Caledoniscincus constellatus

Last updated

Caledoniscincus constellatus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
Genus: Caledoniscincus
Species:
C. constellatus
Binomial name
Caledoniscincus constellatus
Sadlier, Whitaker, Wood, & Bauer, 2012
LocationNewCaledonia.png
Location map of New Caledonia

Caledoniscincus constellatus is a critically endangered species of lizard in the taxonomic family Scincidae. C. constellatus is endemic to the northwest region of New Caledonia and the central region of New Caledonia. [1] Adult males of the species are 46 to 57 millimeters in length while adult females of the species are 57 millimeters in length. Caledoniscincus constellatus has a broad pale mid-lateral stripe on its body that distinguishes it from other Caledoniscincus species with both adult sexes having a bright yellow ventral color. [2]

Caledoniscincus constellatus prefers acacia tree shrubland on coastal hills and in dense open maquis of the province Nord, New Caledonia usually of an elevation of 0 to 400 meters. The loss of the acacia tree shrublands and the open maquis is resulting in the extinction of the species Caledoniscincus constellatus which puts. The introduction of animals such as deer and domestic pigs along with increased wildfires and nickel mining also helped in the extinction of the species putting C. constellatus in critical endangerment on the IUCN red list. The population is severely fragmented with the species estimated to occupy 8 kilometers of space and is decreasing but the rate of decreasing is unknown because the population number is unknown. [3] Caledoniscincus constellatus was discovered in the year 2012 by Sadlier, Whitaker, Wood, and Bauer. The holotype of Caledoniscincus constellatus is MNHN 2011.0228. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Bavayia</i> Genus of lizards

Bavayia is a genus of lizards in the family Diplodactylidae. Species in the genus Bavayia are also known commonly as New Caledonian geckos or bavayias. The genus is native to the remote New Caledonia and Loyalty Islands. The 41 species are moderately small to medium-sized geckos, and are distinguished from other genera by their tail length and the shape of their digits.

<i>Eurydactylodes</i> Genus of lizards

Eurydactylodes is a small genus of geckos commonly referred to as chameleon geckos from the subfamily Diplodactylidae, endemic to New Caledonia and few adjacent islands. Within the Diplodactylidae, Eurydactylodes resides in the Carphodactylini tribe, and consists of four species. All species share similar morphology as well as lifestyle and habits. The first of the Eurydactylodes species to be classified, E. vieillardi, was discovered in 1869.

The rough-snouted giant gecko, also known as the greater rough-snouted gecko or tough-snouted gecko, is a species of gecko found in New Caledonia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biodiversity of New Caledonia</span> Variety of life in the New Caledonia archipelago and its seas

The biodiversity of New Caledonia is of exceptional biological and paleoecological interest. It is frequently referred to as a biodiversity hotspot. The country is a large South Pacific archipelago with a total land area of more than 18,000 square kilometres (6,900 sq mi). The terrain includes a variety of reefs, atolls, small islands, and a variety of topographical and edaphic regions on the largest island, all of which promote the development of unusually concentrated biodiversity. The region's climate is oceanic and tropical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue iguana</span> Species of reptile

The blue iguana, also known as the Grand Cayman ground iguana, Grand Cayman blue iguana or Cayman Island rock iguana, is an endangered species of lizard which is endemic to the island of Grand Cayman. It was previously considered to be a subspecies of the Cuban iguana, Cyclura nubila, but in a 2004 article Frederic J. Burton reclassified it as a separate species because according to him the genetic differences discovered four years earlier between the different C. nubila populations warranted this interpretation. The blue iguana is one of the longest-living species of lizard.

<i>Cupressus abramsiana</i> Species of conifer

The Santa Cruz cypress is a species of North American tree within the Cypress family. The species is endemic to the Santa Cruz Mountains within the Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties of west-central California. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the species on the Endangered Species Act in 1987 due to increasing threats from habitat loss and disruption of natural forest fire regimes. In 2016, the conservation status of the Santa Cruz cypress changed to Threatened. The cited reasoning was a decrease in threats against their habitat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oenpelli python</span> Species of snake

The Oenpelli python or Oenpelli rock python is a species of large snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is endemic to the sandstone massif area of the western Arnhem Land region in the Northern Territory of Australia. There are no subspecies that are recognised as being valid. It has been called the rarest python in the world. Two notable characteristics of the species are the unusually large size of its eggs and its ability to change colour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western swamp turtle</span> Species of turtle

The western swamp turtle or western swamp tortoise is a critically endangered species of freshwater turtle endemic to a small portion of Western Australia. It is the only member of the genus Pseudemydura in the monotypic subfamily Pseudemydurinae.

