''Takydromus sauteri'', known
commonly as the Koshun grass 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
Orchid Island
Orchid Island, also known by other names, is a volcanic island off the southeastern coast of Taiwan Island. The island is part of Taiwan. It is separated from the Batanes of the Philippines by the Bashi Channel of the Luzon Strait. It is gove ...
in
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
.
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 ...
, ''sauteri'', is in honor of German entomologist
Hans Sauter.
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 ...
of ''T. sauteri'' is
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' ...
at altitudes of , but it has also been found in gardens and on bushes near houses.
[
]
Description
The dorsum of ''T. sauteri'' is bright green. The upper lip and the venter are white.[ Van Denburgh (1909).]
The tail is very long, 4.2 times the snout-to-vent length (SVL).[
]
Reproduction
''T. sauteri'' 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 ...
.[ ]Clutch
A clutch is a mechanical device that engages and disengages power transmission, especially from a drive shaft to a driven shaft. In the simplest application, clutches connect and disconnect two rotating shafts (drive shafts or line shafts). ...
size is 2–11 eggs, and delayed fertilization appears to exist in this species.[
]
References
Further reading
* Arnold EN (1997). "Interrelationships and evolution of the east Asian grass lizards, ''Takydromus'' (Squamata: Lacertidae)". ''Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society'' 119 (2): 267–296.
* Lin SM, Chen CA, Lue KY (2002). "Molecular Phylogeny and Biogeography of Grass Lizards Genus ''Takydromus'' (Reptilia: Lacertidae) of East Asia". ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' 22 (2): 276–288.
* Schlüter U (2003). ''Die Langschwanzeidechsen der Gattung'' Takydromus. Karlsruhe, Germany: Kirschner & Seufer Verlag. 110 pp. . (''Takydromus sauteri'', p. 67). (in German).
* Stejneger L (1910). "The Batrachians and Reptiles of Formosa". ''Proceedings of the United States National Museum'' 38: 91–114. (''Takydromus sauteri'', p. 101).
* Van Denburgh J (1909). "New and Previously Unrecorded Species of Reptiles and Amphibians from the Island of Formosa". ''Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Fourth Series'' 3: 49–56. (''Takydromus sauteri'', new species, p. 50).
Takydromus
Reptiles described in 1909
Taxa named by John Van Denburgh
Endemic fauna of Taiwan
Reptiles of Taiwan
{{lacertidae-stub