Microlophus
Template:Short description Script error: No such module "For". Template:Automatic taxobox
Microlophus is a genus of tropidurid lizards native to South America. Around 20 species are recognized and 10 of these are endemic to the Galápagos Islands,Template:Efn where they are commonly known as lava lizards[1][2] (they are sometimes placed in Tropidurus instead). The remaining, which often are called Pacific iguanas, are found in the Andes and along the Pacific coasts of Chile, Peru, and Ecuador.
The distribution of the lava lizards and their variations in shape, colour, and behaviour show the phenomenon of adaptive radiation so typical of the inhabitants of this archipelago. One species occurs on all the central and western islands, which were perhaps connected during periods of lower sea levels, while one species each occurs on six other more peripheral islands. All have most likely evolved from a single ancestral species. However, as usual for the Tropiduridae, they can change their colour individually to some extent, and members of the same species occurring in different habitats also show colour differences. Thus, animals living mainly on dark lava are darker than ones that live in lighter, sandy environments.
Species
Listed alphabetically by specific name.[3] (* endemic to the Galapágos Islands).
- Microlophus albemarlensis (Baur, 1890)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – Galápagos lava lizard*
- Microlophus arenarius (Tschudi, 1845)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Microlophus atacamensis (Donoso-Barros, 1960)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – Atacamen Pacific iguana
- Microlophus barringtonensis (Baur, 1892)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – Santa Fe lava lizard*
- Microlophus bivittatus (W. Peters, 1871)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – San Cristóbal lava lizard*
- Microlophus delanonis (Baur, 1890)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – Española lava lizard or Hood lava lizard*
- Microlophus duncanensis (Baur, 1890)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – Pinzón lava lizard*
- Microlophus grayii (Bell, 1843)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – Floreana lava lizard*
- Microlophus habelii (Steindachner, 1876)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – Marchena lava lizard*
- Microlophus heterolepis (Wiegmann, 1834)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Microlophus indefatigabilis (Baur, 1890)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – Santa Cruz lava lizard *
- Microlophus jacobii (Baur, 1892)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Santiago lava lizard *
- Microlophus koepckeorum (Mertens, 1956)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – Frost's iguana
- Microlophus occipitalis (W. Peters, 1871)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – knobbed Pacific iguana
- Microlophus pacificus (Steindachner, 1876)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – Pinta lava lizard or common Pacific iguana*
- Microlophus peruvianus (Lesson, 1830)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – Peru Pacific iguana
- Microlophus quadrivittatus (Tschudi, 1845)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – four-banded Pacific iguana
- Microlophus tarapacensis (Donoso-Barros, 1966)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – Tarapaca Pacific iguana
- Microlophus theresiae (Steindachner, 1901)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – Theresia's Pacific iguana
- Microlophus theresioides (Donoso-Barros, 1966)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – corredor de pica (in Spanish)
- Microlophus thoracicus (Tschudi, 1845)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – Tschudi's Pacific iguana
- Microlophus tigris (Tschudi, 1845)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – tiger Pacific iguana
- Microlophus yanezi (Ortiz-Zapata, 1980)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". – Yanez's lava lizard
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Microlophus.
References
Template:Notelist Template:Reflist Template:Sister project Template:Sister project
Further reading
- Duméril AMC, Bibron G (1837). Erpétologie générale ou Histoire naturelle complète des Reptiles. Tome quatrième [Volume 4]. Paris: Roret. ii + 571 pp. (Microlophus, new genus, pp. 334–335). (in French).
- ↑ Fitter, Julian; Fitter, Daniel; Hosking, David (2000). Wildlife of the Galalpagos. Updated Edition. Princeton University Press. p.94.
- ↑ Microlophus. The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.