By Dennis G. Rainey, World Coin News November 02, 2009

There are about 4,300 species of lizards in the world found in some 26 families, but there are only 17 species in seven families on 33 world coins (15 identified, one currently unknown).

The world’s largest lizard is on two coins from Indonesia. The smallest lizard is the Monito gecko (Sphaerodactyla parthenopion) found in the Virgin Islands with a head-body length of only two-thirds inch. It is not on a coin. The largest lizard is the Komodo dragon. It weighs up to 364 pounds and can be as long as 10.25 feet long in total length. More on the Komodo later.

I would like to review lizards on coins on the family level since for several species information on lifestyles is lacking. A warning: For some families a common name does not exist, so I will employ a modified family name as a common name. Note the rule is that all family names must end in “idae.”



Agamidae

There are two agamids on coins. The frilled lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingii) is on 10 Australian coins: 1966-1984 2 cents (KM-63); 1985-1991 2 cents (KM-79); 2006 2 cents (KM-768); 2006 2 cents (KM-768b); 2006 2 cents (KM-63a); 2006 with the brown snake on same coin, denomination unknown (not in catalog); 2008 $1 (not in catalog); 2009 $1 (not in catalog); 2000 $5 (KM-379); and 1989 $200 (KM-116). This lizard is found also in New Guinea.

The second agamid is on a 2008 100-dram coin from Armenia. It is the toad-headed agama (Phrynocephalus persicus). The coin reads “Phrynocephalus helioscopus persicus,” which is an older synonym of the current name of P. persicus. The coin is not in the catalog yet.

There are about 350 species in the agamid family, all in the warmer regions of the Old World except oceanic islands and Madagascar. Typically they have long limbs, long tails and large heads. Dorsal crests are common. The male frilled lizard is noted for its greatly enlarged throat skin folds supported by a bony apparatus. It is used in courtship and as a threat to predators, making them appear larger than they actually are. An individual stands on its rear legs and spreads his “fan.” This character is found also in other male agamid species. In most agamid females the fertilized eggs hatch outside the body, but in a few species the eggs are kept inside the body and there are live births.



Chamaeleonidae

There are about 135 species in the chameleon family, and they are the most distinctive of all lizards. The one unknown species is featured on three coins of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire). I am assuming that all of these coins depict the same species and tentatively am placing it in the large genus Chamaleo. (Photos are not in the Standard Catalog of World Coins.) They are: 2003 10 francs (KM-99.1), 2003 10 francs (KM-99.2) and the 2003 20 francs (KM-140).

Chameleons dwell in much of Africa south of the Sahara and parts of India, Sri Lanka and north to Spain. They are common in Madagascar. Chameleons have prehensile tails, partially fused toes for grasping and climbing, independently movable eyes that give great depth perception, laterally compressed bodies and an explosive long tongue used to capture insects. The protruding tongue travels at a speed of one-hundredth of a second. The tongue is also used to wipe the clear scales over the eyes. In one species the female lays 70 eggs, and females of many species lay 30 to 40 eggs then bury them in the ground or a rotting tree.



Gekkonidae

There are some 900 species of geckos, the second largest family, and they dwell on all continents except Antarctica. Most geckos lack eyelids, and the eye is covered by a transparent scale (the “spectacle”) cleaned by the tongue. By far, most are nocturnal. Geckos are found on five coins. The stump-tailed gecko (Gehyra mutilata) is on the 1979 Kiribati 5 cents (KM-3). The Turkmenistan gecko (Eublepharis turkmenicus) appears on the Russia 1993 50 roubles (Y-331) and 1996 1 rouble (Y-493). This same Turkmenistan gecko is depicted on the Turkmenistan 1996 500 manat (KM-11). Finally, the ring-tailed gecko (Cryptodactylus louisiadensis) appear on Cook Islands’ 1998 $1 (KM-314). (It must be noted that some authorities place Eublepharis sp. and others in a different family. These are geckos with movable eyelids.)



