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Raillietiella morenoi sp. n., a new cephalobae- nid pentastomid found in the lungs of Gallotia atlantica collected in the Canary Islands, is described. The new species belongs to the sharp-tipped posterior-hook type. The annulus number, morphology, and dimensions of copulatory spicules and the dimensions of anterior and posterior hooks separate Raillietiella sp. n. from the other raillietiedid sharp-tipped posterior-hook species of small lizard parasites in Africa. The host character of endemic protected species of G. atlantica in Alegranza Island posed great difficulty in obtaining more parasite materials. However, more studies are required to state the variability of this species and its possible distribution in other species in the Canary Islands, as well as in other Gallotia spp.

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Algyroides fitzingeri, Algyroides marchi, Algyroides moreoticus, Algyroides nigropunctatus, Lacerta agilis, Lacerta lepida, Lacerta princeps, Lacerta schreiberi, Lacerta strigata, Lacerta trilineata, Lacerta viridis, Lacerta andreanszkyi, Lacerta armeniaca, Lacerta bedriagae, Lacerta brandtii, Lacerta cappadocica, Lacerta caucasica, Lacerta chlorogaster, Lacerta cyanura, Lacerta danfordi, Lacerta derjugini, Lacerta dugesii, Lacerta fraasii, Lacerta graeca, Lacerta horvathi, Lacerta jayakari, Lacerta laevis, Lacerta monticola, Lacerta mosorensis, Lacerta oxycephala, Lacerta parva, Lacerta perspicillata, Lacerta praticola, Lacerta rudis, Lacerta saxicola, Lacerta vivipara, Gallotia atlantica, Gallotia galloti, Gallotia simonyi, Podarcis erhardii, Podarcis filfolensis, Podarcis hispanica, Podarcis lilfordi, Podarcis melisellensis, Podarcis milensis, Podarcis muralis, Podarcis peloponnesiaca, Podarcis pityusensis, Podarcis sicula, Podarcis taurica, Podarcis tiliguerta, Podarcis wagleriana, Psammodromus algirus, Psammodromus blanci, Psammodromus hispanicus, Psammodromus microdactylus.

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The longevity of several lacertid lizard species in captivity is reported. The conditions of keeping, which have been successful throughout many years, are briefly presented.

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The lizard species Gallotia atlantica, G. caesaris, G. galloti eisentrauti, and G. stehlini from the Canary Islands and Teira dugesii from Madeira were kept and bred in captivity. Since ecological data concerning the breeding biology of these species are rare, the results of several years of captive breeding are presented. Data were collected from six pairs of G. atlantica during five years. The females laid 1-3 clutches of eggs each year between April and the beginning of September. The first egg clutches of a year contained 2.7 (1-5) eggs and the second egg clutches consisted of 2.5 (1-4) eggs. Third egg clutches were rare and consisted of only 1.7 (1-2) eggs. The baby lizards hatched after 73 (64-87) days. Three pairs of G. caesaris were observed during three years. Between the middle of May and the end of July the females of this species laid one clutch per year containing 3.8 (3-5) eggs. Only one female produced a second clutch during one season. The young hatched after 67 (64- 69) days. Eight pairs of G. g. eisentrauti were observed during seven years. Between the beginning of May and the end of August these females oviposited annually 1-2 clutches, which contained 4.7 (2-9) eggs in the first clutch of a year and 3.4 (2-6) eggs in the second annual clutch. The young hatched after 73 (62-89) days. One pair of G. stehlini was observed over a period of six years. Between June and August this female produced annually one clutch containing 9.8 (5-14) eggs. The young hatched after 80 (75-86) days. Two pairs of Teira dugesii were observed during one year and two pairs during four years. Between the end of April and the middle of August the females produced 1-2 clutches per year with 2.6 (2-3) eggs in the first and 2.1 (1-3) eggs in the second clutch of a year. The incubation period of the eggs was 72 (59-93) days. Furthermore, sizes of hatchlings of all species are presented. Colour patterns of hatchlings of G. g. eisentrauti, G. caesaris, and G. atlantica are described. Observations concerning the raising of the young in captivity are reported.

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The lizards of the genus Gallotia, which are endemic to the Canary Islands, are studied for their endo- and ectoparasites. The island-dwelling omnivorous lizards harbor protozoan parasites of the genus Sarcocystis which reveal an unusual cannibalistic mode of transmission. Haemogregarine blood parasites of as yet undetermined taxonomic status have recently been found in three Gallotia-species. An undescribed bloodsucking mite of the genus Ophionyssus, which was found on G. galloti from Tenerife, is suspected to be involved in the life cycle on the protozoan blood parasites. Further investigations on the presented parasites concerning their taxonomy, morphology, biology, and ecology are necessary.

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Gallotia atlantica the endemic lacertid of the eastern Canary Islands Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, has been recorded on the island of Gran Canaria for the first time. From a consideration of the peculiar distribution of the reptile on the latter island together with its interactions with the much larger G. stehlini, the local endemic species, a new hypothesis is proposed to account for the disappearance of the giant lizards of the Canaries. This hypothesis is based on a phenomenum of competitive displacement between species of differing size in which the smaller benefits.

