- Microlophus
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Microlophus 
Microlophus peruvianus Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Family: Tropiduridae Genus: Microlophus Species 20 recognized species, see article.
Microlophus is a genus of Tropidurid lizards. There are twenty recognized species in the genus, and seven of these are endemic to the Galápagos Islands where popularly known as lava lizards (they are sometimes placed in Tropidurus instead). The remaining are found in the Andes and along the Pacific coast of Chile, Peru and Ecuador.
The distribution of the lava lizards and their variations in shape, colour and behaviour show the phenomenon of adaptive radiation so typical of the inhabitants of this archipelago. One species occurs on all the central and western islands, which were perhaps connected during periods of lower sea levels, while one species each occurs on six other more peripheral islands. All have most likely evolved from a single ancestral species. However, as usual for Tropiduridae they can change their color individually to some extent, and members of the same species occurring in different habitats aiso show colour differences. Thus animals living mainly on dark lava are darker than ones which live in lighter, sandy environments.
Classification
Genus Microlophus
- Microlophus albemarlensis
- Microlophus atacamensis
- Microlophus bivittatus
- Microlophus delanonis - Española Lava Lizard
- Microlophus duncanensis
- Microlophus grayii
- Microlophus habelii
- Microlophus heterolepis
- Microlophus koepckeorum
- Microlophus occipitalis
- Microlophus pacificus
- Microlophus peruvianus
- Microlophus quadrivittatus
- Microlophus stolzmanni
- Microlophus tarapacensis - Tarapaca Pacific Iguana
- Microlophus theresiae
- Microlophus theresioides
- Microlophus thoracicus
- Microlophus tigris
- Microlophus yanezi
Categories:- Endemic fauna of the Galápagos Islands
- Tropidurids
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