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2008

A Second Record of Ptyctolaemus gularis (Peters, 1864)
from Bangladesh
M. FARID AHSAN*, GHAZI S. M. ASMAT AND S. CHAKMA
Department of Zoology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong 4331, Bangladesh.
*Corresponding author E-mail: mfaridahsan@yahoo.com
Abstract.- Ptyctolaemus gularis (Peters, 1864), the blue-throated lizard, was collected from a hilly stream inRangamat District in Bangladesh in July 2003 and November 2004, representing the second recorded occurrence of
this species in Bangladesh.
Keywords.- Ptyctolaemus gularis, blue-throated lizard, occurrence, habitat, ecology, morphology, Bangladesh.

Introduction
The blue-throated lizard, Ptyctolaemus gularis (Peter,1864), has been previously described from Meghalaya,Assam, the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Tibet and China(Boulenger, 1890; Hora, 1926; Smith, 1935; Zhao andAdler, 1993). Boulenger (1890), who developed thelizard taxonomy of the Indian Subcontinent, examined
two specimens of P. gularis, the type specimen from
Calcutta, preserved in the Berlin Museum, and a specimen from Sadiya, Assam, in the British Museum.
Following Boulenger (op. cit.), Hora (1926) reported ten
specimens from Assam and Nainimukh (correctlyspelled Mainimukh), Chittagong Hill Tracts, which arepresently deposited in the Zoological Survey of India.
The single specimen from Nainimukh represented thefirst record of this species in Bangladesh. This record
has been subsequently overlooked by other authors,including Ahsan, 1998; Khan, 1982; Sarker and Sarker,1988.

Observations and Discussion
During a herpetological survey of Bangladesh, one specimen of Ptyctolaemus gularis was collected fromRangamati District (part of the Chittagong Hill Tracts)
on 18 July 2003 (Fig. 1). Two other specimens werelater collected from Rampahar about 50 km east of
Chittagong City in Kaptai National Park (22.30.425′ N,092.10.446′ E), Rangamati District, on 25 November
2004 (Fig. 1). The first specimen was collected fromRupkari Chara (23.12.126′ N, 092.10.628′ E), a hilly
stream of the Rupkari Union Parishad under Baghaichari
Upazila. The collection site is approximately 7 km
northwest from the Baghaichari Upazila headquarter. At
the time of collection, approximately 1300 h, the specimen was observed on a large stone hunting insects. This© 2008 by Asiatic Herpetological Research

specimen has been deposited in the departmental museum of Zoology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong,
Bangladesh (Fig. 2A, B). The other two specimens, currently in the collection of S. Chakma, were collected
approximately 150 m apart between 1300 and 1400 h.
These animals were also collected while they were hunting for insects. One of us (MFA) also observed thisspecies in Chittagong at the Chunati Wildlife Sanctuaryin 1990.
With these new records, it is likely thatPtyctolaemus gularis also occurs in the hills of Sherpur,
Jamalpur, Hobiganj, Moulvibazar, Sylhet (i.e., BritishIndian Assam), Khagrachari, Bandarbans (part ofChittagong Hill Tracts) and Cox’s Bazar Districts in
Bangladesh, which share similar habitats.

Habitat and Ecology
Ptyctolaemus gularis is a terrestrial, diurnal species thatis frequently found south of the Brahmaputra River inIndia (Smith, 1935; Daniel, 2002) and uncommonlyencountered in the southeastern hilly forests ofBangladesh. It is most often observed in search of foodon land, stones and logs near streams and water-logs.
The first collection locality visited in 2003 was a narrowstony stream, with the hills on both sides covered withbamboo brakes (muli [Melocanna bambusoides]),gameri (Gmelina arborea) and teak (Tectona grandis)
trees. Ferns and some natural herbs grew between thestones. The second and third specimens collected in2004 were found on the slopes of a hilly, stony stream
close to a waterfall. The upper canopy was dominated bygarjan (Dipterocarpus spp.) and gutgutia (Protium serratum) trees, and the lower canopy and forest floor weredensely covered by shrubs and herbs.

