﻿8. CALLISAURUS 143 



Belding, West. Amer. Scientist, Vol. Ill, No. 24, 1887, p. 97. 

 Callisaurus draconoides draconoides Cope, Report U. S. Nat. Mus. for 

 1898, 1900, p. 272, fig. 24. 



Description. — Head broad and low. Snout rounded 

 when viewed from above, but sharply pointed when seen 

 in profile. Nostrils large and superior. A strongly marked 

 canthus rostralis. Interparietal plate very large, broader 

 than long. Two or three series of enlarged supraoculars. 

 Other head plates small and irregular, largest on frontal 

 imd prefrontal regions, everywhere very flat and smooth. 

 A very long suborbital. Eyelids heavily fringed. Labials 

 low, but long, imbricate, and projecting laterally. Infra- 

 labials bordered below by from one to three series of large 

 sublabials. Gulars granular, smooth, and, except on central 

 part of the region, longer than wide. Gular fold covered 

 with imbricate scales, largest at its edge. Back and sides 

 covered with small flattened granules, which pass gradually 

 into the much larger smooth ventrals. A strong fold ex- 

 tends along each side between the limbs. Tail of medium 

 length, considerably depressed at base. Limbs very long 

 and slender. Number of femoral pores varies from 12 

 to 20. Males with enlarged postanal plates. 



There is so much variation in color that no exact de- 

 scription can be given. The males are grayish above, tinted 

 with primrose yellow and ochraceous buff on sides, and 

 thickly spotted with pale yellow or white. Two series of 

 brown blotches on the back are united on the upper surface 

 of the tail to form undulate brown cross-bands. The lower 

 surface of the tail is white, crossed by six to eight black 

 bars which correspond in position to, and are often united 

 with, the brown bands of its upper surface. The chin and 

 throat are marked with numerous oblique dusky lines. The 

 throat often has a large half -concealed patch of red. A 



