Boettger's lizard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Boettger's lizard |
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| Young female of Gallotia caesaris gomerae |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Gallotia
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| Species: |
caesaris
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| Synonyms | |
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Boettger's lizard (Gallotia caesaris) is a species of wall lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to the Canary Islands. There are two recognized subspecies.
Etymology
The specific name, caesaris, is in honor of German malacologist Caesar Rudolf Boettger, who was a nephew of German herpetologist Oskar Boettger.
Geographic range
G. caesaris is native to two of the western Canary Islands, El Hierro and La Gomera. On the neighboring islands Tenerife and La Palma it is replaced by its close relative Gallotia galloti. G. caesaris has been introduced by humans on the Portuguese island of Madeira.
Habitat
The preferred natural habitats of G. caesaris are rocky areas, shrubland, and forest, at altitudes from sea level to 1,500 m (4,900 ft).
Reproduction
G. caesaris is oviparous. A sexually mature female may lay three clutches per year, and each clutch may contain 1–5 eggs.
Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies:
- Gallotia caesaris caesaris (Lehrs, 1914) – El Hierro
- Gallotia caesaris gomerae (C. Boettger & L. Müller, 1914) – La Gomera
Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Gallotia.
See also
In Spanish: Lagarto pequeño de las Canarias para niños
