Class Reptilia Suborder Sauria | Phylum Chordata Rank Species | |
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Similar La Gomera giant lizard, Gallotia, Boettger's lizard, El Hierro giant lizard, La Palma giant lizard | ||
The Tenerife speckled lizard, Gallotia intermedia, (Spanish: Lagarto Canario Moteado) is a recently discovered lacertid (wall lizard) of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. It is the smallest member of the clade containing the western islands' giant species (Maca-Meyer et al. 2003).
It was discovered in 1996 by biologist Efraín Hernández in the Macizo de Teno in the extreme northwest of Tenerife (Hernández et al. 1997). Although it is believed that the species was once widespread throughout much of the island, nowadays it is only known from a small area of coastline in the extreme west of the island, and also from Montana de Guaza in the extreme south.
The total number of animals is 500 (in 2005), in 40 isolated populations along altogether 9 km of coastline. The main threat to this lizard is predation by feral cats and, to a lesser degree, by rats. The lizards are increasing in number since the turn of the century as a result of control of introduced mammals.
