''Cercosaura'' 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
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 ...
s in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Gymnophthalmidae. The genus 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 elsew ...
to South America.
Taxonomy
The genus ''Cercosaura'' includes 18
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 ...
according to studies that transfer species from the two
genera
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 nomenclat ...
''Pantodactylus'' and ''
Prionodactylus'' to this genus.
Species
The genus ''Cercosaura'' contains the following recognized species:
[. www.reptile-database.org.]
*''
Cercosaura anomala'' – anomalous cercosaura
*''
Cercosaura anordosquama''
*''
Cercosaura argulus'' – elegant eyed lizard, white-lipped prionodactylus
*''
Cercosaura bassleri'' – ocellated tegu
*''
Cercosaura doanae''
*''
Cercosaura eigenmanni'' –
Eigenmann's prionodactylus
*''
Cercosaura hypnoides''
*''
Cercosaura manicata'' – slender prionodactylus
*''
Cercosaura nigroventris''
*''
Cercosaura ocellata'' – ocellated tegu
*''
Cercosaura olivacea'' – olive tegu
*''
Cercosaura oshaughnessyi
''Cercosaura oshaughnessyi'', known commonly as the white-striped eyed lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Gymnophthalmidae. The species is endemic to northern South America.
Etymology
The specific name, ''oshaughnessyi'', is in honor ...
'' – white-striped eyed lizard
*''
Cercosaura pacha''
*''
Cercosaura parkeri
''Cercosaura parkeri'', known commonly as Parker's many-fingered teiid , is a species of lizard in the family Gymnophthalmidae. The species is endemic to South America.
Etymology
The specific name, ''parkeri'', is in honor of English herpetolo ...
'' –
Parker's
The Smith's Snackfood Company is a British-Australian snack food company owned by American multinational corporation PepsiCo. It is best known for its brand of potato crisps. The company was founded by Frank Smith and Jim Viney in the United K ...
many-fingered teiid
*''
Cercosaura phelpsorum
''Cercosaura phelpsorum'' is a species of lizard in the family Gymnophthalmidae. The species is endemic to Venezuela.
Etymology
The specific name, ''phelpsorum'' (genitive plural), is in honor of American ornithologist William H. Phelps Sr. and ...
''
*''
Cercosaura quadrilineata'' – lined many-fingered teiid
*''
Cercosaura schreibersii
''Cercosaura schreibersii'', known commonly as Schreibers's many-fingered teiid or the long-tailed little lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Gymnophthalmidae. The species is endemic to South America.
Etymology
The specific name, ''s ...
'' –
Schreibers' many-fingered teiid, long-tailed little lizard
*''
Cercosaura steyeri''
''
Nota bene
(, or ; plural form ) is a Latin phrase meaning "note well".
It is often abbreviated as NB, n.b., or with the ligature
and first appeared in English writing . In Modern English, it is used, particularly in legal papers, to draw the atten ...
'': 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 ''Cercosaura''.
References
Further reading
*
Boulenger GA (1885). ''Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume II. ... Teiidæ ...'' London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 497 pp. + Plates I-XXIV. (Genus ''Cercosaura'', p. 395).
*
Wagler J (1830). ''Natürliches System der AMPHIBIEN, mit vorangehender Classification der SÄUGTHIERE und VÖGEL. Ein Beitrag zur vergleichenden Zoologie.'' Munich, Stuttgart and Tübingen: J.G. Cotta. vi + 354 pp. + one plate. (''Cercosaura'', new genus, p. 158). (in
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
and
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
).
Lizard genera
Taxa named by Johann Georg Wagler
{{Lizard-stub