Common ameiva facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Common ameiva |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Teiidae |
| Subfamily: | Teiinae |
| Genus: | Pholidoscelis |
| Species: |
P. chrysolaemus
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| Binomial name | |
| Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus (Cope, 1868)
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| Subspecies | |
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16, see text. |
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| Synonyms | |
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Cnemidophorus affinis |
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The common ameiva (Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus) is a type of lizard. It lives only on the island of Hispaniola and some smaller islands nearby. This means it is endemic to that area.
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About the Common Ameiva
The common ameiva was first described by a scientist named Edward Drinker Cope in 1868. He called it Ameiva chrysolaema at that time.
How it Got its Name
The second part of its scientific name, chrysolaemus, comes from two Greek words. The word chryso means gold. The word laimos means neck or throat. This name fits the lizard because it often has a yellow throat and belly.
In 2016, scientists moved this lizard to a new group called Pholidoscelis. They did this after studying its DNA and how it is related to other lizards.
Different Types of Common Ameiva
There are sixteen different types, or subspecies, of the common ameiva. These subspecies are slightly different from each other.
- Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus chrysolaemus (Cope 1868)
- Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus abbotti (Noble 1923)
- Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus alacri (Schwartz & Klinikowski 1966)
- Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus boekeri (Mertens 1939)
- Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus defensor (Schwartz & Klinikowski 1966)
- Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus evulsus (Schwartz 1973)
- Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus fictus (Schwartz & Klinikowski 1966)
- Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus jactus (Schwartz & Klinikowski 1966)
- Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus parvoris (Schwartz & Klinikowski 1966)
- Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus procax (Schwartz & Klinikowski 1966)
- Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus quadrijugis (Schwartz 1968)
- Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus regularis (Fischer 1888)
- Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus richardthomasi (Schwartz & Klinikowski 1966)
- Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus secessus (Schwartz & Klinikowski 1966)
- Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus umbratilis (Schwartz & Klinikowski 1966)
- Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus woodi (Cochran 1934)
Protecting the Common Ameiva
The common ameiva is listed as a species of "least concern" by the IUCN Red List. This means that it is not currently in danger of disappearing. It lives in many places and can adapt to different environments.
Even though it is doing well overall, some groups of these lizards are facing problems. For example, in Santo Domingo, some populations are shrinking. This is due to habitat destruction, like when backyards are removed for buildings. Also, cats sometimes hunt these lizards.
 | Roy Wilkins |
 | John Lewis |
 | Linda Carol Brown |
