Caribicus anelpistus, the Altagracia giant galliwasp, is a species of lizard of the Diploglossidae family endemic to the Dominican Republic on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.
| Caribicus anelpistus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Photo of holotype | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Diploglossidae |
| Genus: | Caribicus |
| Species: | C. anelpistus
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| Binomial name | |
| Caribicus anelpistus (Schwartz, Graham, & Duval, 1979)
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| Synonyms | |
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Celestus anelpistus | |
Taxonomy
editAlong with the other members of its genus, it was formerly classified in the genus Celestus.[2][3]
Conservation
editDue to habitat loss and small Indian mongoose predation, it is considered critically endangered, and previously considered to be extinct. Known only from the holotype, it was not seen since 1977 in San Cristobal Province, with a giant galliwasp sighted in the vicinity of Jarabacoa in 2004 thought to have been of this species.[1]
On 25 March 2020, an adult male specimen has been captured by a local resident at La Lomita. Other locals have reported sightings of similar animals, especially at night, suggesting that a small population exists in the area.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b Landestoy, M.; Inchaustegui, S.; Hedges, B. (2016). "Celestus anelpistus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T39258A116419247. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
- ^ "Caribicus anelpistus". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
- ^ "San Cristobal Galliwasp, Celestus anelpistus". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
- ^ De Jesus, Nelvinson; Marte, Cristian; Espinal, Ramón Joel; Incháustegui, Sixto J. (2023). "Rediscovery of the Altagracia Giant Galliwasp (Caribicus anelpistus) at Villa Altagracia, Dominican Republic". Reptiles & Amphibians. 30: e20611. doi:10.17161/randa.v30i1.20611.