Khasi hills forest lizard, Assam garden lizard
Calotes maria, called commonly the Khasi Hills forest lizard or Assam garden lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to South Asia.
The specific name, maria, may be in honor of English conchologist Maria Emma Gray, the wife of John Edward Gray, the describer of this species.
The body is compressed, whereas the tail is almost round, slender, feebly compressed, and covered with keeled scales. The head is large. Both males and females have moderately developed nuchal and dorsal crests. The dorsal colour is green with red streaks and spots. The male develops a brilliant red colour in its head during the breeding season.
Length: 120 mm (4.7 in) snout–vent length, 370 mm (14.6 in) tail length.
C. maria is arboreal and diurnal.
C. maria feeds on insects.
C. maria is oviparous.
Despite its relatively small range, C. maria has been assessed as of "least concern" – it is facing no major threats affecting and is present in well-protected areas (Royal Manas National Park, Bhutan, and the adjacent Manas National Park, Assam; Lengteng Wildlife Sanctuary, Mizoram). It is a rare species.