Iguanidae

Iguanidae is a very large, taxonomically complex group of lizards found mostly in the New World but also in Fiji Islands, Tonga and Madagascar. I do not want to discuss the unsettled family taxonomy (eight families by some) of this group and will treat the species on coins as belonging to the family Iguanidae. The British Virgin Islands 1994 $25 (KM-159) depicts the critically endangered Anegada rock iguana (Cyclura pinguis).

The critically endangered Lesser Caymans rock iguana is depicted on the Cayman Islands 1992 $1 (KM-111). The 1995 $1 (KM-125) honors the critically endangered blue rock iguana (Cyclura lewisi). I have in my database a Cayman Islands $100 gold unknown lizard (blue rock iguana, perhaps?), but it has never been in the Standard Catalog.

For Cuba, the lizard on four coins is the Cuban rock lizard (Cyclura nublia nublia). Coins are: 1985 1 peso (KM-126), 1985 1 peso (KM-182), 1985 5 pesos (KM-127) and 2004 10 pesos (KM-799). The banded iguana (Brachylophus fasciatis) is on the Fiji Islands 1978 $250 (KM-43) and 1997 $10 (KM-76). The same species is on the Tonga 1994 100 pa’anga (KM-165).

The Turks and Caicos 1 crown (KM-64) depicts the critically endangered Turks Island rock iguana (Cyclura carinata) (KM 64).



Lacertidae

There are two lacertids on coins. Clark’s lizard (Darevskia [= Lacerta] clarkorum) is depicted on the Turkey 1999 4,000,000 lira (KM-1099). The green lizard (Lacerta viridis) is on the Poland 20 zlotys (not in catalog).

This is an Old World family with about 215 species, most in the Mediterranean region but also in Africa, Japan and to the Arctic Circle. These lizards live on the ground. Some lacertids (five species) consist of females only and reproduce without males. The most widespread lacertid, Lacerta vivipara, gives birth to living young.



Scincidae

The largest lizard family is the skink family with more than 1,300 species in about 100 genera. The family is almost cosmopolitan. Skinks are smooth and shiny in appearance and most are gray or brown colored. The Bermuda rock skink (Plestiodon longirostris) is on the 1997 Bermuda $1 (KM-119). The far eastern skink (Plestiodon latiscutatus) is on the 1998 Russia 1 rouble (Y-628). The Steindachner’s emo skink (Emoia adspersa) appears on the 1993 Tokelau 5 lima tala (KM-17).



Varanidae

The Old World family of Varanidae is called monitor lizards and contains the largest lizard known – the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), which is on Indonesia’s 1991 to 1992 50 rupiah (KM-52) and the 1974 100,000 rupiah (KM-41). There are 48 species, all in Varanus, and 25 species are found in Australia (called “goannas” there). They also occur in Asia and Africa. Monitor lizards are usually large with long necks, a massive body and strong limbs equipped with heavy claws used to disembowel large prey. One fossil varanid from Australia was 23 feet long, but the extant short-tailed monitor of Australia is only 4.75 inches long (head-body). Other monitors are aquatic with a laterally flattened tail for swimming.

This species lives only on Komodo Island and neighboring islands. Komodo dragons feed on deer, pigs, monkeys and carrion, and they have been known to kill water buffaloes that weigh up to 1,100 pounds. However, most monitor species are insectivorous.

A good, moderately priced reference on reptiles is Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians, Eds. H. G. Cogger and R. G. Zweifel, Academic Press, 1992.



I welcome questions and comments, especially on my species identifications and possible omissions. Contact me at denrain@charter.net.

More Resources:

• Ultimate Standard Catalog of World Coins 5-CD Set (1600-Present)

• 2010 U.S. Coin Digest, The Complete Guide to Current Market Values

• Standard Guide to Small-Size U.S. Paper Money, 1928 to Date