Kingdom Animalia Class Reptilia Family Teiidae Scientific name Kentropyx borckiana Rank Species | Subphylum Vertebrata Suborder Sauria Genus Kentropyx Phylum Chordata Order Scaled reptiles | |
Similar Kentropyx, Scaled reptiles, Kentropyx calcarata, Ameiva plei, Saint Lucia whiptail | ||
Kentropyx borckiana, the Guyana kentropyx, is a species of lizard endemic to northeastern South America.
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Geographic range
Kentropyx borckiana is found in Guyana, French Guiana, Suriname, and on the Caribbean island of Barbados.
Parthenogenesis
The species is apparently a rare unisexual clone that reproduces through parthenogenesis, in that only 100 female museum specimens are known to exist and no male specimens. It is believed to have arisen from hybridization between Kentropyx calcarata and Kentropyx striata.
Etymology
The species was named after Johann Graf von Borcke (1781-1862), a major in the Prussian Army who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. Borcke presented a number of specimens to the Berlin Museum.
Description
Kentropyx borckiana grows up to 100 mm (3.9 in) snout-to-vent. Its head and neck are greenish, with white underneath. Its sides are brown, and its underbody is pinkish. Its dorsal surface is gray to pinkish-brown, with light lateral stripes bordered with dark bands.
Similar species
A population on Trinidad was originally thought to be K. borckiana, but has since been identified as another species.