Discovery of a new lizard in the Canary Islands, with a multivariate analysis of Gallotia (Reptilia: Lacertidae)

We describe a new species of Gallotia from Tenerife (Canary Islands). This lizard is intermediate in size between the two smaller (G. atlantica and G. galloti) and the two larger (G. simonyi and G. stehlini) species. Furthermore, it differs from the two similar larger Gallotia in the number of supra...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Hernández, Efraín, Nogales, Manuel, Martín, Aurelio
Tipo de documento: artigo
Data de publicação:2000
País:España
Recursos:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositório:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/22294
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/22294
Access Level:Acceso aberto
Palavra-chave:Reptilia
Lacertidae
Gallotia
Tenerife
Canary Islands
Morphometrics
Multivariate analysis
Descrição
Resumo:We describe a new species of Gallotia from Tenerife (Canary Islands). This lizard is intermediate in size between the two smaller (G. atlantica and G. galloti) and the two larger (G. simonyi and G. stehlini) species. Furthermore, it differs from the two similar larger Gallotia in the number of supratemporal scales (mode 4 instead of mode 2), usually 16 longitudinal ventral scalerows, and having distinctive dorsal yellow spots, and small lateral yellow or blue spots. Individuals from a small population located in La Hábiga show a pale gray reticulation on dorsum and absence of ocelli in the lateral region. Univariate and multivariate analyses of nine meristic variables of each extant species within the genus Gallotia revealed significant variation. Principal component analyses support the existence of three main morphological clusters within the genus, the new lizard being nearest to G. simonyi and G. stehlini. Molecular data from mtDNA sequences (cytochrome b and 12S ribosomal RNA) indicate that G. intermedia is closely related to G. simonyi