| La Palma giant lizard | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Lacertidae |
| Genus: | Gallotia |
| Species: | G. auaritae |
| Binomial name | |
| Gallotia auaritae Mateo, García-Márquez, López Jurado & Barahona, 2001 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The La Palma giant lizard (Gallotia auaritae) is a large wall lizard endemic to the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands, currently extinct or critically endangered.
Subfossil remains indicate that it occurred once through the island, up to 800 meters above sea level, and that its preferred habitat was xerophytic vegetation.
Though described from bones and generally considered extinct, sightings and photographic evidence of a large lacertid made in 2007 north of the island could belong to this species. [2] [3] Some authors consider the sightings doubtful. [4]
The La Palma giant lizard was described originally as a subspecies of Simony's giant lizard (G. simonyi), [5] but was elevated later to full species rank. [6] Remains from La Palma previously assigned to Gallotia goliath seem to belong to this taxon instead; if this is correct, they indicate that the average size of the species has decreased over the last millennia, possibly due to humans hunting the larger lizards. [7] The sighted La Palma giant lizard individual was slightly more than 30 cm (~1 ft) long and had an estimated age of four years. [2] New expeditions to the area were planned in hopes of finding more individuals and possibly a breeding population. [3]
Scientists did not have a chance to study living specimens, and present fossil and subfossil material of G. auaritae does not allow for sufficiently detailed analyses of its phylogenetic status. It likely belongs to the simonyi clade like the other giant Gallotia species from the western Canary Islands, but whether it actually was as close to G. simonyi as presumed remains unverified. [8]
Its decline may have started 2000 years ago with the arrival of humans on La Palma[ citation needed ]. Until the sightings, it was believed to have become extinct in the last 500 years. The main causes of extinction were believed to have been introduced cats, consumption by the original human population of the Canary Islands, and habitat destruction for agriculture. It would not be the only lizard from the Canary Islands to have been considered extinct only to be rediscovered later: the same happened to El Hierro giant lizard and La Gomera giant lizard (rediscovered 1974 and 1999, respectively). The somewhat smaller Tenerife speckled lizard was only discovered for the first time in 1996.
Not a single living individual has been captured and any remaining population, if existing, is assumed to be tiny. [1]
The genus Gallotia are the lacertids of the Canary Islands. This genus consists of a group that has been evolving there ever since the first islands emerged from the sea over 20 million years ago. The endemic species and subspecies of this group have a number of characteristics that make them quite special within their family (Lacertidae); their only close relatives are the sandrunner lizards (Psammodromus) of the western Mediterranean region. Gallotia are characteristic for eating significant quantities of plants, and several lineages are often presented as classic examples for insular gigantism. However, a find of an even larger Gallotia species from the early Miocene of mainland Europe casts doubt on this assumption. Instead the ancestor of all modern Gallotia species of the Canary islands was probably already very large but carnivorous.
The La Gomera giant lizard is a lacertid species that can be found on the island of La Gomera, one of the Canary Islands.
The El Hierro giant lizard is the only extant, critically endangered subspecies of Simony's giant lizard. It is endemic to El Hierro, the westernmost of the Canary Islands, where it is an official symbol.
Island gigantism, or insular gigantism, is a biological phenomenon in which the size of an animal species isolated on an island increases dramatically in comparison to its mainland relatives. Island gigantism is one aspect of the more general "island effect" or "Foster's rule", which posits that when mainland animals colonize islands, small species tend to evolve larger bodies, and large species tend to evolve smaller bodies. This is itself one aspect of the more general phenomenon of island syndrome which describes the differences in morphology, ecology, physiology and behaviour of insular species compared to their continental counterparts. Following the arrival of humans and associated introduced predators, many giant as well as other island endemics have become extinct. A similar size increase, as well as increased woodiness, has been observed in some insular plants such as the Mapou tree in Mauritius which is also known as the "Mauritian baobab" although it is member of the grape family (Vitaceae).
Simony's giant lizard is a large species of wall lizard endemic to the island of El Hierro and nearby islet Roque Chico de Salmor in the Canary Islands.
The Roque Chico de Salmor giant lizard is the extinct nominate subspecies of Simony's giant lizard, which was endemic to the small islet Roque Chico de Salmor northwest of El Hierro, the westernmost of the Canary Islands.
The Tenerife speckled lizard is a recently discovered lacertid endemic to Tenerife in the Canary Islands. It is the smallest member of the clade containing the western islands' giant species.
Boettger's lizard is a species of wall lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to the Canary Islands. There are two recognized subspecies.
Gallotia galloti, also known commonly as Gallot's lizard, the Tenerife lizard, and the Western Canaries lizard, is a species of wall lizard in the genus Gallotia. The species is native to the Canary Islands of Tenerife and La Palma. Unlike most larger species of its genus, G. galloti is a commonly found animal. There are four recognized subspecies.
The Tenerife giant rat is an extinct species of rodent endemic to the island of Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, Spain. Many remains have been found during archeological digs. Most remains are from the Pleistocene. Radiocarbon dating has placed some of the finds in the late Pleistocene.
The Gran Canaria giant lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is found in the Canary Islands.
Gallotia goliath is an extinct giant lizard species from the island of Tenerife of the Canary Islands, Spain. This reptile lived before the arrival of humans and is believed to have grown to at least 0.9 metres (3.0 ft) long. It was described by the German herpetologist Robert Mertens. Fossils of this lizard have been found in volcanic caves, where they often appear with those of other animals, like the Tenerife giant rat.
The Cuevas de los Murciélagos are a complex of two volcanic caves on La Palma, Canary Islands. They are located at the Nacientes de Marcos y Cordero near the municipality of San Andrés y Sauces in the north of the island. Cueva de los Murciélagos I is located in an altitude of 1220 m, Cueva de los Murciélagos II in an altitude of 1000 m. Both caves have a length of 100 m. The access is not difficult. Though it is a descending tube it is good to walk. On the endpoint of the Cueva de los Murciélagos I is a small firepit in the soil which is slightly more complicated to access. In some areas it has a steep slope. It's a rather old cave where erosion caused by the years is evident, hence the debris is very abundant and they are large blocks of terrestrial material.
The Cape Verde giant skink, also called Bibron's skink, Cocteau's skink, and lagarto in Cape Verdean Portuguese, is a recently extinct species of large lizard (skink) that was endemic to some of the Barlavento Islands of Cape Verde before disappearing in the 20th century.
Centrochelys atlantica is an extinct species of tortoise that lived in the Pleistocene. It was first recorded in the volcanic crater on Sal, Cape Verde. It was initially identified as similar to the extant Testudo calcarata. The species is no longer present anywhere in the Cape Verde islands. It has since been described as a new species, differentiated from C. sulcata by its smaller size and lesser robusticity. It does not seem there is any evidence this species came into contact with humans. Kehlmaier et al. (2021) identified the type material of this species as belonging to a specimen of the red-footed tortoise, making C. atlantica a junior synonym of the latter species and leaving the extinct tortoise known from fossils excavated on the Sal Island in the 1930s without a scientific name.
Pico de Malpaso is the highest point on the island of El Hierro in the Canary Islands, Spain.
The Gran Canaria giant tortoise is an extinct species of cryptodire turtle in the family Testudinidae endemic to the island of Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands.
