''Adolfus alleni'', also known
commonly as the alpine meadow lizard or the alpine-meadow lizard, is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
lizard in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Lacertidae.
The species is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
...
.
Habitat and geographic range
''A. alleni'' is found only in alpine moorlands of
Mount Kenya,
Mount Elgon, and the
Aberdares Mountains in Kenya,
[ Greer AE (1968). "Mode of reproduction in the squamate faunas of three altitudinally correlated life zones in East Africa". ''Herpetologica'' 24 (3): 229-232.] at altitudes of .
Description
Medium-sized for the
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
''
Adolfus'', adults of ''A. alleni'' have a
snout-to-vent length (SVL) of about .
[
]
Reproduction
''A. alleni'' is oviparous.[
]
Etymology
The specific name, ''alleni'', is in honor of American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
zoologist
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and d ...
Glover Morrill Allen
Glover Morrill Allen (February 8, 1879 – February 14, 1942) was an American zoologist.
He was born at Walpole, New Hampshire, the son of Reverend Nathaniel Glover Allen and Harriet Ann (Schouler) Allen, and studied at Harvard University. While s ...
.[Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Adolfus alleni'', p. 5).]
References
Further reading
* Barbour T (1914). "Some New Reptiles". ''Proceedings of the New England Zoological Club'' 4: 95-98. (''Algiroides alleni'', new species, pp. 97–98).
* Spawls S, Howell K, Hinkel H, Menegon M (2018). ''Field Guide to East African Reptiles, Second Edition''. London: Bloomsbury Natural History. 624 pp. . (''Adolfus alleni'', p. 182).
* Wagner P, Greenbaum E, Malonza P, Branch B (2014). "Resolving sky island speciation in populations of East African ''Adolfus alleni'' (Sauria, Lacertidae)". ''Salamandra'' 50 (1): 1–17.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q653359
Adolfus
Lacertid lizards of Africa
Reptiles of Kenya
Endemic fauna of Kenya
Taxa named by Thomas Barbour
Reptiles described in 1914