376:
42:
335:
421:
95:
395:. It is fairly common on Dominica, with a habitat including dry coastal woodland and scrub, littoral woodland, and cultivated land below around 300 m elevation. The coastal woodlands of Dominica have been noted as unusually favorable for reptiles, with a biomass among the highest recorded for terrestrial reptile populations; Dominican ground lizards have been estimated to occur in that environment at a mean density of 379 per
70:
1087:
354:
Juveniles appear markedly different from adults and are impossible to sex from simple observation. They are coppery-brown overall, with a dark brown lateral stripe on each side bounded by yellow lines. These stripes have yellow flecks and spots that turn blue as it matures. Juveniles are often
456:
on
Dominica. Researchers have noted, however, that it may be especially vulnerable to the alteration and fragmentation of its habitat, caused by the continued clearing of forest on Dominica for agricultural uses and consequent erosion. An increase in the use of spraying of banana and tree crop
346:
Adult
Dominican ground lizards have bright blue spots on their flanks and inner thighs, and a gray or sometimes reddish-brown dorsal surface that is flecked with black. They have a pale blue ventral surface, with dark blue-gray on the throat and chest. They exhibit little
367:, two other lizard species present in the same habitat, because they are fast moving and of similar coloration and size. The latter two may be differentiated from juvenile Dominican ground lizards by their shinier skin and less differentiated, snake-like head and body.
407:
Dominican ground lizards are omnivorous. They forage through forest litter for fallen fruit such as mangoes, scavenge for carrion, and may also hunt invertebrates or other small lizards. It is known to eat the eggs, embryos, and hatchlings of the endangered
351:, apart from a tendency in the males to be more uniformly blue-gray. Adult males can reach a snout-vent-length (SVL) of up to 200 mm, females up to 154 mm SVL, with their tails about the same length. Adult males also have broader heads and jowls.
216:
436:, and are usually only observed during the hottest part of the day. They are generally terrestrial, but have been observed climbing trees to heights over 1.5 m, possibly to hunt; this behavior has been described in at least two other species.
759:, which have been implicated in the extinction of ground-living amphibians and reptiles on other West Indian islands," possibly due to the local non-importance of sugar cane cultivation; see also Malhotra 1999, p. 32, noting extinction of
439:
Males mature at a size of 94 mm SVL, and females mature at 105 mm. They do not have a restricted breeding season, but instead reproduce year-round. It is estimated that they lay two or three
287:
Adults are mostly blue-gray, and can reach lengths up to 400 mm from snout to tail. They are omnivorous, feeding on fallen fruit, carrion, and small animals including other lizards.
993:
Malhotra, Anita; Thorpe, Roger S.; Hypolite, Eric; James, Arlington (2007). "A report on the status of the herpetofauna of the
Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies".
550:
Comparative photos of the heads of these three species are provided in
Malhotra 1999, p. 33, noting the possibility of confusion. The skink species is given there as
1193:
851:
829:
803:
452:
Though many of its relatives on neighboring islands have gone extinct, the
Dominican ground lizard continues to flourish, possibly owing to the absence of the
1257:
391:
to have retained its original reptile and amphibian fauna over the last 200 years. It is one of two lizard species endemic to
Dominica, the other being the
466:
529:
Snout-vent-length is a standard measurement of reptile body length, extending from the tip of the nose (snout) to the anus (vent), and excluding the tail.
322:
specimens, all males of varying ages, were acquired by the Museum in 1879, and were collected from
Dominica during the "Blake expeditions" conducted by
1167:
670:
Observations of "three small A. fuscata (SVL 70-100 mm)" climbing trees are described in Rudman 2009, p. 217; one "appeared to be stalking an
906:
1287:
1272:
1282:
1277:
983:
424:
Closeup of head of
Dominican ground lizard. On "Jack's Walk" trail, leading to top of Morne Bruce from Dominica Botanical Gardens,
864:
Bullock, D.J.; Evans, Peter G.H. (1990). "The distribution, density and biomass of terrestrial reptiles in
Dominica, West Indies".
399:. Its range is also expanding to higher elevations, as more rain forest on Dominica is cleared for agricultural development.
763:
relatives on other islands. Barbour 1937, p. 140, expressly attributes its survival to the lack of threat from the mongoose.
951:
444:
each year. Each clutch contains about four eggs, with the number of eggs tending to increase with the size of the female.
284:, an island noted for its intact and abundant reptile population, where it is most commonly found in dry coastal woodland.
1267:
315:
94:
934:
375:
41:
1091:
723:
409:
1262:
1112:
790:
995:
1022:
684:
678:
189:
334:
1144:
1101:
975:
657:
357:
894:
651:
carcass "adjacent to an area of intense activity...That they did not feed on the carcass of a dead
348:
59:
1066:
866:
690:
323:
240:
89:
50:
1198:
898:
888:
420:
1219:
979:
947:
902:
729:
1234:
1224:
1058:
1004:
875:
820:
1206:
672:
511:
Barbour 1915, p. 456; Barbour 1929, p. 212. The specimens are cataloged M.C.Z. No. 6,087.
