Abronia moreletii

Abronia moreletii, commonly known as Morelet's alligator lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Anguidae. The species is endemic to Central America.^[1]

Abronia moreletii
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Anguidae
Genus:	Abronia
Species:	A. moreletii
Binomial name
Abronia moreletii (Bocourt, 1872)
Synonyms[3]
Gerrhonotus moreletii Bocourt, 1872 Barisia moreletii – Tihen, 1949 Mesaspis moreleti – Liner, 1994

Etymology

The specific name, moreletii, is in honor of French naturalist Pierre Marie Arthur Morelet.^[4]

Geographic range

A. moreletii is native to southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.^[1]

Habitat

The natural habitat of A. moreletii consists of Central American pine-oak forests and cloud forests between 1,450 and 2,530 metres (4,760 and 8,300 ft) above sea level.^[1]

Subspecies

The following subspecies are recognized as being valid:^[3]

• Abronia moreletii moreletii (Bocourt, 1872)
• Abronia moreletii rafaeli (Hartweg & Tihen, 1946)
• Abronia moreletii salvadorensis (Hartweg & Tihen, 1946)
• Abronia moreletii temporalis (Hartweg & Tihen, 1946)

Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Abronia.

The subspecific name, rafaeli, is in honor of Mexican herpetologist Rafael Martín del Campo.^[4]