''Mesalina ercolinii'' is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of 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 the appropriate s ...
of sand-dwelling
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 alt ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Lacertidae
The Lacertidae are the family (biology), 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 o ...
. 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 elsew ...
to
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐; ar, ุงูุตูู
ุงู, aแนฃ-แนขลซmฤl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
.
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 ...
, ''ercolinii'', is in honor of Italian ichthyologist Antonio Ercolini.
Description
''M. ercolinii'' is rather large, and is short-legged. The holotype
A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of several ...
, an adult female, has a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of .[ Arnold et al. (1998).]
Reproduction
''M. ercolinii'' 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), and ...
.[
]
References
Further reading
* Arnold EN, Lanza B, Poggesi M, Corti C (1998). "Notes on the anatomy and phylogenetic position of ''Eremias ercolinii'' Lanza & Poggesi 1975 (Reptilia, Lacertidae)". ''Tropical Zoology'' 1: 235โ240. (''Mesalina ercolinii'', new combination).
*Lanza B, Poggesi M (1975). "On a new ''Eremias'' from central Somalia". ''Monitore Zoologico Italiano, Nuova Serie Supplemento'' 6 (16): 305โ312. (''Eremias ercolinii'', new species). (in English, with an abstract in Italian).
ercolinii
Lacertid lizards of Africa
Reptiles of Somalia
Endemic fauna of Somalia
Reptiles described in 1975
Taxa named by Benedetto Lanza
Taxa named by Marta Poggesi
{{Lacertidae-stub