Pseudocalotes jingpo

演化之聲
Mar 12
3 min read

Updated: Apr 10

（Image source：Xu Y et al. (2024)， CC BY 4.0 ）

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Squamata

Family: Agamidae

Genus: Pseudocalotes

Species: Pseudocalotes jingpo

Morphological Description

Pseudocalotes jingpo is a small to medium-sized arboreal agamid lizard characterized by a slender body and a tail distinctly longer than the trunk. The head is relatively large and appears roughly triangular in both dorsal and lateral views. The snout is blunt and rounded, and the nostrils open laterally. Limbs are elongated and slender, with the hind limbs slightly longer than the forelimbs. On both the hands and feet, the fourth digit is the longest.

In life, the dorsal ground coloration is light grayish-brown scattered with irregular dark brown spots. Along the midline of the back, four irregular brown patches are present. The tail bears conspicuous transverse bands. The ventral surface is primarily ivory white. The coloration inside the mouth is highly distinctive: the inner lips are pale blue, the tongue is orange-yellow, and most of the remaining oral cavity is bluish-black. These color features correspond to diagnostic characters reported for the species in the original description.

Etymology

The genus name Pseudocalotes reflects the taxonomic history of the group. Species currently placed in this genus were once assigned to the genus Calotes. The prefix pseudo- means "false," while -calotes derives from a Greek word meaning "beautiful."

The species epithet jingpo refers to the Jingpo people, one of the major ethnic groups inhabiting the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture in southwestern Yunnan, China.

Biological Description

Pseudocalotes jingpo is currently known only from Yingjiang County in southwestern Yunnan Province, China, within the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture. The type locality lies in a transitional region between the southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau and the southern terminus of the Hengduan Mountains, at an elevation of approximately 970 meters. This mountainous landscape is strongly influenced by the Southwest Asian monsoon. The terrain consists of a mosaic of mountain ridges, valleys, and slopes, generating diverse microclimates and highly heterogeneous habitats.

The species was collected during a herpetological survey conducted in November 2023. At present, only four specimens have been documented, all of which are females, including both adult and subadult individuals. These specimens were collected in an area where reptile diversity has historically been insufficiently surveyed, suggesting that the regional herpetofauna remains incompletely documented. Although the available specimens indicate that a local population exists, no males, reproductive behaviors, or seasonal activity patterns have yet been recorded.

Phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial genes indicate that Pseudocalotes jingpo forms a sister lineage to Pseudocalotes kakhienensis. However, the genetic divergence between the two taxa is substantial and clearly exceeds the range typically observed within a single species. Molecular analyses therefore support the recognition of P. jingpo as a distinct evolutionary lineage.

Morphological evidence is consistent with the molecular results. The species can be reliably distinguished from closely related taxa by several stable traits, including the structure of the nuchal crest, the presence of a transverse gular fold, the arrangement of dorsal scales, and the characteristic coloration of the oral cavity. Together, these features provide clear diagnostic characters separating Pseudocalotes jingpo from other members of the genus.