Common ameiva

Last updated

Common ameiva
Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus fictus MG 0986.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Teiidae
Subfamily: Teiinae
Genus: Pholidoscelis
Species:
P. chrysolaemus
Binomial name
Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus
(Cope, 1868)
Subspecies

16, see text.

Synonyms

Cnemidophorus affinis
Ameiva regularis
Ameiva chrysolaema

Contents

The common ameiva (Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus) is a species of lizard endemic to Hispaniola and a number of smaller associated islands. It is known to engage in homosexual mating among males. [2]

Taxonomy

The common ameiva was originally described by Edward Drinker Cope in 1868, as Ameiva chrysolaema. The specific epithet likely comes from the Greek chryso, meaning gold, and laimos, meaning neck or throat, for the yellow throat and belly of this species. [3] In 2016, the species was moved to Pholidoscelis based on genetic sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. [4]

Subspecies

There are sixteen accepted subspecies in The Reptile Database. [3] Given the variation among the subspecies, some authors suggest that they probably comprise more than one species. [4]

Conservation

The common ameiva is considered a species of least concern by the IUCN Red List due to its broad distribution and adaptable nature to modified environments and impacts, such as habitat destruction and urban development. Some subpopulations, such as in Santo Domingo, appear to be in decline due to the loss of backyards and predation by cats. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Griswold's ameiva</span> Species of lizard

Griswold's ameiva is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species is endemic to Antigua and Barbuda, where it is found on both islands. It is also known commonly as the Antiguan ameiva and the Antiguan ground lizard.

The Navassa curly-tailed lizard or Navassa curlytail lizard is an extinct lizard species from the family of curly-tailed lizard (Leiocephalidae). It is known only from the holotype, a female specimen from which it was described in 1868. A possible second specimen which was collected by Rollo Beck in 1917 was instead identified as a Tiburon curly-tailed lizard by herpetologist Richard Thomas in 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guadeloupe ameiva</span> Extinct species of lizard

The Guadeloupe ameiva was a species of Teiidae lizards that was endemic to Guadeloupe. It is known from specimens collected by early European explorers. The fossil record shows that it once ranged across Guadeloupe, La Désirade, Marie-Galante, and Îles des Saintes, but in most recent times it was restricted to Grand Ilet, just offshore of Petit-Bourg. It was last recorded in 1914. Its extinction likely occurred when this area was decimated by a hurricane in 1928. The Guadeloupe ameiva was reported as a ground-dwelling lizard. It fed on plants and carrion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martinique giant ameiva</span> Extinct species of lizard

The Martinique giant ameiva was a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. It is believed to have been endemic to Martinique, though at least one scholar disputes this, instead placing it on Les Iles de la Petite Terre within the Guadeloupean archipelago. It is known only from museum specimens collected by early European explorers. Its extinction may have been caused by a hurricane, or through the introduction of predatory species to the island.

Cyclura cornuta onchiopsis, the Navassa Island iguana, was a subspecies of rhinoceros iguana that was found on the Caribbean island of Navassa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hispaniolan curlytail lizard</span> Species of lizard

The Hispaniolan curlytail lizard, also known as the Hispaniolan khaki curlytail, the red-sided curlytail lizard, the red-sided curly-tailed lizard, or Schreibers's curly-tailed lizard, is a common lizard species in the family Leiocephalidae. It is native to Hispaniola in the Caribbean, and an introduced population is found in southern Florida. There are two recognized subspecies.

Pholidoscelis maynardi, commonly known as the Great Inagua ameiva, Inagua ameiva, or Inagua blue-tailed lizard, is species of lizard, a member of the family Teiidae. The species is endemic to the Bahamas. Three subspecies have been described.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common Puerto Rican ameiva</span> Species of reptile

The common Puerto Rican ameiva or Puerto Rican ground lizard is a species of lizard in the whiptail family.

The Sombrero ameiva is a lizard species in the genus Ameiva. It is endemic to Sombrero, a small, uninhabited island in the Lesser Antilles under the jurisdiction of Anguilla.

Censky's ameiva, also known as the Little Scrub Island ground lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. It is indigenous to the Caribbean.

<i>Pholidoscelis plei</i> Species of lizard

Pholidoscelis plei, known commonly as the Anguilla Bank ameiva or the Caribbean ameiva, is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species is found on the Caribbean islands of Anguilla, Saint Martin, and Saint Barthélemy in the Lesser Antilles. Its coloration and markings vary between each island population. Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Christopher ameiva</span> Species of lizard

The St. Christopher ameiva is a lizard species in the genus Pholidoscelis. It is found on the Caribbean island of Sint Eustatius, and on Saint Kitts and Nevis, where it is more scarce.

The Montserrat ameiva is a lizard species in the genus Pholidoscelis. It is found on the Caribbean island of Montserrat in the Lesser Antilles.

The Redonda ameiva also known as the Redonda Ground Dragon, is a species of lizard found only on Redonda. It is sometimes described as a subspecies of the Montserrat ameiva.

The Jamaican ameiva is a species of lizard found only in Jamaica.

<i>Pholidoscelis wetmorei</i> Species of reptile

Pholidoscelis wetmorei is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae (whiptails). The species is endemic to Puerto Rico. Its common names include the Puerto Rican blue-tailed ameiva, Wetmore's ameiva, and blue-tailed ground lizard.

<i>Pholidoscelis</i> Genus of lizards

Pholidoscelis is a genus of lizards that belongs to the family Teiidae. All species are endemic to the West Indies.

<i>Pholidoscelis taeniurus</i> Species of lizard

Pholidoscelis taeniurus, the Hispaniolan blue-tailed ameiva or Haitian ameiva, is a member of the Teiidae family of lizards. It is endemic to the island of Hispaniola, including some satellite islands, like Île-à-Vache, Gonâve Island, and Isla Saona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auber's ameiva</span> Species of lizard

Auber's ameiva, also known commonly as the Cuban ameiva, is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species is native to the Bahamas and Cuba. There are 40 recognized subspecies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pigmy blue-tailed ameiva</span> Species of lizard

The pigmy blue-tailed ameiva is a species of lizard endemic to Hispaniola.

References

  1. 1 2 Landestoy, M.; Inchaustegui, S. (2017). "Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T178300A121639333. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T178300A121639333.en . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. Doody, J. Sean; Dinets, Vladimir; Burghardt, Gordon M. (2021). The secret social lives of reptiles. Baltimore, MD. p. 53. ISBN   978-1-4214-4068-2. OCLC   1252420021.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. 1 2 Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 2018-10-29.
  4. 1 2 Goicoechea, Noemí; Frost, Darrel R.; De la Riva, Ignacio; Pellegrino, Katia C. M.; Sites, Jack; Rodrigues, Miguel T.; Padial, José M. (December 2016). "Molecular systematics of teioid lizards (Teioidea/Gymnophthalmoidea: Squamata) based on the analysis of 48 loci under tree-alignment and similarity-alignment". Cladistics. 32 (6): 624–671. doi: 10.1111/cla.12150 . PMID   34727678.