Diploglossidae is a family of anguimorph lizards native to the Americas, with most genera being endemic to

Hispaniola Hispaniola (, also ; es, La Española; Latin and french: Hispaniola; ht, Ispayola; tnq, Ayiti or Quisqueya) is an island in the Caribbean that is part of the Greater Antilles. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and th ...

. Most members of this family (aside from the legless genus ''

Ophiodes ''Ophiodes'' is a genus of South American legless 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 ...

'') are known as galliwasps. They were formerly considered a subfamily of Anguidae, but genetic evidence has shown them to be less closely related to other members of Anguidae than Anniellidae is.

Taxonomy

Phylogenetic evidence supports an early

Cenozoic The Cenozoic ( ; ) is Earth's current geological era, representing the last 66million years of Earth's history. It is characterised by the dominance of mammals, birds and flowering plants, a cooling and drying climate, and the current configura ...

origin for the family. Species were previously only classified into 3 genera (''

Celestus ''Celestus'' is a genus of diploglossid lizards endemic to Jamaica and containing about 11 species, though three of these may be extinct. Formerly, this genus had more than 31 species, but a 2021 phylogenetic study found this classification to ...

'', ''

Diploglossus ''Diploglossus'' is a genus of New World diploglossid lizards, with 20 described species, commonly known as galliwasps. Several former ''Diploglossus'' species were moved to the genus '' Siderolamprus'' in 2021. Geographic range Species of th ...

'', and ''

''), but a 2021 study found these genera to be

paraphyletic In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...

, and thus further split them into more genera, classified within 3 different

subfamilies In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

(the celestines, diploglossines, and siderolamprines). The siderolamprines and a single celestine radiated throughout most of Central America, the diploglossines radiated throughout South America, and both the celestines and diploglossines radiated throughout the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

Classification

The family contains the following genera: * Family Diploglossidae ** Subfamily Celestinae *** Genus ''

Advenus ''Advenus montisilvestris'', the mountain forest galliwasp, is a species of lizard of the Diploglossidae family. It is the only member of the genus ''Advenus'', as well as the only species of the subfamily Celestinae that is found outside of th ...

'' - mountain forest galliwasp (one species) *** Genus ''

Caribicus ''Caribicus'' is a genus of diploglossid lizards endemic to the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean, in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Conservation All three species are considered threatened on the IUCN Red List, and one is possibly ...

'' - Hispaniolan giant galliwasps (two extant species, one possibly extinct species) *** Genus ''

'' - Jamaican galliwasps (eight extant species, three possibly extinct species) *** Genus ''

Comptus ''Comptus'' is a genus of diploglossid lizards native to the West Indies. Taxonomy All three species were previously classified in the genus ''Celestus''. Species There are three species in the genus, all of which are widely geographically se ...

'' (three species) *** Genus ''

Panolopus ''Panolopus'' is a genus of diploglossid lizards endemic to the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean, in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Taxonomy There are three species in this genus, all of which were formerly classified in the genus ...

'' (three species) *** Genus '' Sauresia'' - four-toed galliwasp (one species) *** Genus ''

Wetmorena ''Wetmorena'' is a genus of diploglossid lizards endemic to the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean, occurring in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Taxonomy There are two species, both of which were formerly classified in the genus ''Cele ...

'' - earless galliwasps (two species) ** Subfamily Diploglossinae *** Genus ''

'' (11 species) *** Genus ''

'' - worm lizards (six species) ** Subfamily Siderolamprinae *** Genus ''

Siderolamprus ''Siderolamprus'' is a genus of lizard in the family Diploglossidae. They are found throughout much of Central America. They are considered the only members of the subfamily Siderolamprinae, although '' Diploglossus bilobatus'' is sometimes recl ...

'' (14 species)

Description

Most galliwasps are larger lizards, with normally proportioned and complete limbs. They superficially resemble skinks, and due to their bright coloration and size, are falsely assumed to be venomous. They occupy terrestrial habitats.

References

External links

"''Celestus''"
at The Reptile Database
"''Diploglossus''"
at The Reptile Database Diploglossidae Taxa named by Marie Firmin Bocourt {{Lizard-stub