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Gallotia
The genus ''Gallotia'' are the lacertids (wall lizards) of the Canary Islands. This genus consists of a group that has been evolving there ever since the first islands emerged from the sea over 20 million years ago. The endemic species and subspecies of this group have a number of characteristics that make them quite special within their family (Lacertidae); their only close relatives are the sandrunner lizards (''Psammodromus'') of the western Mediterranean region. ''Gallotia'' are characteristic for eating significant quantities of plants, and several lineages are often presented as classic examples for insular gigantism. However, a find of an even larger ''Gallotia'' species from the early Miocene of mainland Europe casts doubt on this assumption. Instead the ancestor of all modern ''Gallotia'' species of the Canary islands was probably already very large but carnivorous (Černaňský et al., 2016). Systematics and biogeography This genus can be broadly divided into two group ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gallotia Galloti
''Gallotia galloti'' (Gallot's lizard, Tenerife lizard, or Western Canaries lizard) is a species of lacertid (wall lizard) in the genus ''Gallotia''. The species is found on the Canary Islands of Tenerife and La Palma. Both the generic name, ''Gallotia'', and the specific name, ''galloti'', are in honor of D. Gallot, an amateur naturalist, who collected the type specimen.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michel; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Gallotia galloti'', p. 97). Four subspecies are recognized: *''Gallotia galloti eisentrauti'' - Northern Tenerife lizard (northern Tenerife) *''Gallotia galloti galloti'' - Southern Tenerife lizard (central and southern Tenerife, including Teide) *''Gallotia galloti insulanagae'' - Anaga lizard (Roque de Fuera de Anaga, offshore the Macizo de Anaga mountains, northeastern Tenerife) *''Gallotia galloti palmae'' - La Palma lizard (La Palma) The large di ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gallotia Caesaris
Boettger's lizard (''Gallotia caesaris'') is a species of wall lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to the Canary Islands. There are two recognized subspecies. Etymology The specific name, ''caesaris'', is in honor of German malacologist Caesar Rudolf Boettger, who was a nephew of German herpetologist Oskar Boettger. Geographic range ''G. caesaris'' is native to two of the western Canary Islands, El Hierro and La Gomera. www.reptile-database.org. On the neighboring islands Tenerife and La Palma it is replaced by its close relative ''Gallotia galloti''. Maca-Meyer et al. (2003). ''G. caesaris'' has been introduced by humans on the Portuguese island of Madeira. Habitat The preferred natural habitats of ''G. caesaris'' are rocky areas, shrubland, and forest, at altitudes from sea level to .Miras et al. (2009). Reproduction ''G. caesaris'' is oviparous. A sexually mature female may lay three clutches per year, and each clutch may contain 1–5 eggs. Subspecies Tw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gallotia Bravoana
The La Gomera giant lizard (''Gallotia bravoana'') is a lacertid (wall lizard) species that can be found on the island of La Gomera, one of the Canary Islands. It is easily distinguishable from any other member of ''Gallotia'' by the intense white colour that covers its neck, chest and area around the mouth, in spectacular contrast to its dark brown back. This lizard is generally diurnal and mostly herbivorous, and grows up to half a metre long (head and body long). The females lay a single clutch annually of three to seven eggs on average. Its population trend has actually been increasing since 2001. Status and conservation Apparent La Gomera giant lizards are listed in reports on La Gomera up to the 19th century, but not thereafter. The species was originally described from subfossil remains in 1985, presumably having gone extinct by then. Spanish biologists led by Juan Carlos Rando rediscovered this species in 1999. The biologists found only six living individuals. The cur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gallotia Goliath
''Gallotia goliath'' (the Tenerife giant lizard or goliath Tenerife lizard) is an extinct giant lizard species from the island of Tenerife of the Canary Islands, Spain. This reptile lived before the arrival of humans and is believed to have grown to at least long. It was described by the German herpetologist Robert Mertens. Fossils of this lizard have been found in volcanic caves, where they often appear with those of other animals, like the Tenerife giant rat. Classification Prehistoric ''Gallotia'' remains have been assigned to the taxa ''G. maxima'' and ''G. goliath'', the former supposedly occurring only on Tenerife, the latter on several islands. It was eventually determined, however, that ''G. maxima'' is a junior synonym of ''G. goliath'', and that the latter was close to the El Hierro giant lizard (''Gallotia simonyi''); supposed ''goliath'' specimens from El Hierro, La Gomera, and La Palma (from the Cuevas de los Murciélagos) are probably just extremely large ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gallotia Simonyi Machadoi
The El Hierro giant lizard (''Gallotia simonyi machadoi'') is a subspecies of lacertid (wall lizard) that can be found on the island of El Hierro, one of the Canary Islands. It is considered to be a subspecies of ''Gallotia simonyi'', Simony's lizard. The subspecies was once present throughout much of the island and on the small offshore , but is now confined to a few small areas of cliff with sparse vegetation. It is currently restricted to the southern end of the Risco de Tibataje in , located between Guinea and the so-called Paso del Pino (an area of about four hectares). The species was also successfully reintroduced to the Roque Chico de Salmor in 1999, and subsequent reintroductions have taken place at Julan and at la Dehesa.(Miras & Pérez-Mellado 2005b) About long, the Hierro giant lizard is a thickset reptile with a broad head. Adults are dark grey to brown in colour, with two rows of pale orange patches running along its sides. Its belly is mostly brown, but has an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gallotia Simonyi
