Hardwicke's Bloodsucker

Physical structure: Calotes minor is a small stocky and pot-belly lizard with a short tail. Its head is large and elongated, flat above, and sloping towards the snout. The dorsal scales are large, strongly imbricate, and keeled, pointing backward and upward. The ventral scales are smaller than the dorsal scales. The upper head scales are large, unequal, and strongly keeled or tubercular. Females are larger than males. Color pattern: The dorsal color is olive brown with three rows of dark brown, light-edged spots on the body and the base of the tail. The spots of the middle row are most prominent and rhomboidal. On each side of the neck there is a white streak which is bifurcated posteriorly. Also, there is an oblique white streak from the eye to the corner of mouth. The limbs have dark brown crossbars. The throat is profusely spotted with dark brown and orange. The belly is yellowish white, with numerous orange dots. The olor inside the mouth is ink blue. Females are more brilliantly colored during the breeding season. Length: The maximum recorded total length (tail included) is 18 cm (7.1 in), but most specimens have a total length of about 10 cm (3.9 in) and a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of about 6 cm (2.4 in).

Calotes minor is found in Bangladesh (southeast part of the country), India (Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Odissa) and Pakistan (Sindh).

Calotes minor is terrestrial, diurnal, and crepuscular. It shelters in burrows close to the roots of thorny bushes. Generally it is found sitting on stones, but it can climb up shrubby vegetation. It is sluggish in movements, often not attempting to escape when approached. It is a docile species.

The specific name, minor, is a Latin word, meaning "less" or "smaller", referring to the smaller size of this agamid.