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.
| Boettger's lizard | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Young female of Gallotia caesaris gomerae | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Lacertidae |
| Genus: | Gallotia |
| Species: | G. caesaris |
| Binomial name | |
| Gallotia caesaris (Lehrs, 1914) | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Etymology
The specific name, caesaris, is in honor of German malacologist Caesar Rudolf Boettger, who was a nephew of German herpetologist Oskar Boettger.[3]
Geographic range
G. caesaris is native to two of the western Canary Islands, El Hierro and La Gomera.[2] On the neighboring islands Tenerife and La Palma it is replaced by its close relative Gallotia galloti.[4] G. caesaris has been introduced by humans on the Portuguese island of Madeira.[5]
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).[5]
Reproduction
G. caesaris is oviparous.[2] A sexually mature female may lay three clutches per year, and each clutch may contain 1–5 eggs.[5]
Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies:[2]
- 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.
References
Further reading
External links
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