Tenerife speckled lizard
Temporal range: Late Pliocene–Recent[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
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[3][lower-alpha 1]

The Tenerife speckled lizard (Gallotia intermedia) is a recently discovered lacertid (wall lizard) endemic to Tenerife in the Canary Islands.[4] It is the smallest member of the clade containing the western islands' giant species.[6]

It was discovered in 1996 by biologist Efraín Hernández in the Macizo de Teno in the extreme northwest of Tenerife.[5] 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.[2]

The total number of animals in the northwestern distribution area is 500 (estimated in 2008), in 40 isolated populations along altogether 9 km of coastline. In the south, there are about 100 animals. 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.[2]

Notes

  1. ↑ This species was first informally described in 1999 in a field guide, before being more formally described[4] in 2000 by Hernández and colleagues.[5] Whether the first description is valid remains in the grey zone of biological nomenclature.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Salvador, A. (2015) Lagarto gigante de El Hierro – Gallotia simonyi. In: Enciclopedia Virtual de los Vertebrados Españoles. Salvador, A., Marco, A. (Eds.). Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid. http://www.vertebradosibericos.org/
  2. 1 2 3 Jose Antonio Mateo Miras, Valentin Pérez-Mellado, Iñigo Martínez-Solano (2009). "Gallotia intermedia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009: e.T61505A12494026. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009.RLTS.T61505A12494026.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. 1 2 3 Gallotia intermedia at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 10 August 2020.
  5. 1 2 Hernández, Efraín; Nogales, Manuel & Martín, Aurelio (2000). "Discovery of a new lizard in the Canary Islands, with a multivariate analysis of Gallotia (Reptilia: Lacertidae)". Herpetologica. 56 (1): 63–76. JSTOR 3893128.
  6. ↑ 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". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 80 (4): 659–670. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.2003.00265.x.

Further reading

  • Hernández, Efraín, Bischoff, W.; Bannert, B. & Siverio, M. (1997): "Rieseneidechsen" auf Teneriffa. herpetofauna 19(109): 19–24.


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