433:
392:
388:
228:
1149:
879:
842:
824:
816:
794:
786:
379:
Dominican ground lizard foraging in leaf litter. Near the
Coulibistrie River, Dominica.
363:
846:
1251:
925:
751:
See Malhotra 2007, p. 187, noting that "Dominica has escaped the introduction of the
441:
307:
300:
205:
166:
79:
74:
955:
929:
339:
733:, rather than direct observation of Dominican ground lizards. Somma 1976, p. 254.
589:
Evans 1997, p. 20; Malhotra 1999, p. 32; Crask 2007, p. 21; Malhotra 2007, p. 182.
1180:
1135:
1008:
215:
17:
752:
232:
106:
638:
Rudman 2009, p. 217, citing, e.g., Breuil 2002. Patr. Nat., Paris 54:1-330.
1159:
1086:
1211:
1129:
756:
647:
See Rudman 2009, p. 217, noting observations that they did not feed on a
453:
384:
319:
281:
277:
224:
146:
126:
1172:
1070:
396:
311:
156:
136:
825:"Typical Reptiles and Amphibians in the Museum of Comparative Zoology"
520:
Descriptions are given in Malhotra 1999, p. 32, and Evans 1997, p. 20.
1185:
1049:
425:
273:
116:
1106:
1062:
333:
1035:
Somma, Carolynn A.; Brooks, Garnett R. (1976). "Reproduction in
930:"On the West Indian Teiids in the Museum of Comparative Zoology"
721:
This is based on estimations of the clutches of related species
1110:
1097:
412:. They apparently avoid eating carrion of their own species.
1016:
Rudman, Seth M.; Powell, Robert; Parmerlee, John S. (2009). "
918:
Dominica, Nature Island of the Caribbean: Wildlife Checklists
620:
as "facultatively omnivorous," and as "dietary generalists."
383:
The Dominican ground lizard is restricted to the island of
310:, the assistant director of herpetology and ichthyology at
682:
33:50, notes arboreal activity has also been described of
1020:(Dominican ground lizard): Arboreal Activity and Diet".
580:
Bullock 1990; Crask 2007, p. 21; Malhotra 2007, p. 182.
295:
The Dominican ground lizard is locally known as the
1119:
952:"Lennox Honychurch's A-to-Z of Dominica's Heritage"
303:used to stew it as a remedy for certain illnesses.
972:Reptiles & Amphibians of the Eastern Caribbean
847:"Third List of Antillean Reptiles and Amphibians"
676:." Rudman, citing to Powell and Censky (2002)
852:Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology
830:Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology
804:Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology
8:
916:Evans, Peter G.H.; James, Arlington (1997).
920:. Dominica Ministry of Tourism. p. 20.
467:List of amphibians and reptiles of Dominica
306:The species was first described in 1887 by
1107:
970:Malhotra, Anita; Thorpe, Roger S. (1999).
629:Malhotra 1999, p. 32; Rudman 2009, p. 217.
537:
535:
214:
68:
40:
31:
795:"A Revision of the Lizards of the Genus
419:
374:
655:was surprising" given their feeding on
562:as the only skink present on Dominica).
477:
558:; see Malhotra 2007, p. 183 (listing
484:Evans 1997, p. 20; Crask 2007, p. 21.
7:
457:plantations may also pose a threat.
1258:IUCN Red List least concern species
880:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1990.tb04042.x
25:
1085:
387:, one of the few islands in the
93:
935:Bulletin of the Essex Institute
616:Rudman 2009, p. 217, describes
1:
432:Dominican ground lizards are
338:Juvenile, viewed from above.
316:Museum of Comparative Zoology
231:, a chain of islands in the
1288:Taxa named by Samuel Garman
280:to the Caribbean island of
1304:
1273:Reptiles described in 1887
1009:10.1163/157075407780681365
712:Somma 1976, p. 253-4, 255.
1283:Endemic fauna of Dominica
416:Behavior and reproduction
246:
239:
222:
213:
195:
188:
90:Scientific classification
88:
66:
57:
48:
39:
34:
1278:Lizards of the Caribbean
772:Malhotra 2007, p. 185-6.
554:, but is likely instead
493:According to Honychurch.
371:Distribution and habitat
35:Dominican ground lizard
724:Holcosus quadrilineatus
410:Lesser Antillean Iguana
260:Dominican ground lizard
49:An adult male near the
1098:Pholidoscelis fuscatus
607:Malhotra 2007, p. 182.
