''Celestus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of diploglossid

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...

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 elsew ...

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

and containing about 11 species, though three of these may be

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

. Formerly, this genus had more than 31 species, but a 2021 phylogenetic study found this classification to be

paraphyletic In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...

and split those species into their own genera.

Species

*'' Celestus barbouri'' – limestone forest galliwasp *'' Celestus crusculus'' – Jamaican galliwasp, Garman's galliwasp *'' Celestus duquesneyi'' – Duquesney's galliwasp, blue-tailed galliwasp *'' Celestus fowleri'' –

bromeliad The Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) are a family of monocot flowering plants of about 80 genera and 3700 known species, native mainly to the tropical Americas, with several species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa, ...

galliwasp, Fowler's galliwasp *'' Celestus hewardi'' – Heward's galliwasp *'' Celestus macrolepis'' (possibly extinct) *'' Celestus microblepharis'' – small-eyed galliwasp, tiny eyelid galliwasp *'' Celestus molesworthi'' *''

Celestus occiduus The Jamaican giant galliwasp or sinking galliwasp (''Celestus occiduus'') is a species of lizard in the Diploglossidae. It was endemic to Jamaica. It was last recorded in mid-19th century, with locals reporting unconfirmed sightings. Its populat ...

'' – Jamaican giant galliwasp (possibly extinct) *'' Celestus striatus'' (possibly extinct) ''Nota bene'': a

binomial authority In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ''Celestus''.

References

Celestus Lizard genera Taxa named by John Edward Gray {{Lizard-stub