Atlas dwarf lizard

Atlas dwarf lizard
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Lacertoidea
Family:	Lacertidae
Genus:	Atlantolacerta Arnold, Arribas & Carranza, 2007
Species:	A. andreanskyi
Binomial name
Atlantolacerta andreanskyi (F. Werner, 1929)
Synonyms [2]
Lacerta andreanskyiF. Werner, 1929 Teira andreanskyi Mayer & Bischoff, 1996

The Atlas dwarf lizard (Atlantolacerta andreanskyi), commonly known as Andreansky's lizard, is the only species in the genus Atlantolacerta, in the wall lizard family, Lacertidae. The species is indigenous to north-western Africa. ^[2]

Etymology

The specific name, andreanskyi, is in honor of Hungarian botanist Gábor Andreánszky. ^[3]

Geographic range

A. andreanskyi is endemic to Morocco, where it is restricted to the High Atlas mountain range, at 2,400 to 2,800 m (7,900 to 9,200 ft) above sea level. ^[2]

Ecology

Although A. andreanskyi is generally considered to be rare, animals are often well hidden in vegetation and may occur at higher densities than was first assumed. They can be very common in favourable conditions and are found in alpine meadows, scree, amongst boulders, and in areas of thorn cushion vegetation and thickets. They have long hibernation periods. ^[1]

Reproduction

The females of A. andreanskyi lay three clutches of between one and three eggs per year. ^[1]

Conservation status

A. andreanskyi does not appear to be threatened, but it does occur in readily accessible areas, most especially by hikers. ^[1]

References

1. Geniez, P. (2006). "Atlantolacerta andreanskyi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2006 e.T61518A12500447. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2006.RLTS.T61518A12500447.en . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
2. "Atlantolacerta andreanskyi ". The Reptile Database.
3. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN   978-1-4214-0135-5. (Atlantolacerta andreanskyi, p. 9).

Further reading

• Arnold EN, Arribas O, Carranza S (2007). "Systematics of the Palaearctic and Oriental lizard tribe Lacertini (Squamata: Lacertidae: Lacertinae), with descriptions of eight new genera". Zootaxa1430: 1-86. (Atlantolacerta, new genus, p. 63).
• Barata M, Perera A, Harris DJ (2015). "Cryptic variation in the Moroccan high altitude lizard Atlantolacerta andreanskyi (Squamata: Lacertidae)". African Journal of Herpetology64 (1): 1–17.
• Mayer W, Bischoff W (1996). "Beiträge zur taxonomischen Revision der Gattung Lacerta (Reptilia: Lacertidae) Teil 1: Zootoca, Omanosaura, Timon und Teira als eigenständige Gattungen ". Salamandra32 (3): 163–170. (Teira andreanskyi, new combination, p. 169). (in German)
• Werner F (1929). "Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse einer zoologischen Forschungreise nach Westalgerien und Marokko ". Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserliche Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien138: 1-34. (Lacerta andreanskyi, new species, pp. 4–5). (in German).