Latastia boscai, also known commonly as the Eritrea longtail lizard or Bosca's long-tailed lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is native to East Africa and the Horn of Africa. There are three recognized subspecies.
| Latastia boscai | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Lacertidae |
| Genus: | Latastia |
| Species: | L. boscai
|
| Binomial name | |
| Latastia boscai Bedriaga, 1884
| |
Etymology edit
The specific name, boscai, is in honor of Spanish herpetologist Eduardo Boscá y Casanoves.[2] The subspecific name, burii, is in honor of British naturalist George Wyman Bury.[3]
Geographic range edit
L. boscai is found in Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia.[1][4]
Habitat edit
The preferred natural habitats of L. boscai are desert, savanna, and forest, at altitudes from sea level to 1,700 m (5,600 ft).[1]
Reproduction edit
Subspecies edit
The following three subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.[4]
- Latastia boscai arenicola Parker, 1942
- Latastia boscai boscai Bedriaga, 1884
- Latastia boscai burii Boulenger, 1907
References edit
- ^ a b c Spawls, S. (2021). "Latastia boscai". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T21265797A21265811. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T21265797A21265811.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Latastia boscai, p. 32).
- ^ Boulenger GA (1907). "Descriptions of Two new African Lizards of the Genus Latastia". Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Seventh Series 19: 392–394. (Latastia burii, new species, pp. 393–394).
- ^ a b c Latastia boscai at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 4 May 2019.
Further reading edit
- Bedriaga J (1884). "Die neue Lacertiden-Gattung Latastia und ihre Arten ( L. Doriai n. sp., var. Martensi m., Samharica Blanf. und Boscai n. sp.)". Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova 20: 307–324. (Latastia boscai, new species, pp. 322–324). (in German).
- Lanza B (1990). "Amphibians and reptiles of the Somali Democratic Republic: check list and biogeography". Biogeographia 14: 407–465. (Latastia boscai, p. 426).
- Largen MJ, Spawls S (2010). Amphibians and Reptiles of Ethiopea and Eritrea. Frankfurt am Main: Edition Chimaira / Serpents Tale. 694 pp. ISBN 978-3899734669. (Latastia boscai, p. 352).
- Parker HW (1942). "The Lizards of British Somaliland". Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy at Harvard College 91: 1–101. (Latastia boscai arenicola, new subspecies, pp. 71–72).