Tenerife speckled lizard
| Tenerife speckled lizard | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Lacertidae |
| Genus: | Gallotia |
| Species: | G. intermedia |
| Binomial name | |
| Gallotia intermedia Barbadillo, Lacomba, Pêrez-Mellado, Sancho & López-Jurado, 1999 | |
The Tenerife speckled lizard, Gallotia intermedia, (Spanish: Lagarto Canario Moteado) is a recently discovered lacertid (wall lizard) of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. It is the smallest member of the clade containing the western islands' giant species (Maca-Meyer et al. 2003).
It was discovered in 1996 by biologist Efraín Hernández in the Macizo de Teno in the extreme northwest of Tenerife (Hernández et al. 1997). Although it is believed that the species was once widespread throughout much of the island, nowadays it is only known from a small area of coastline in the extreme west of the island, and also from Montana de Guaza in the extreme south.
The total number of animals is 500 (in 2005), in 40 isolated populations along altogether 9 km of coastline. The main threat to this lizard is predation by feral cats and, to a lesser degree, by rats. The lizards are increasing in number since the turn of the century as a result of control of introduced mammals.
References
- Barbadillo, L.J., Lacomba, J.I.; Pérez-Mellado, V.; Sancho, V. & López-Jurado, L.F. (1999): Anfibios y Reptiles de la Península Ibérica, Baleares y Canarias. 419 pp. Editorial Planeta, Barcelona.
- Hernández, Efraín, Bischoff, W.; Bannert, B. & Siverio, M. (1997): "Rieseneidechsen" auf Teneriffa. herpetofauna 19(109): 19-24.
- Hernández, Efraín; Nogales, N. & Martín, A. (2000): Discovery of a new lizard in the Canary Islands, with a multivariate analysis of Gallotia (Reptilia: Lacertidae). Herpetologica 56(1): 63-76. HTML abstract
- Maca-Meyer, N.; Carranza, S.; Rando, J.C.; Arnold, E.N. & Cabrera, V.M. (2003): Status and relationships of the extinct giant Canary Island lizard Gallotia goliath (Reptilia: Lacertidae), assessed using ancient mtDNA from its mummified remains. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 80(4): 659–670. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.2003.00265.x (HTML abstract)
- Miras, J.A.M. & Pérez-Mellado, V. (2005). "Gallotia intermedia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2006. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 18 May 2006. Database entry includes a range map and justification for why this species is critically endangered
External links
- lacerta.de: Gallotia interm image gallery. Retrieved 2007-FEB-25.