''Gallotia simonyi'', also known as Simony's lizard, is a species of lacertid (wall lizard) that was found on many of the Canary Islands. The species was once present throughout much of the islands, but one of the two subspecies is extinct, while the other, the Roque Chico de Salmor giant lizard is now confined to a few small areas of cliff with sparse vegetation. It is currently restricted to the southern end of the Risco de Tibataje in la Fuga de Gorreta, located between Guinea and the so-called Paso del Pino (an area of about four hectares). The species was also successfully reintroduced to the Roque Chico de Salmor in 1999, and subsequent reintroductions have taken place at Julan and at la Dehesa.(Miras & Pérez-Mellado 2005b) It is omnivorous. It eats plants – notably '' verode'' and ''Lavandula abrotanoides'' – as well as insects (ARKive 2006). Mating begins in May and 5 to 13 eggs are laid from June until the end of August. Their eggs hatch after 61 days. Etymolo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gallotia Stehlini
The Gran Canaria giant lizard (''Gallotia stehlini'') is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is found in the Canary Islands. Etymology The specific name, ''stehlini'', is in honor of Swiss paleontologist Hans Georg Stehlin, who collected the holotype. Description ''G. stehlini'' grows to a total length (including tail) of up to . It is among the largest reptiles within the family Lacertidae. The species comes in a variety of grays, browns, and reddish hues. Unlike their female counterparts, males exhibit sizable jowls, robust heads and overall greater body mass. Diet ''G. stehlini'' is a true omnivore. The young often consume various invertebrates, vegetation and soft fruits. As they mature, their diet largely consists of plant matter.Carretero, Miguel & Roca, Vicente & Martín, Juan & Llorente, Gustavo & Montori, Albert & Santos, Xavier & Mateos, Judit. (2006). Diet and helminth parasites in the Gran Canaria giant lizard, Gallotia stehlini. Revista Espa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Insular Gigantism
Island gigantism, or insular gigantism, is a biological phenomenon in which the size of an animal species isolated on an island increases dramatically in comparison to its mainland relatives. Island gigantism is one aspect of the more general Foster's rule, "island effect" or "Foster's rule", which posits that when mainland animals colonize islands, small species tend to evolve larger bodies, and large species tend to evolve smaller bodies (insular dwarfism). This is itself one aspect of the more general phenomenon of island syndrome which describes the differences in Morphology (biology), morphology, ecology, physiology and ethology, behaviour of insular species compared to their continental counterparts. Following the arrival of humans and associated introduced predators (dogs, cats, rats, pigs), many giant as well as other island endemics have become Extinction, extinct. A similar size increase, as well as increased woodiness, has been observed in some insular plants. Possible ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gallotia Auaritae
The La Palma giant lizard (''Gallotia auaritae'') is a giant lacertid historically living on the island of La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain); its habitat ranged from sea level up to altitudes of 800 m. It probably lives in xerophytic vegetation and is presumably an egg-laying species. Generally considered extinct in historic times, there were sightings (including photographic evidence) of a large lacertid in 2007 which may possibly correspond to this species, although these sightings have been assessed as doubtful. Taxonomy Working on fossil and subfossil evidence, this giant lizard was originally described as a subspecies of the El Hierro giant lizard (Mateo ''et al.'' 2001). Later, it was elevated to full species rank (Afonso & Mateo 2003). Specimen remains from La Palma assigned to '' G. goliath'' seem to belong to this taxon instead; if this is correct, they indicate that the average size of this species had been decreasing over the last millennia, possibly due to humans pre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gallotia Simonyi Simonyi
__NOTOC__ The Roque Chico de Salmor giant lizard (''Gallotia simonyi simonyi'') was the nominate subspecies of the lacertid (wall lizard) ''Gallotia simonyi''. It was once present on a small islet near El Hierro in the Canary Islands. ''Gallotia simonyi simonyi'' was only known from Roque Chico de Salmor off northwestern Valverde municipality, El Hierro. It disappeared around the 1930s through unsustainable collecting of animals for scientific institutions and commercial interests, as well as predation by feral cats and possibly herring gulls (Diaz & Bischoff 1994, Miras & Pérez-Mellado 2005). See also * List of extinct animals of Europe This list of European animals extinct in the Holocene features animals known to have become extinct in the last 12,000 years on the European continent and its surrounding islands. Dependent territories of European countries in other continents, l ... References * Blanco, Juan Carlos & González, José Luis (eds.) (1992): Libro rojo de los ve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gallotia Intermedia
The Tenerife speckled lizard (''Gallotia intermedia'') is a recently discovered lacertid (wall lizard) endemic to Tenerife in the Canary Islands. It is the smallest member of the clade containing the western islands' giant species. It was discovered in 1996 by biologist Efraín Hernández in the Macizo de Teno in the extreme northwest of Tenerife. 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 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 mamm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gallotia Atlantica
The Atlantic lizard (''Gallotia atlantica'') is a species of lizards in the family Lacertidae. It is endemic to the eastern Canary Islands Lanzarote and Fuerteventura and the smaller islands surrounding them. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, temperate shrubland, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rocky areas, rocky shores, sandy shores, arable land Arable land (from the la, arabilis, "able to be ploughed") is any land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops.''Oxford English Dictionary'', "arable, ''adj''. and ''n.''" Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013. Alternatively, for the ..., pastureland, and rural gardens. References Gallotia Reptiles of the Canary Islands Reptiles described in 1882 Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters Taxa named by Giacomo Doria Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{lacertidae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