571:Malhotra 2007, p. 177.
429:
380:
343:
269:Pholidoscelis fuscatus
199:Pholidoscelis fuscatus
1023:Herpetological Review
679:Herpetological Review
541:Malhotra 1999, p. 32.
423:
378:
337:
1268:Reptiles of Dominica
1102:Encyclopedia of Life
1094:at Wikimedia Commons
976:Macmillan Publishers
887:Crask, Paul (2007).
658:Iguana delicatissima
502:Garman 1887, p. 5-6.
358:Gymnophthalmus pleii
355:confused with adult
996:Applied Herpetology
895:Bradt Travel Guides
703:Somma 1976, p. 255.
349:sexual dichromatism
60:Conservation status
978:. pp. 32–33.
948:Honychurch, Lennox
867:Journal of Zoology
742:Somma 1976, p. 255
691:Pholidoscelis plei
685:Ameiva alboguttata
430:
381:
344:
324:William Healy Dall
299:. The indigenous
272:) is a species of
51:Coulibistrie River
1245:
1244:
1220:Open Tree of Life
1113:Taxon identifiers
1090:Media related to
908:978-1-84162-217-0
821:Loveridge, Arthur
791:Noble, G. Kinsley
730:Holcosus festivus
256:
255:
251:
83:
27:Species of lizard
16:(Redirected from
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1047:from Dominica".
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989:
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954:. Archived from
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264:Dominican ameiva
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181:P. fuscatus
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1115:
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1063:10.2307/1443943
1037:Anolis oculatus
1034:
1015:
992:
986:
969:
961:
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886:
863:
843:Barbour, Thomas
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771:
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746:
741:
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673:Anolis oculatus
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393:Dominican anole
389:Lesser Antilles
373:
332:
293:
248:Ameiva fuscata
229:Lesser Antilles
209:
203:
197:
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84:
73:
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1150:Ameiva_fuscata
1141:
1125:
1123:
1121:Ameiva fuscata
1117:
1116:
1111:
1105:
1104:
1095:
1092:Ameiva fuscata
1081:
1080:External links
1078:
1076:
1075:
1045:Mabuya mabouya
1041:Ameiva fuscata
1032:
1018:Ameiva fuscata
1013:
1003:(2): 177–194.
990:
984:
967:
944:
926:Garman, Samuel
922:
913:
907:
884:
861:
839:
837:(10): 206–360.
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1263:Pholidoscelis
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985:0-333-69141-5
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958:on 2009-08-16
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318:. The three
317:
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308:Samuel Garman
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190:Binomial name
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168:Pholidoscelis
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75:Least Concern
65:
61:
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47:
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38:
33:
30:
19:
1120:
1054:
1048:
1044:
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994:
971:
960:. Retrieved
956:the original
939:
933:
917:
889:
871:
865:
859:(2): 77–166.
856:
850:
834:
828:
811:(6): 417–79.
808:
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552:M. bistriata
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448:Conservation
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434:heliothermic
431:
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340:Coulibistrie
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180:
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167:
53:, Dominica.
29:
1181:iNaturalist
893:. England:
428:, Dominica.
342:, Dominica.
330:Description
223:Endemic to
1252:Categories
962:2010-01-28
897:. p.
779:References
649:A. fuscata
618:A. fuscata
560:M. mabouya
556:M. mabouya
1030:(2): 217.
753:cane toad
233:Caribbean
175:Species:
113:Kingdom:
107:Eukaryota
1199:10680993
1157:BioLib:
1136:Q2842601
1130:Wikidata
928:(1887).
890:Dominica
845:(1937).
823:(1929).
793:(1915).
757:mongoose
461:See also
454:mongoose
385:Dominica
282:Dominica
276:. It is
241:Synonyms
225:Dominica
153:Family:
147:Squamata
137:Reptilia
127:Chordata
123:Phylum:
117:Animalia
103:Domain:
80:IUCN 3.1
1235:6285139
1173:2472209
1100:at the
1071:1443943
942:: 1–12.
397:hectare
312:Harvard
291:History
278:endemic
227:in the
163:Genus:
157:Teiidae
143:Order:
133:Class:
78: (
1232:uBio:
1225:153491
1160:165787
1069:
1050:Copeia
982:
905:
797:Ameiva
761:Ameiva
653:Ameiva
426:Roseau
320:cotype
301:Caribs
274:lizard
208:, 1887
206:Garman
1212:96483
1194:IRMNG
1186:38896
1067:JSTOR
473:Notes
297:abòlò
1168:GBIF
1055:1976
1043:and
980:ISBN
903:ISBN
755:and
727:and
688:and
403:Diet
361:and
258:The
1145:ADW
1059:doi
1005:doi
876:doi
872:222
314:'s
262:or
1254::
1222::
1209::
1196::
1183::
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