Roux's Forest Calotes

Fascinating facts about the Roux's Forest Calotes

• A lizard that can stretch to a full 30 cm long, about the length of a school ruler, yet most adults hover around 25 cm, showing how size can vary even within a single species. This range hints at flexible growth strategies in the forest canopy.
• In the breeding season, the male’s head, nape, and throat become brick-red.
• Living between 100 m and 900 m above sea level, this arboreal hunter hops from moist evergreen to secondary deciduous trees across the Western and Eastern Ghats, proving that a single reptile can thrive across a surprisingly wide altitude band.
• From April through September, the species breeds and lays eggs.
• Named after French painter-naturalist Jean Louis Florent Polydore Roux, the lizard carries a human story in its scientific name, reminding us that discovery is as much about people as it is about the animals they study.

At a glance

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