Microlophus habelii

Microlophus habelii, commonly known as the Marchena lava lizard, is a species of lava lizard endemic to the Galapagos island of Marchena.^[3]

Microlophus habelii
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Iguania
Family:	Tropiduridae
Genus:	Microlophus
Species:	M. habelii
Binomial name
Microlophus habelii (Steindachner, 1876)
Geographic range of Microlophus habelii in the Galapagos Islands
Synonyms[2]
Tropidurus (Craniopeltis) habelii Steindachner, 1876 Tropidurus habelii — Van Denburgh & Slevin, 1913 Microlophus habelii — Frost, 1992 Tropidurus pacificus habelii — Tiedemann, Häupl & Grillitsch, 1994 Microlophus habelii — Swash & Still, 2000

Etymology

The specific name, habelii, is in honor of German-American naturalist Simeon Habel.^[4]

Habitat

M. habelii is found in a variety of habitats: naked rock, grassland, and shrubland, at altitudes from sea level to 343 m (1,125 ft).^[1]

Reproduction

M. habelii is oviparous.^[2]

Taxonomy

M. habelii is commonly assigned to the genus Microlophus but has also been assigned to the genus Tropidurus, in which it was originally described.^[2]

References

1. Márquez C, Cisneros-Heredia DF (2016). "Microlophus habelii ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T48444784A48444792.en. Accessed on 06 December 2023.
2. Species Microlophus habelii at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
3. Benavides, Edgar; Baum, Rebecca; Snell, Heidi M.; Snell, Howard L.; Sites, Jack W., Jr. (2009). "Island Biogeography of Galápagos Lava Lizards (Tropiduridae: Microlophus): Species Diversity and Colonization of the Archipelago". Archived 2013-09-21 at the Wayback Machine (pdf) Evolution 63 (6): 1606–1626.
4. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Microlophus habelii, p. 113).

Further reading

• Frost DR (1992). "Phylogenetic Analysis and Taxonomy of the Tropidurus Group of Lizards (Iguania: Tropiduridae)". American Museum Novitates (3033): 1–68. (Microlophus habelii, new combination, p. 48).
• Steindachner F (1876). "Die Schlangen und Eidechsen der Galapagos-Inseln ". Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 1876: 303–329. (Tropidurus habelii, new species). (in German).
• Swash A, Still R (2001). Birds, Mammals & Reptiles of the Galápagos Islands: An Identification Guide. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. 168 pp. ISBN 0-300-08864-7. (Microlophus habelii, p. 120 + Plate 42).
• Torres-Carvajal O, Pazmiño-Otamendi G, Salazar-Valenzuela D (2019). "Reptiles of Ecuador: a resource-rich online portal, with dynamic checklists and photographic guides". Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 13 (1) [General Section]: 209–229 (e178).