Celestus warreni

Celestus warreni, commonly known as Warren's galliwasp or the giant Hispaniolan galliwasp, is a species of lizard in the family Anguidae. The species is endemic to the island of Hispaniola.

Celestus warreni
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Anguidae
Genus: Celestus
Species:
C. warreni
Binomial name
Celestus warreni
Schwartz, 1970
Synonyms[2]
  • Diploglossus warreni
    Schwartz, 1970
  • Diploglossus carraui
    Incháustegui, Schwartz &
    Henderson, 1985
  • Celestus warreni
    Powell et al., 1996

Etymology

The specific name, warreni, is in honor of Mr. C. Rhea Warren who collected herpetological specimens on Île de la Tortue.[3]

Geographic range

C. warreni is found in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.[1]

Description

C. warreni weighs 68 grams (2.4 ounces), and it is very quick and slippery and long.

Habitat

The natural habitat of C. warreni is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests underneath leaf litter and underneath forest debris.[1]

Diet

The giant Hispaniolan galliwasp is an opportunistic predator that feed on insects, earthworms, small mammals, and other reptiles.

Conservation status

C. warreni is threatened by habitat loss, invasive species (such as the mongoose), and persecution. The galliwasp is erroneously believed to be venomous and is often killed on sight across the island.[1]

The subspecies Celestus warreni anelpistus is possibly extinct. It is sometimes elevated to a species, Celestus anelpistus.

References

  1. Landestoy M, Incháustegui S, Powell R (2016). Celestus warreni. 2016 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Archived June 27, 2014, at the Wayback Machine Downloaded on 10 July 2007.
  2. Species Celestus warreni at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
  3. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. ("Warren's Galliwasp Diploglossus warreni ", pp. 279-280).

Further reading

  • Schwartz A (1970). "A new species of large Diploglossus (Sauria: Anguidae) from Hispaniola". Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 82: 777–788. (Diploglossus warreni, new species).
  • Schwartz A, Thomas R (1975). A Check-list of West Indian Amphibians and Reptiles. Carnegie Museum of Natural History Special Publication No. 1. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 216 pp. (Diploglossus warreni, p. 122).



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