Atlas dwarf lizard

Atlas dwarf lizard

Andreansky's lizard, Atlantolacerta

Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Order
Family
SPECIES
Atlantolacerta andreanskyi

The Atlas dwarf lizard (Atlantolacerta andreanskyi), commonly known as Andreansky's lizard, is the only species in the genus Atlantolacerta, in the wall lizard family, Lacertidae. The species is indigenous to north-western Africa.

Animal name origin

The specific name, andreanskyi, is in honor of Hungarian botanist Gábor Andreánszky.

Distribution

Geography

Continents
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Biogeographical realms

A. andreanskyi is endemic to Morocco, where it is restricted to the High Atlas mountain range, at 2,400 to 2,800 m (7,900 to 9,200 ft) above sea level.

Habits and Lifestyle

Although A. andreanskyi is generally considered to be rare, animals are often well hidden in vegetation and may occur at higher densities than was first assumed. They can be very common in favourable conditions and are found in alpine meadows, scree, amongst boulders, and in areas of thorn cushion vegetation and thickets. They have long hibernation periods.

Lifestyle

Mating Habits

The females of A. andreanskyi lay three clutches of between one and three eggs per year.

Population

Population number

A. andreanskyi does not appear to be threatened, but it does occur in readily accessible areas, most especially by hikers.

References

1. Atlas dwarf lizard Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_dwarf_lizard
2. Atlas dwarf lizard on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/61518/12500447

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