Tropidosaura montana

Tropidosaura montana
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Lacertoidea
Family:	Lacertidae
Genus:	Tropidosaura
Species:	T. montana
Binomial name
Tropidosaura montana (Gray, 1831)
Synonyms [2]
Lacerta (Tropidosaurus) montanus Gray in Griffith, 1831 Tropidosaura montana — A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1839

Tropidosaura montana, also known commonly as the common mountain lizard and the green-striped mountain lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to South Africa. There are three recognized subspecies. ^[2]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of T. montana are grassland and shrubland. ^[1]

Description

Adults of T. montana have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 4.5–5.5 cm (1.8–2.2 in). Compared to other species of its genus, the head is shorter, and the tail is longer. ^[3]

Behavior

T. montana is terrestrial. ^[1]

Reproduction

T. montana is oviparous. ^[2] An adult female may lay a clutch of 4–5 eggs, each egg measuring on average 10.5 x 6.5 mm (0.41 x 0.26 in). Eggs are laid in November and hatch in a little more than a month. Each hatchling has a total length (including tail) of about 6 cm (2.4 in). ^[3]

Subspecies

Three subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies. ^[2]

• Tropidosaura montana montana(Gray, 1831)

T. m. montana

• Tropidosaura montana natalensis V. FitzSimons, 1947
• Tropidosaura montana rangeri Hewitt, 1926

T. m. rangeri white morph

Nota bene : A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Tropidosaura .

Etymology

The subspecific name, rangeri, is in honor of Gordon Ranger who collected the holotype. ^[4]

References

1. Tolley, K.A.; Turner, A.A. (2018). "Tropidosaura montana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018 e.T197009A115665542. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T197009A115665542.en . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
2. Tropidosaura montana at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 22 May 2019.
3. Branch, Bill (2004). Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida. 399 pp. ISBN   0-88359-042-5. (Tropidosaura montana, p. 176 + Plate 62).
4. Hewitt J (1926).

Further reading

• Duméril AMC, Bibron G (1839). Erpétologie générale ou Histoire naturelle complète des Reptiles. Tome cinquième [Volume 5]. Paris: Roret. viii + 854 pp. (Tropidosaura montana, new combination, pp. 172–173). (in French).
• FitzSimons VFM (1947). "Descriptions of New Species and Subspecies of Reptiles and Amphibians from Natal, together with Notes on some little known Species". Annals of the Natal Museum, Pietermaritzburg11 (1): 111–137. (Tropidosaura montana natalensis, new subspecies).
• Gray JE (1831). "A Synopsis of the Species of the Class Reptilia". pp. 1–110. In: Griffith E (1831). The Animal Kingdom arranged in Conformity with its Organization by the Baron Cuvier, Member of the Institute of France, &c. &c. &c., with additional Descriptions of all the Species hitherto named, and of many not before noticed, Volume the Ninth. London: Whittaker, Treacher and Co. 481 pp. + supplement, 110 pp. ("Lacerta (Tropidosaurus) Montanus ", new species, p. 35 of supplement).
• Gray JE (1845). Catalogue of the Specimens of Lizards in the Collection of the British Museum. London: Trustees of the British Museum. (Edward Newman, printer). xxviii + 289 pp. (Tropidosaura montana, p. 35).
• Hewitt J (1926). "Some New or Little-known Reptiles and Batrachians from South Africa". Annals of the South African Museum20: 473–490 + Plates XLIV–XLV. (Tropidosaura montana rangeri, new subspecies, pp. 485–486 + Plate XLIV, figure 3).