Censky's ameiva
Censky's ameiva | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Family: | Teiidae |
Subfamily: | Teiinae |
Genus: | Pholidoscelis |
Species: | P. corax
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Binomial name | |
Pholidoscelis corax | |
Synonyms[2] | |
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Censky's ameiva (Pholidoscelis corax), also known as the Little Scrub Island ground lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. It is indigenous to the Caribbean.
Description
P. corax is a
Taxonomy
Censky's ameiva was described in 1992 as Ameiva corax.[3] Its common name refers to one of its authors, Ellen Joan Censky.[4] In 2016, the species was moved to Pholidoscelis based on genetic sequencing and phylogenetic analyses.[5]
Geographic range
P. corax is endemic to the tiny islet of Little Scrub, off the coast of Scrub Island, Anguilla.[1]
Conservation
Censky's ameiva is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List due to its small population (estimated at approximately 250 mature adults) and extremely limited distribution/habitat, an area less than 0.049 km2 (12 acres) in size.[1] It is likely vulnerable to development, invasive mammal introduction, seasonal loss of vegetation during hurricanes, and declining seabird numbers (a food source).[1]
References
- ^ . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ Pholidoscelis corax at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 2018-10-29.
- ^ Censky EJ, Paulson DR (1992). "Revision of Ameiva (Reptilia: Teiidae) of the Anguilla Bank, West Indies". Ann. Carnegie Mus. 61: 177-195. (Ameiva corax, new species, p. 187).
- ISBN 9781421402277.
- PMID 34727678.
Further reading
- Malhotra, Anita; Thorpe, Roger S (1999). Reptiles & Amphibians of the Eastern Caribbean. Oxford, England: Macmillan Education Ltd. 144 pp. ISBN 0-333-69141-5(Ameiva corax, p. 54).
- Powell, Robert; Henderson, Robert W. (2005). "Conservation Status of Lesser Antillean Reptiles". Iguana 12 (2): 63–77.