''Latastia taylori'', also known
commonly as Taylor's long-tailed lizard or Taylor's longtail 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
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 ...
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 ...
. 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 elsew ...
to
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
.
Etymology
The specific name Specific name may refer to:
* in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database
In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules:
* Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...
, ''taylori'', is in honor of British army officer, Captain R. H. R. Taylor
R. or r. may refer to:
* ''Reign'', the period of time during which an Emperor, king, queen, etc., is ruler.
* '' Rex'', abbreviated as R., the Latin word meaning King
* ''Regina'', abbreviated as R., the Latin word meaning Queen
* or , abbreviat ...
.[Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Latastia taylori'', p. 262).]
Reproduction
''L. taylori'' 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
* Arillo A, Balletto E, Spanò S (1967). "''Il genere ''Latastia'' Bedriaga in Somalia''". ''Bollettino dei Musei e degli Istituti Biologici dell'Università di Genova'' 35: 105–145. (in Italian).
* Lanza B (1990). "Amphibians and reptiles of the Somali Democratic Republic: checklist and biogeography". ''Biogeographia'' 14: 407–465.
* Parker HW (1942). "The Lizards of British Somaliland, With an appendix on Topography and Climate by Capt. R. H. R. Taylor, O. B. E.". ''Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy at Harvard College'' 91: 1–101. (''Latastia taylori'', new species, pp. 72–74 + Figure 4, map, on p. 19).
Latastia
Lacertid lizards of Africa
Reptiles of Somalia
Endemic fauna of Somalia
Taxa named by Hampton Wildman Parker
Reptiles described in 1942
{{Lacertidae-stub