Kingdom Animalia Subphylum Vertebrata Order Squamata Rank Genus | Phylum Chordata Class Reptilia Suborder Sauria | |
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Similar Philochortus, Tropidosaura, Heliobolus, Latastia, Nucras | ||
Poromera is a genus of western Central African lacertid lizards of the family Lacertidae. The genus Poromera is monotypic, containing the single species, Poromera fordii, commonly known as the West African striped lizard.
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Etymology
Poromera is derived from the Greek words "póros" (πόρος) which means "pore" or "duct" and "mērós" (μηρός) which means "thigh". Poromera refers to the long series of femoral pores on the thighs of this species.
The specific name, fordii, is in honor of Dr. Henry A. Ford, a medical missionary in Gabon, who collected specimens for the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences.
Description
The body is moderately or rather feebly depressed, the head feebly depressed. Head-shields normal. The nostril is pierced between the nasal, two postnasals, and the first upper labial. Lower eyelid scaly. The distinct collar contains 12-14 pointed, strongly keeled plates. Back with large, platelike, subimbricate scales with strong keels forming 6 or 8 continuous lines, sides with small juxtaposed scales. The ventral plates are pointed, imbricate, keeled and arranged in 8 (or 10) longitudinal and 22-27 transversal rows. Males have a large preanal plate which is bordered by a semicircle of pointed keeled scales while in females the preanal region is covered with pointed keeled scales (sexual dimorphism). The digits are slightly compressed, with tubercular lamellae interiorly. The 10-15 femoral pores on each side are forming a long series and are more developed in males. The caudal scales are pointed and very strongly keeled. The tail is cylindrical and very long, 2 to 2,5 times as long as head and body.
Snout-vent-length up to 65 mm, total length almost 220 mm.
The ground colour of the body is dark olive above, often turning to bronze or copper-colour posteriorly. Two light dorsal streaks, bright greenish or bluish white, sometimes edged with black anteriorly are originating from the middle of the posterior border of the parietal shield. The streaks are often disappearing on the posterior part of the back. The back between the light streaks is sometimes blackish, which shade is continued as a stripe to the base of the tail. On the posterior back and tail base traces of a light vertebral streak are sometimes present in the young. The upper lip is bluish green. The tail is uniform brownish or reddish brown in the young, sometimes with a dorsal series of black spots. The lower parts of body are greenish white in front and salmon-pink behind coloured.
Distribution, habitat and natural History
This species is distributed in westerns parts of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea (Fernando Po Island), Gabon and south to Democratic Republic of Congo (western Bas-Congo) from almost sea level up to 900 m altitude in Cameroon.
Poromera fordii is a diurnal, semiarboreal forest species that can be found in flimsy, grassy and lower vegetation often near permanent streams. It presumably lays eggs. The diet consists of insects and other arthropods.