Chinese team discovers new color-changing lizard species

Chinese researchers recently published a study unveiling the discovery of a new lizard species in Metog county of the Xizang autonomous region, Xizang Daily reported. The study can be found in the international journal Zootaxa.

The research team, composed of members from the Central South Inventory and Planning Institute of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and the Kunming Institute of Zoology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, named the new lizard species the Calotes zhaoermii.

The team collected the specimen during a field survey in Metog in July 2024. Through morphological comparisons and molecular phylogenetic analysis, it was determined that this tree lizard was a new species that had not been scientifically described.

They named the new species Zhao's Tree Lizard in honor of Zhao Ermi, the Chinese herpetologist and former academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences who is renowned for his outstanding contributions to the field.

The lizard possesses the ability to change color. When at rest in its natural state, the top of its head is olive green, while the back and sides of the body exhibit a complex pattern of shades of green with pale white, reddish-brown, and black spots, stripes, and patches.

When under stress, the lizard's tapestry of colors is replaced primarily with a reddish-brown tint to closer match its tree habitat.

Zhao's Tree Lizard is the 34th species recorded in the Calotes genus. It adds to the already diverse collection of reptiles in China.

Researchers from the Central South Inventory and Planning Institute have been conducting biodiversity surveys in the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon National Nature Reserve since November 2022. Their work was commissioned by the forestry and grassland bureau of Xizang's Nyingchi city. Their work has resulted in the discovery of multiple species of small mammals, insects, spiders, plants, and more.