1. Hemidactylus is a common house lizard and nocturnal in habit. It hibernates in winter in crevices of walls, and light tubes. It is adapted to walk on walls and roofs and feeds on small insects.
2. Hemidactylus is commonly known as wall lizard or common house lizard. It is about 25 cm in length and pale green in colour.
3. Body is covered by scaly integument.scales are minute and smooth.body is divided into head, neck, trunk and tail.
4. Head is broad and flat and bears eyes with fused eyelids, nostrils, ear openings and mouth.
5. Tongue is short, sticky, slightly notched and protrusible.
6. Limbs are pentadactylus. Digits are clawed and dilated with 2 rows of ridged lamellae on the lower surface for movement on ceilings and smooth surfaces.
7. Tail is moderately long and can break off at an unossified part of the caudal vertebrae. This phenomenon is known as autonomy. The tail possesses a great power of regeneration.
8. Only one supra temporal arch is present in the skull.quadrate bone is movable.
9. Vertebrae are amphicoelous. Parietal organ is present. oviparous.
10. Hemidactylus is found in India, Sri Lanka, China, Europe, Africa, and the U.S.A and is also common to all other warmer countries.
Source:
1. Practical Zoology Vertebrates by S.S.Lal 2. A Manual of Practical Zoology Chordates by Dr. P.S. Verma
