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Pholidoscelis wetmorei | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Family: | Teiidae |
Genus: | Pholidoscelis |
Species: | P. wetmorei |
Binomial name | |
Pholidoscelis wetmorei (Stejneger, 1913) | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Pholidoscelis wetmorei is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae (whiptails). [1] The species is endemic to Puerto Rico. Its common names include the Puerto Rican blue-tailed ameiva, Wetmore's ameiva, [2] blue-tailed ground lizard, [3] and siguana de rabo azul.
The specific name, wetmorei, is in honor of American ornithologist Alexander Wetmore. [4]
In Puerto Rico P. wetmorei occurs in the southwestern dry coastal forests and adjacent islets including Caja de Muertos and Isla Magueyes. [5]
P. wetmorei can be distinguished from P. exsul (Puerto Rican ground lizard) found throughout the Puerto Rican Bank by its much smaller size. It is more abundant and outcompetes P. exsul in the dry forest where their ranges overlap. Juvenile Puerto Rican ground lizards have a similar bright blue tail that is lost with age; the blue tail remains in both adult and juvenile blue-tailed ground lizards.[ citation needed ]
The blue-tailed ground lizard is a moderately sized lizard, with a maximum snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 52.4 mm (2.06 in) for males and 49.9 mm (1.96 in) SVL for females. [6] It is black overall with a creamy white to coppery red stomach. There are 7–9 tan or brown stripes extending from the head to the tail. The tail is one of the most distinctive traits of P. wetmorei. It is a bright turquoise blue or green, the color fully encircling the tail.[ citation needed ]
The blue-tailed ground lizard is xerophilic and diurnal. It is commonly found under rocks and logs, being most active during the heat of the day. The female can carry up to three eggs, and lay at least two clutches of one egg each per year. [7] Ground lizards forage for insects and small fruits.[ citation needed ]
The principal threats to the blue-tailed ground lizard are predation and habitat loss. The species only occurs across the dry forests of southwestern Puerto Rico; accordingly, this habitat specialist requires very hot and dry climates to metabolize food and remain active throughout the day. Introduced mammals including small cats and mongooses affect this animal's populations.[ citation needed ]
Anolis roosevelti, also known commonly as the Virgin Islands giant anole, Roosevelt's giant anole or the Culebra giant anole, is an extremely rare or possibly extinct species of lizard of the genus Anolis in the family Dactyloidae. The species is native to the Virgin Islands and Vieques.
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.
Amphisbaena caeca, commonly known as the Puerto Rican worm lizard or blind worm lizard, is a species of worm lizard endemic to Puerto Rico. These animals are vermicular reptiles that live under logs, rocks, and dirt. Other species of Amphisbaenids in the Caribbean include Amphisbaena bakeri, Amphisbaena fenestrata, Amphisbaena schmidti, Amphisbaena xera, and Cadea blanoides.
Round Rock is an uninhabited island in the British Virgin Islands, to the south of Virgin Gorda, east of Ginger Island and close to Fallen Jerusalem Island.
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.
The common Puerto Rican ameiva or Puerto Rican ground lizard is a species of lizard in the whiptail family.
The Dominican ground lizard or Dominican ameiva is a species of lizard. It is endemic to the Caribbean island of Dominica, an island noted for its intact and abundant reptile population, where it is most commonly found in dry coastal woodland.
The Sombrero ameiva, also known commonly as the Sombrero groundlizard, is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species is endemic to Sombrero, a small, uninhabited island in the Lesser Antilles under the jurisdiction of Anguilla. The species was originally described in the genus Ameiva.
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.
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.
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.
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Amphisbaena schmidti, known commonly as Schmidt's worm lizard or the Puerto Rican dusky worm lizard, is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae. The species is endemic to the Caribbean.
Sphaerodactylus klauberi is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae The species is endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico.
Anolis cuvieri is a species of lizard in the family Dactyloidae. The species is endemic to Puerto Rico, and is common in the Toro Negro State Forest.
Pholidoscelis is a genus of lizards that belongs to the family Teiidae. All species are endemic to the West Indies.
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.
Anolis gundlachi, also commonly known as the yellow-chinned anole, Gundlach's anole, and the yellow-beard anole, is an oviparous, sexually dimorphic species of lizard in the family Dactyloidae. The species is endemic to Puerto Rico and lives in mountainous forests at high elevations. The diet of A. gundlachi consists mostly of insects. This species is also known for signaling other lizards through a modulated head bob display, with varying bobbing amplitudes and patterns based on an individual's distance from other lizards.
Caja de Muertos Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in southern Puerto Rico consisting of the islands of Caja de Muertos, Cayo Morrillito, Cayo Berbería, and their surrounding reefs and waters in the Caribbean Sea. This nature reserve was founded on January 2, 1980, by the Puerto Rico Planning Board as recommended by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources with the purpose of preserving the subtropical dry forest ecosystems found within these islands, some important sea turtle nesting sites, and the marine habitats found on their surrounding reefs and waters.