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Figure 1. Map showing collection localities.

Identification
The collected specimens can be most readily separated
from congeners by having three parallel longitudinalfolds on each side of the throat that converge posteriorly(cf. Boulenger, 1890; Smith, 1935) (Fig. 2C). Other useful characters include an olive-brown dorsum with darktransverse bars and/or spots, two curved dark browncross-bars between the eyes separated by a central lightbar, a dark stripe below the eye to the angle of themouth, dark blue throat folds, and limbs and a tail withdark cross-bars above and yellowish-white cross-bars
below (cf. Boulenger, 1890; Smith, 1935).
The head is also rather long and narrow withunequally-sized upper scales that are strongly keeled.
The dorsal body scales are also unequally-sized, withlarge, strongly-keeled scales and smaller feeble ones.

Several mid-dorsal rows also point backwards andupwards and the ventral scales are strongly keeled andmucronate. The limbs are moderate in size; the third andfourth fingers are equal while the fourth toe is much
longer than the third. The tail is rounded, slender andcovered with sub-equal keeled scales (cf. Boulenger,1890; Smith, 1935). Table 1 compares the lengths of thepresent specimens with those collected previously.

Acknowledgments
We wish to thank Dr. M. A. G. Khan and an anonymousreviewer(s), who kindly reviewed an earlier version ofthis manuscript. Mr. M. S. Islam and Mr. M. A. W.
Chowdhury kindly helped in drawing the map.

Table 1. Comparison of recently collected specimens with those from earlier collections.
Snout-vent length (mm)76.3* (77,69, 83)
80
45.769.85 (2.75”)* Mean and raw data within brackets

Tail length (mm)Source167.7* (157, 166, 180)

Present report

170

Smith 1935

162.5

Hora 1926

158.75 (6.25”)

Boulenger 1890

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Daniel, J. C. 2002. The book of Indian reptiles andamphibians. Oxford University Press, Oxford. 238
pp.
Hora, S. L. 1926. Notes on lizards in the IndianMuseum: II. On the unnamed collection of lizardsof the Family Agamidae. Records of the IndianMuseum 28: 415–420 + 1 plate.
Khan, M. A. R. 1982. Wildlife of Bangladesh: a checklist. The University of Dhaka, Dhaka. 173 pp.

B.

Sarker, M. S. U. and N. J. Sarker. 1988. Wildlife ofBangladesh (a systematic list with status, distribution and habitat). The Rico Printers, Dhaka. 59 pp.
Smith, M. S. 1935. Fauna of British India including
Ceylon and Burma: Reptilia and Amphibia, Vol. IISauria. Taylor and Francis Ltd., London. 441 pp. +1 map + 1 plate.

C.

Figure 2. Dorsal (A) and ventral (B) aspects of

Ptyctolaemus gularis collected. Inset (C) shows thegular region folds converging posteriorly, diagnostic of
this species.

Literature CitedAhsan, M. F. 1998. Country report for BangladeshHerpetofauna of Bangladesh: present status, distribution and conservation. Pp. 9–17. In: A. de Silva(ed.), Biology and Conservation of Amphibians,Reptiles and Their Habitats in South Asia
(Proceedings of the International Conference inBiology and Conservation of the Amphibians andReptiles of South Asia, held at the Institute ofFundamental Studies, Kandy and University of
Peradniya, Sri Lanka, August 1–5, 1996). Amphibia
and Reptile Research Organization of Sri Lanka(ARROS).
Boulenger, G. A. 1890. The fauna of British India
including Ceylon and Burma: Reptilia andBatrachia. Taylor and Francis, London. 541 pp.

Submitted: 11 November 2006
Accepted: 22 September 2007

Zhao, E-M. and K. Adler. 1993. Herpetology of China.
Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles,
Oxford, Ohio. 522 pp.