''Gelanesaurus cochranae'', also known
commonly as Cochran's neusticurus, 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
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 ...
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
Gymnophthalmidae is a family of lizards with at least 250 species, sometimes known commonly as spectacled lizards or microteiids. They are called "spectacled" because of their transparent lower eyelids, which allow them to still see with closed ...
.
The species is native to northwestern
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
.
Etymology
The
specific name, ''cochranae'', was chosen in honor of American herpetologist
Doris Mable Cochran
Doris Mable Cochran (May 18, 1898 – May 22, 1968) was an American Herpetology, herpetologist and custodian of the American Natural Collection at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., for many years.
Life
Born in North Girard, Pennsyl ...
.
[ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Neusticurus cochranae'', p. 55).]
Geographic range
''G. cochranae'' is found in
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
and
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
.
[
]
Habitat
The preferred natural habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
s of ''G. cochranae'' are forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
and freshwater wetlands
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...
, up to an altitude of .[
]
Reproduction
''G. cochranae'' is oviparous
Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...
.[
]
References
Further reading
* Burt CE, Burt MD (1941). "South American Lizards in the Collection of the American Museum of Natural History". ''Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History'' 61 (7): 227–395. (''Neusticurus ecpleopus cochranæ'', new subspecies, pp. 350–352, Figure 9).
* Doan TM, Castoe TA (2005). "Phylogenetic taxonomy of the Cercosaurini (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae), with new genera for species of ''Neusticurus'' and ''Proctoporus'' ". ''Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society'' 143: 405–416. (''Potamites cochranae'', new combination).
* Torres-Carvajal O, Lobos SE, Venegas PJ, Chávez G, Aguirre-Peñafiel V, Zurita D, Echevarría LY (2016). "Phylogeny and biogeography of the most diverse clade of South American gymnophthalmid lizards (Squamata,Gymnophthalmidae, Cercosaurinae)". ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' 99: 63–75. (''Gelanesaurus cochranae'', new combination).
* Uzzell TM (1966). "Teiid lizards of the genus ''Neusticurus'' (Reptilia, Sauria)". ''Bull. American Mus. Nat. Hist.'' 132 (5): 279–327. (''Neusticurus cochranae'', new status, pp. 307–309).
cochranae
Reptiles described in 1931
Taxa named by Charles Earle Burt
Taxa named by May Danheim Burt
Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN
{{Gymnophthalmidae-stub