''Takydromus dorsalis'', the Sakishima grass lizard, is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...

in the family

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 about 360 species in 39 genera. They represent the dominant group of reptiles found ...

. It is endemic to the

Yaeyama Islands The Yaeyama Islands (八重山列島 ''Yaeyama-rettō'', also 八重山諸島 ''Yaeyama-shotō'', Yaeyama: ''Yaima'', Yonaguni: ''Daama'', Okinawan: ''Yeema'', Northern Ryukyuan: ''Yapema'') are an archipelago in the southwest of Okinawa Pref ...

(

Ishigaki Island , also known as ''Ishigakijima'', is a Japanese island south-west of Okinawa Hontō and the second-largest island of the Yaeyama Island group, behind Iriomote Island. It is located approximately south-west of Okinawa Hontō. It is within t ...

Iriomote Island is the largest of the Yaeyama Islands of Japan, and the second largest in Okinawa Prefecture after Okinawa Island itself. The island has an area of and a 2005 population of 2,347. The island does not have an airstrip, and most visitors—ove ...

Kohama Island ( Yaeyama: ''Kumoo'', Okinawan: ''Kubama'') is an island in the Yaeyama Islands group at the southwestern end of the Ryukyu Islands chain, and part of Taketomi, Yaeyama District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The island has an area of , with a s ...

and

Kuroshima Kuroshima or Kuro Island may refer to various Japanese islands: * Kuroshima, Ehime (uninhabited) * Kuroshima, Kagoshima, part of Mishima village * Kuroshima, Tokashiki, Okinawa, in Tokashiki *Kuroshima, Taketomi, Okinawa, one of the Yaeyama Islan ...

) in southern

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

Etymology

The name "

Takydromus ''Takydromus'' is a genus of lizards, commonly called grass lizards or oriental racers. Species of the genus ''Takydromus'' are Endemism, endemic to a large part of Asia. Members of this genus are noticeable because of their slender appearance ...

" means "fast-running", derived from greek. "Dorsalis" was inspired by its small, differently arranged dorsal scales that distinguish it from other species.

Activity

It is diurnal. The females lay clutches of one to two eggs.

Threats

The

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

lists the species as endangered. Threats consist of habitat degradation and invasive peacocks.

Gallery

References

Takydromus Endemic reptiles of Japan Reptiles described in 1904 Taxa named by Leonhard Stejneger {{lacertidae-stub