''Gastropholis'' 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 Equatorial African lacertid lizards of 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 ...

Lacertidae The Lacertidae are the family (biology), family of the wall lizards, true lizards, or sometimes simply lacertas, which are native to Afro-Eurasia. It is a diverse family with at least 300 species in 39 genera. They represent the dominant group o ...

which is distributed in southern

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

and

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

, western

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Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea ( es, Guinea Ecuatorial; french: Guinée équatoriale; pt, Guiné Equatorial), officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea ( es, link=no, República de Guinea Ecuatorial, french: link=no, République de Guinée équatoria ...

Democratic Republic of Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

, eastern

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

and south to northeastern

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

.Arnold 1989Greenbaum et al. 2011

Etymology

''Gastropholis'' is derived from the ancient Greek words "gaster"
γαστήρ
which means "belly, stomach" and, "pholis"
φολῐ́ς
, a "horny scale of a reptile". The common name of these lizards is Keel-bellied Lizards.Spawls et al. 2002

Habitat and natural history

Not much is known but all

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 this genus are diurnal,

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the Animal locomotion, locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally, but others are exclusively arboreal. Th ...

and often secretive. They inhabit forests, woodland and thicket of coastal plains from sea level to 2000 m altitude. Usually they live high up in the trees 10 m or more above ground level and hide in holes or under loose bark. For sun-basking and feeding (

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...

s and other

arthropod Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a Segmentation (biology), segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and Arth ...

s, also smaller lizards) they move on branches using their

prehensile Prehensility is the quality of an appendage or organ (anatomy), organ that has Adaptation (biology), adapted for grasping or holding. The word is derived from the Latin term ''prehendere'', meaning "to grasp". The ability to grasp is likely der ...

tails as balancing organs. Eggs are laid in moist tree holes. ''Gastropholis prasina'' is known to produce clutches of five-ten eggs. At 26-29 °C incubation temperature the eggs hatched after 61 days.

Diagnosis

''Gastropholis'' shares with the other genera of Equatorial African lacertids (EAL; '' Adolfus'', '' Congolacerta'', ''

Holaspis ''Holaspis'' is a genus of equatorial African lizards in the family Lacertidae. These lizards are capable of gliding flight for distances of 30 meters (98 feet). Etymology The New Latin word "''Holaspis'' " is derived from the Greek words " as ...

'') the consistently absent parietal foramen, the parietal scale extending to the edge of the parietal table and a single postnasal scale. The species of ''Gastropholis'' are characterized by a high ventral scale count (10-14 rows, other EAL only 6 rows transversely), keeled ventrals (smooth in all other EAL), and a long prehensile tail. ''Gastropholis'' species are the largest of the EAL clade with adult snout-vent lengths of 80–110 mm. They are well adapted for climbing with their long limbs, hooked claws and long tails. For a key to the species of ''Gastropholis'' see Arnold (1989).

Species

Four species are recognized:"''Gastropholis''" in The Reptile Data Base
/ref> *'' Gastropholis echinata'' (

Cope The cope (known in Latin as ''pluviale'' 'rain coat' or ''cappa'' 'cape') is a liturgical vestment, more precisely a long mantle or cloak, open in front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colour. A c ...

, 1862) *'' Gastropholis prasina'' ( Werner, 1904) - green keel-bellied lizard *'' Gastropholis tropidopholis'' ( Boulenger, 1916) *'' Gastropholis vittata'' (

Fischer Fischer is a German occupational surname, meaning fisherman. The name Fischer is the fourth most common German surname. The English version is Fisher. People with the surname A * Abraham Fischer (1850–1913) South African public official * A ...

, 1886) - keelbelly ground lizard

References

*Arnold, E.N. (1989): "''Systematics and adaptive radiation of Equatorial African lizards assigned to the genera Adolfus, Bedriagaia, Gastropholis, Holaspis and Lacerta (Reptilia: Lacertidae)''". Journal of Natural History 23: 525-555. *Ashe, J. & Ashe, S. (1999): "''Some notes on Gastropholis prasina''". British Herpetological Society Bulletin 66: 31-34. *Boulenger, G.A. (1916)
"''Description of a new genus of the family Lacertidae from Central Africa''"
The Annals and Magazine of Natural History (8) 18: 112-114. *Cope, E.D. (1862)
"''On Lacerta echinata and Tiliqua dura''"
Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 1862: 189-191. *Ferwerda, W.H. (1997)
"''Gastropholis prasina, een boombewonende hagedis uit Kenia''"
Lacerta 55 (6): 221-223. *Fischer, J.G. (1886): "''Herpetologische Notizen''". Abhandlungen des Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereins in Hamburg 9: 1-19, Taf. I – II
Description of the Genus Gastropholis
*Greenbaum, E., Villanueva, C.O., Kusamba, C., Aristote, M.M. & Branch, W.R. (2011)
"''A molecular phylogeny of Equatorial African Lacertidae, with the description of a new genus and species from eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo''"
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 163: 913–942. *Schmidt, K.P. (1919)
"''Contributions to the herpetology of the Belgian Congo based on the collection of the American Congo Expedition, 1909-1915. Part I. Turtles, crocodiles, lizards, and chameleons''"
Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 39 (2): 385–624. *Spawls, S., Howell, K.M., Drewes, R.C. and Ashe, J. (2002): "''A Field Guide to the Reptiles of East Africa''". Academic Press, Elsevier Science, San Diego, San Francisco, New York, Boston, London. *Tornier, G. (1900)
"''Neue Liste der Crocodilen, Schildkröten und Eidechsen Deutsch-Ost-Afrikas''". ''Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere''
Jena, 13: 579-681. (''Gastropholis lutzei'' n.sp. = ''G. vittata'') *Werner, F. (1904)
"''Beschreibung neuer Reptilien aus den Gattungen Acanthosaura, Calotes, Gastropholis und Typhlops''"
Zoologischer Anzeiger 27: 461-464. {{Taxonbar, from=Q906410 Lizard genera Taxa named by Johann Gustav Fischer

Etymology

Habitat and natural history

Diagnosis

Species

References

Further reading