Key to Families of Lizards 
Top of head without symmetrical plates D 
Symmetrical plates on top of head 5 
No movable eyelid (except in Eublepharus) Gekkonidae 
Movable eyelid present 3 
Total length >1l m; granular scales on the back; tongue long, 
notched Varanidae 
(A single species: V. salvator) 
Less than 1m; dorsals not granular; tongue short’ and 
weakly notched 4 
Tail with or without median dorsal keel or crest Agamidae 
Tail with two dorsal keel-like crests Xenosauridae 
(A single species: Shinisaurus crocodilurus) 
Four limbs 6 
With no limbs or with hind limbs present as short flaps 7 
With femoral or pre-anal pores; ventrals squarish... 
Lacertidae 
Without femoral or pre-anal pores; ventrals rounded... 
Scincidae 
Body worm-like, without lateral groove; tail very short, 
less than half length of body; males with short, finger-like 
hind limbs Dibamidae 
(A single species: Dibamus bourreti) 
Body snake-like, with lateral groove; tail long, much longer 
than body; no limbs Anguidae 
AGAMIDAE 
Key to genera 
Ribs elongated, supporting wing-like flaps Draco 
Without wing-like flaps 2 
Pre-anal pores present 8 
No pre-anal pores 3 
Digits of hind limb fringed; eyelids with fringe o 
projecting scales; nostrils valvular Phrynocephalus 
Without above characters 4 
Body depressed, without crest; male with patches of enlarged 
f 
scales on belly and pre-anal areas Agama 
Body compressed, usually with a crest; no patches of enlarged 
scales in male > 
Dorsal scales almost uniform, arranged in regular rows except 
in C. brevipes and C. khasiensis Calotes 
Dorsals heterogeneous 6 
An erect pointed scale behind eye U 
Without such a scale Japalura 
Body very compressed; a well developed crest on neck; a 
gular pouch and fold at shoulder; tympanum naked... 
Acanthosaurus 
Body not or slightly compressed; crest not well developed; no 
gular pouch or fold at shoulder; tympanum covered with small 
scales Oriocalotes 
[A single species: 0. paulus] 
Body and tail compressed, crest well developed; tympanum at 
14 
