Ameiva festiva

Ameiva festiva
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Sauria
Infraorder: Scincomorpha
Family: Teiidae
Genus: Ameiva
Species: A. festiva
Binomial name
Ameiva festiva
(Lichtenstein, 1856)
Synonyms
  • Cnemidophorus festivus Lichtenstein, 1856
  • Ameiva festivus
    Bocourt, 1874
  • Ameiva festiva
    Boulenger, 1885
  • Holcosus festivus
    — Harvey et al., 2012[1]

Ameiva festiva, commonly known as the Middle American ameiva, Central American whiptail, or tiger ameiva, is a species of whiptail lizard endemic to Central America and northern South America.[1]

Geographic range

A. festiva is found from southern Mexico to Colombia.[1]

Description

A. festiva is brown-colored, with darker browns making a zig-zag pattern down the back. A similar species is Ameiva quadrilineata. Juveniles have metallic-blue tails.[2]

Habitat

A. festiva lives in open habitats.[2]

Subspecies

Three subspecies are recognized, including the nominotypical subspecies.[1]

Nota bene: A taxon author (binomial authority or trinomial authority) in parentheses indicates that the taxon (species or subspecies) was originally described in a different genus (in this case, a genus other than Ameiva).

Etymology

The subspecific name, edwardsii, is in honor of French zoologist Alphonse Milne-Edwards.[3]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Holcosus festivus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Ameiva festiva, Lizards of Las Cruces Biological Station, Costa Rica.
  3. Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M. 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Ameiva festiva edwardsii, p. 80).

Further reading

External links

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