Gran Canaria giant lizard

The Gran Canaria giant lizard (Gallotia stehlini) is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is found in the Canary Islands.

Gran Canaria giant lizard
On Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Lacertoidea
Family:	Lacertidae
Genus:	Gallotia
Species:	G. stehlini
Binomial name
Gallotia stehlini (Schenkel, 1901)
Synonyms[2]
Lacerta galloti var. stehlini Schenkel, 1901 Lacerta stehlini — Boulenger, 1920 Lacerta simonyi stehlini — Mertens, 1928 Lacerta stehlini — Kramer, 1979 Gallotia stehlini — Hernández et al., 2000

Gran Canaria giant lizard

Etymology

The specific name, stehlini, is in honor of Swiss paleontologist Hans Georg Stehlin, who collected the holotype.^[3]

Description

G. stehlini grows to a total length (including tail) of up to 80 cm (31 in). It is among the largest reptiles within the family Lacertidae. The species comes in a variety of grays, browns, and reddish hues. Unlike their female counterparts, males exhibit sizable jowls, robust heads and overall greater body mass.^{[citation needed]}

Diet

G. stehlini is a true omnivore. The young often consume various invertebrates, vegetation and soft fruits. As they mature, their diet largely consists of plant matter.^[4][5]

Geographic range

G. stehlini is endemic to Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands of Spain but it has been introduced to Fuerteventura.^[1]

Habitat

The natural habitats of G. stehlini are temperate shrubland, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rocky areas, rocky shores, and pastureland, at altitudes from sea level to 1,850 m (6,070 ft).^[1]

Reproduction

G. stehlini is oviparous.^[2]