AG magazine (in print)
Online magazine (pdf)
Online articles (html)
Literature- and poster projects
of the real lizards, family Lacertidae
Species:
Latastia longicaudata (REUSS, 1834)
Subspecies (4):
Latastia longicaudata longicaudata (REUSS, 1834)
Latastia longicaudata andersonii BOULENGER, 1921
Latastia longicaudata lanzai ARILLO, BALLETTO & SPANI, 1967
Latastia longicaudata revoili (VAILLANT, 1882)
Synonyms:
Lacerta longicaudata REUSS, 1834
Lacerta sturti BLANFORD, 1870
Lacerta samharica BLANFORD, 1870
Latastia longicaudata BOULENGER, 1895
Common names:
Southern Longtail Lizard (English) Common Longtail Lizard (English) Langschwanzeidechse (German)
Types:
longicaudata: Lectotype: SMF 13601 andersonii: Syntypes: BMNH (4), Sheik Othman, El Kudar lanzai: Holotype: MZUF (Museo Zoologico dell’Università di Firenze) 1705; paratype: MSNM revoili: Lectotype: MNHN-RA 5898; paratypes: MNHN-RA 5854 and MNHN-RA 5898A
Terra Typica:
longicaudata: restricta (SCHÄTTI 2001) Massawa, Eritrea. andersonii: `SW Arabia`. lanzai: Dinsor [=Diinsoor], S Somalia. revoili: Darror valley, NE Somalia.
Relevant taxonomic literature:
Reuss, A. (1834) -
Largen, M.J. & Spawls, S. (2006) -
This review lists Agama smithii Boulenger 1896 as a synonym of Agama agama (Linnaeus 1758), Agama trachypleura Peters 1982 as a synonym of Acanthocercus phillipsii (Boulenger 1895) and describes for the first time Acanthocercus guentherpetersi n. sp. Without more convincing evidence, Chamaeleon ruspolii Boettger 1893 cannot be accepted as specifically distinct from Chamaeleo dilepis Leach 1819, nor Chamaeleo calcaricarens Böhme 1985 from C. africanus Laurenti 1768. Consequently, 101 species of lizard are currently recognised in Ethiopia, of which some 40% appear to be denizens of the Somali-arid zone. This significant proportion is attributable in part to the importance of the Horn of Africa as a centre for reptilian diversification and endemicity, in part to the fact that this lowland fauna was rather extensively sampled during the 1930s, but also to the conspicuous neglect of lizards in other regions of the country. Mountain and forested habitats are widespread in Ethiopia, so it seems extraordinary to record only five saurian species which are believed to be endemic in such environments. The inference that there are many more still to be discovered has important implications for conservation, because montane forest is known to be among the most threatened of Ethiopian biomes and there is clearly an urgent need for its herpetofauna to be more thoroughly researched and documented.
Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Yemen
Latastia longicaudata: 110 references
Latastia longicaudata: 43 pictures (see subspecies level)
Latastia longicaudata lanzai © 2008 Roberto Sindaco