomy.
IDENTIFICATION
This lizard contains collar, inflated abdomen and above features, hence it is Crotaphytus.
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