Hispaniola Ameiva
Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyTeiidae (Whiptails and Tegus)
- GenusPholidoscelis (Caribbean ameivas)
- SpeciesPholidoscelis chrysolaemus (Hispaniola Ameiva)
About the Hispaniola Ameiva
The common ameiva (Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus) is a species of lizard endemic to Hispaniola and a number of smaller associated islands. It is known to engage in homosexual mating among males. The common ameiva was originally described by Edward Drinker Cope in 1868, as Ameiva chrysolaema. The specific epithet likely comes from the Greek chryso, meaning gold, and laimos, meaning neck or throat, for the yellow throat and belly of this species. In 2016, the species was moved to Pholidoscelis based on genetic sequencing and phylogenetic analyses.
There are sixteen accepted subspecies in The Reptile Database. Given the variation among the subspecies, some authors suggest that they probably comprise more than one species. Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus chrysolaemus (Cope 1868)
Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus abbotti (Noble 1923) Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus alacris (Schwartz & Klinikowski 1966) Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus boekeri (Mertens 1939) Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus defensor (Schwartz & Klinikowski 1966)
Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus evulsus (Schwartz 1973) Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus fictus (Schwartz & Klinikowski 1966) Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus jactus (Schwartz &... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Hispaniola Ameiva in Jaragua National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Jaragua National Park
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaragua National Park | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Hispaniola Ameiva in Jaragua National Park?
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Hispaniola Ameiva sighting in Jaragua National Park, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Hispaniola Ameiva in Jaragua National Park?
May has the highest sighting rate for Hispaniola Ameiva in Jaragua National Park in our monthly data.