''Takydromus'' is a

genus 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 nom ...

of lizards, commonly called grass lizards or oriental racers.

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 the genus ''Takydromus'' are

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 else ...

to a large part of

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

. Members of this genus are noticeable because of their slender appearance and their agile movements. The word ''takydromus'' derives from

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

ταχυδρόμος (''takhudromos''), "fast-running", from ταχύς (''takhus''), "swift" + δρόμος (''dromos''), "course, race".

Description

Members of the genus ''Takydromus'' are extremely slender in appearance. The tail is about 2 to 5 times as long as the snout-vent length. The basic colour is normally brown, often with lateral stripes and dark spots. The dorsal scales are keeled and large. These keels form continuous longitudinal rows. The toes contain lamellae. The collar may be reduced or completely absent.

Distribution and habitat

The lizard genus ''Takydromus'' is found in Japan, in the

Amur region Amur Oblast ( rus, Аму́рская о́бласть, r=Amurskaya oblast, p=ɐˈmurskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located on the banks of the Amur and Zeya Rivers in the Russian Far East. The administrativ ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

, and throughout entire eastern

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. These lizards are mainly terrestrial although some species can be found on trees. Some members of this genus are found both on rocks and in relatively damp forests. Other species inhabit open grasslands.

Reproduction

Females of

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 ''Takydromus'' lay 1–10 eggs per clutch and up to 6 clutches per year.

Species

The genus ''Takydromus'' belongs to the lizard subfamily Lacertinae,

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confli ...

Lacertini, and contains the following species: www.reptile-database.org. *'' Takydromus albomaculosus'' *'' Takydromus amurensis'' – Amur grass lizard *'' Takydromus dorsalis'' – Sakishima grass lizard *'' Takydromus formosanus'' – Formosa grass lizard *'' Takydromus hani'' – southeast Asian green grass lizard *'' Takydromus haughtonianus'' – Goalpara grass lizard *'' Takydromus hsuehshanensis'' *'' Takydromus intermedius'' *'' Takydromus khasiensis'' – Java grass lizard, Khasi Hills long-tailed lizard *'' Takydromus kuehnei'' *'' Takydromus luyeanus'' *'' Takydromus madaensis'' – Ma Da grass lizard *'' Takydromus sauteri'' – Koshun grass lizard *'' Takydromus septentrionalis'' – China grass lizard *'' Takydromus sexlineatus'' – Asian grass lizard, six-striped long-tailed grass lizard, long-tailed grass lizard *'' Takydromus sikkimensis'' – Sikkim grass lizard *'' Takydromus smaragdinus'' – green grass lizard *'' Takydromus stejnegeri'' *'' Takydromus sylvaticus'' – Chung-an ground lizard *'' Takydromus tachydromoides'' – Japanese grass lizard *''

Takydromus toyamai ''Takydromus toyamai'' ( ミヤコカナヘビ), also known commonly as the Miyako grass lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to the Ryukyu Islands. Etymology The specific name, ''toyamai'', is i ...

'' – Miyako grass lizard *'' Takydromus viridipunctatus'' *'' Takydromus wolteri'' – mountain grass lizard *'' Takydromus yunkaiensis'' – Yunkai grass lizard ''

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 ''Takydromus''.

Description

Distribution and habitat

Reproduction

Species

References

Further reading