Tenerife Speckled Lizard

Taxobox
name = Tenerife Speckled Lizard
status = CR
status_system = iucn3.1
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Reptilia
ordo = Squamata
subordo = Sauria
familia = Lacertidae
subfamilia = Gallotiinae
genus = "Gallotia"
species = "G. intermedia"
binomial = "Gallotia intermedia"
binomial_authority = Barbadillo, Lacomba, Pêrez-Mellado, Sancho & López-Jurado, 1999

The Tenerife Speckled Lizard, "Gallotia intermedia", ( _es. 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 number of animals in increasing 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. [http://apt.allenpress.com/aptonline/?request=get-abstract&issn=0018-0831&volume=056&issue=01&page=0063 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)

* Database entry includes a range map and justification for why this species is critically endangered

External links

* lacerta.de: [http://www.lacerta.de/Seiten_Bildarchiv/Gallotia_intermedia_(Bilder).htm "Gallotia intermedia"] image gallery. Retrieved 2007-FEB-25.