''Adolfus alleni'', also known
commonly as the alpine meadow lizard or the alpine-meadow lizard, is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...
of
lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia al ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Lacertidae
The Lacertidae are the family of the wall lizards, true lizards, or sometimes simply lacertas, which are native to Afro-Eurasia. It is a diverse family with at least 300 species in 39 genera. They represent the dominant group of reptiles found i ...
.
The species is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...
to
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
.
Habitat and geographic range
''A. alleni'' is found only in alpine moorlands of
Mount Kenya,
Mount Elgon
Mount Elgon is an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya, north of Kisumu and west of Kitale. The mountain's highest point, named "Wagagai", is located entirely within Uganda. , and the
Aberdares Mountains in Kenya,
[ Greer AE (1968). "Mode of reproduction in the squamate faunas of three altitudinally correlated life zones in East Africa". ''Herpetologica'' 24 (3): 229-232.] at altitudes of .
Description
Medium-sized for the
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...
''
Adolfus
''Adolfus'' is a genus of lizards of the family Lacertidae. The genus is endemic to subsaharan Africa.
Etymology
The generic name, ''Adolfus'', is in honor of German explorer Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg. Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayso ...
'', adults of ''A. alleni'' have a
snout-to-vent length (SVL) of about .
[
]
Reproduction
''A. alleni'' is oviparous
Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), a ...
.[
]
Etymology
The specific name Specific name may refer to:
* in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database
In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules:
* Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...
, ''alleni'', is in honor of American zoologist
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and ...
Glover Morrill Allen
Glover Morrill Allen (February 8, 1879 – February 14, 1942) was an American zoologist.
He was born at Walpole, New Hampshire, the son of Reverend Nathaniel Glover Allen and Harriet Ann (Schouler) Allen, and studied at Harvard University. While s ...
.[Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Adolfus alleni'', p. 5).]
References
Further reading
* Barbour T (1914). "Some New Reptiles". ''Proceedings of the New England Zoological Club'' 4: 95-98. (''Algiroides alleni'', new species, pp. 97–98).
* Spawls S, Howell K, Hinkel H, Menegon M (2018). ''Field Guide to East African Reptiles, Second Edition''. London: Bloomsbury Natural History. 624 pp. . (''Adolfus alleni'', p. 182).
* Wagner P, Greenbaum E, Malonza P, Branch B (2014). "Resolving sky island speciation in populations of East African ''Adolfus alleni'' (Sauria, Lacertidae)". ''Salamandra'' 50 (1): 1–17.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q653359
Adolfus
Lacertid lizards of Africa
Reptiles of Kenya
Endemic fauna of Kenya
Taxa named by Thomas Barbour
Reptiles described in 1914