<i>Araucaria nemorosa</i> Species of conifer

Araucaria nemorosa is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. It is found only in New Caledonia, an island possession of France in the South Pacific. It is mostly found as a small understory tree, typically growing to no more than 15 meters, and relatively shade tolerant, though it can also grow as an emergent from coastal scrub. It has feathery foliage somewhat less spiky than most other Araucaria species, and is found only on serpentine soil, in coastal locations below 100m in altitude. It is threatened by habitat loss and is a critically endangered species with less than 5000 trees remaining in the wild. Low levels of genetic variation in the remaining population and consequent low germination rates of seed produced, are also a concern.

Dacrydium guillauminii, commonly known as cat-tail Rimu or swamp Dacrydium, is a species of conifer in the family Podocarpaceae. It is found only in New Caledonia. It is a slow growing shrub or small tree with roots that grow in water, and reaches a height between 1 and 2 metres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christmas Island shrew</span> Species of mammal

The Christmas Island shrew, also known as the Christmas Island musk-shrew is an extremely rare or possibly extinct shrew from Christmas Island. It was variously placed as subspecies of the Asian gray shrew or the Southeast Asian shrew, but morphological differences and the large distance between the species indicate that it is an entirely distinct species.

<i>Lygodactylus williamsi</i> Species of lizard

Lygodactylus williamsi is a critically endangered species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to a small area of Tanzania. Common names include turquoise dwarf gecko, William's dwarf gecko and, in the pet trade, electric blue gecko or electric blue day gecko.

The New Caledonian long-eared bat is a vesper bat found in New Caledonia. They are only recorded at Mount Koghis, near Nouméa, and the population is decreasing.

<i>Dierogekko</i> Genus of lizards

Dierogekko is a genus of geckos in the family Diplodactylidae. The genus is endemic to the northwest portion of New Caledonia. They are sometimes known commonly as the striped geckos or the New Caledonian geckos. Dierogekko are small geckos with simple, granular scales and subdued patterning of broad longitudinal stripes or spots. They are similar in overall appearance and habit to closely related geckos in the genera Bavayia and Oedodera, and the type species D. validiclavis was once referred to Bavayia.

<i>Rhacodactylus trachycephalus</i> Species of lizard

Rhacodactylus trachycephalus, commonly known as the lesser rough-snouted giant gecko, dwarf rough-snouted giant gecko, or tough-snouted giant gecko, is a species of gecko endemic to two small areas of islands in New Caledonia. Its body grows to around 10 centimetres (3.9 in) and has a mosaic pattern with a variety of colors. Rhacodactylus trachyrhynchus is a closely related species, but R. trachycephalus is smaller and has a number of other noticeable differences. R. trachycephalus is viviparous, giving birth to only one or two young a year. Its restricted humid forest habitat is vulnerable due to multiple threats. As a result of habitat reduction, low reproduction rate and small population, it is one of the rarest geckos in the world.

Kuniesaurus albiauris is a species of skink endemic to New Caledonia. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Kuniesaurus.

<i>Caledoniscincus chazeaui</i> Species of lizard

Caledoniscincus chazeaui, also known commonly as Chazeau's litter skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to New Caledonia.

Phasmasaurus tillieri, commonly known as Tillier's maquis skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. It is endemic to New Caledonia.

The southern patas monkey is a critically endangered species of Old World monkey found only in Tanzania, and formerly in Kenya. It may be the most endangered primate in Africa known to still be extant, with only 100 to 200 known wild individuals.

Bavayia endemia is a species of geckos endemic to New Caledonia.

References

  1. Caledoniscincus constellatus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 14 January 2020.
  2. "Caledoniscincus constellatus". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
  3. "Endemia.nc". endemia.nc (in French). Retrieved 2022-10-27.
  4. taxonomy. "Taxonomy browser (Caledoniscincus constellatus)". www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 2022-10-27.