Saint Lucia whiptail

The Saint Lucia whiptail (Cnemidophorus vanzoi), also known commonly as the Maria Islands whiptail, the Saint Lucian whiptail, and Vanzo's whiptail, is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species is indigenous to the Caribbean.

Saint Lucia whiptail
St. Lucia whiptail in captivity
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Teiidae
Genus:	Cnemidophorus
Species:	C. vanzoi
Binomial name
Cnemidophorus vanzoi (Baskin & E.E. Williams, 1966)
Synonyms[2][3]
Ameiva vanzoi Baskin & E.E. Williams, 1966 Cnemidophorus vanzoi — Presch, 1971

Geographic range

C. vanzoi is endemic to Saint Lucia, where it has been extirpated from the main island and is now only native to the small islets of Maria Major and Maria Minor, with fewer than 1,000 individuals estimated. A third population has been established on nearby Praslin Island through translocation.

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of C. vanzoi are forest and shrubland.^[1]

Reproduction

C. vanzoi is oviparous.^[3]

Etymology

The specific name, vanzoi, is in honor of Brazilian herpetologist Paulo Vanzolini.^[4]