| Jamaican ameiva | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
 Endangered (IUCN 3.1) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Teiidae |
| Genus: | Pholidoscelis |
| Species: | P. dorsalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Pholidoscelis dorsalis (Gray, 1838) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Ameiva dorsalis Gray, 1838 | |
The Jamaican ameiva (Pholidoscelis dorsalis) is a species of lizard found only in Jamaica.
Taxonomy
The Jamaican ameiva was described in 1838 as Ameiva dorsalis. In 2016, the species was moved to Pholidoscelis based on genetic sequencing and phylogenetic analyses.
Biology
The Jamaican ameiva is a diurnal lizard with an omnivorous diet, including members of its species. It is found in mesic to dry habitats near the sea, in gardens and vegetated duneland, associated with Coccoloba and Ipomea plant species.
Conservation
The Jamaican ameiva historically occurred throughout the lowlands of Jamaica and its cays in scattered subpopulations, though 7 of the 10 mainland subpopulations are considered possibly extinct. It persists on at least 4 cays offshore of the mainland. It is considered an endangered species on the IUCN Red List.
References
- ^ Wilson, B.S. & Hedges, B. 2017. Pholidoscelis dorsalis (amended version of 2017 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T50009027A121640494. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T50009027A121640494.en. Accessed 2018-10-29.
- ^ Pholidoscelis dorsalis at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 2018-10-29.
- Goicoechea, Noemí; Frost, Darrel R.; De la Riva, Ignacio; Pellegrino, Katia C. M.; Sites, Jack; Rodrigues, Miguel T.; Padial, José M. (December 2016). "Molecular systematics of teioid lizards (Teioidea/Gymnophthalmoidea: Squamata) based on the analysis of 48 loci under tree-alignment and similarity-alignment". Cladistics. 32 (6): 624–671. doi:10.1111/cla.12150. hdl:10261/155759. PMID 34727678.
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Pholidoscelis dorsalis | |
| Ameiva dorsalis | |