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A complete catalogue is provided for the type specimens of lacertid lizards in the herpetological collection of the Zoological Museum, Berlin, as of December, 1993. The collection contains a total of 514 type specimens, representing 63 taxa, of which 42 are currently regarded as valid at the specific or subspecific level. Types representing an additional four taxa appear to have been lost from the collection. The collections are especially rich in African lacertid types and in historically significant specimens collected early in the Nineteenth Century by Pallas, Eversmann, and Hemprich & Ehrenberg. Also present are the type series of many subspecies of Podarcis lilfordi and P. pityusensis described by Eisentraut.

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Die Beziehungen der beiden rezenten kanarischen Rieseneidechsenarten Gallotia simonyi und G. stehlini werden diskutiert. Der Lebensraum und, soweit bekannt, die Lebensweise werden beschrieben. Es folgen einige Bemerkungen über die vom Aussterben bedrohte G. simonyi und abschließend einige Hinweise zur Haltung von G. stehlini im Terrarium.

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Variability of biometric characters and colour patterns was studies in 287 specimens of Gallotia atlantica from all parts of its range. Results indicate a hierarchial system of infraspecific groups. With regard to historical and topographical aspects (isolation time jedged from isobates) two different population groups (Lanzarote and surrounding islets; Fuertenventura and Lobos) are distinguished. They represent two subspecies, Gallotia atlantica atlantica and Gallotia atlantica mahoratae. Furthermore, it is argued that the observed differences in colouration have an adaptive value.

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The Lacertid lizard of Fuerteventura (Canary Islands) in described as Gallotia atlantica mahoratae ssp n. . Despite some minor differences this subspecies also icludes the lizards of the Jandia peninsula and those of the small island of Lobos.

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Die Beziehungen der kanarischen Eidechsen der Gattung Gallotia zu den anderen Lacertiden werden diskutiert. Die äußerlich klar zu erkennende Gallotia atlantica gliedert sich in 2 Unterarten G. a. atlantica und G. atlantica mahoratae. Der Lebensraum und die derzeit bekannten Daten über die Lebensweise werden beschrieben. Hinweise zur Haltung dieser Art im terrarium schließen den Beitrag ab.

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Dieser Beitrag ist der erste Teil einer Serie über die Herpetofauna der Kanarischen Inseln, in dem es zunächst auf die Lage, das Alter und die Entstehung des Archipels eingegangen wird. Bemerkungen zur Topographie, zum Klima und zur Vegetation geben Hinweise auf die Umweltbedingungen für die hier lebenden Amphibien und Reptilia. Herkunft und gegenwärtige Situation der endemischen Arten werden diskutiert, und es folgen Bemerkungen zu den nur fossil bekannten Arten Testudo burchardi, Gallotia goliath und G. maxima: Folgende Arten wurden auf den Inseln eingeschleppt: Hyla meridionalis, Rana perezi, Chamaeleo chamaeleon, Hemidactylus turcicus und Tarentola mauritanica. Den Abschluß dieses Beitrages bildet ein Schlüssel zum Bestimmen aller gegenwärtig von den Kanarischen Inseln bekannten Arten und Unterarten.

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Das kleine »Galapagos vor der europäischen Haustür« ist Gegenstand dieses in sich geschlossenen Bandes. Er gibt erstmalig einen Überblick über die Herpetofauna dieser Inselgruppen.

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A detailed uni- and multivariate analysis of within-island geographical variation in scalation and body dimensions of the lacertid lizard, Gallotia atlantica, from Lanzarote (and two neighbouring offshore islets) was carried out. Twomain morphological groupings were detected: four populations clustered within a putative malpaís group, i.e. from relatively recent volcanic lava fields (seven populations were sampled from these areas), while the other 19 populations (including the three remaining malpaís populations, and those from the offshore islets of Montaña Clara and Alegranza) also clustered together. Thus, while there is a tendency for occupation of malpaís areas to be related to morphological variation, this model does have some inconsistencies. The differentiated malpaís group comprises populations from two geographically isolated areas, one from the central-western part of the island (Timanfaya) and the other from the north (Malpaís de la Corona). The divergence of these populations is considered to have arisen recently, rather than their being relicts of an ancient, formerly widespread, lineage. The morphological variation partially supports the previous use of two different subspecies to describe the within-island variation. However, if such a scheme were applied then one of the subspecies would need to encompass populations from the geographically separated southern Timanfaya and Malpaís de la Corona areas, as opposed to just the latter. We reject previous observations that either malpaís individuals in general, or those corresponding to the north-eastern subspecies, are larger than individuals from other areas. The pattern of morphological variation of G. atlantica within Lanzarote is less pronounced but shows some similarities with patterns of morphological variation in lizards from neighbouring islands.

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We describe 10 polymorphic tetranucleotide microsatellite loci from the eastern Canary Island lacertid lizard, Gallotia atlantica. Loci were isolated from a partial genomic library that had been enriched for AAAG repeat sequence. All loci were highly polymorphic (eight alleles or more) with observed heterozygosities from 0.75 to 1.00. At least four loci were successfully amplified and polymorphic in the Gran Canarian lacertid, Gallotia stehlini. These loci will be used to examine correlations between patterns of gene flow and recent volcanism on the island of Lanzarote.

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The phylogeography of the lacertid lizard Gallotia atlantica from the small volcanic island of Lanzarote (Canary Islands) was analysed based on 1075 bp of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence (partial cytochrome b and ND2) for 157 individuals from 27 sites (including three sites from neighbouring islets). Levels of sequence divergence were generally low, with the most distant haplotypes separated by only 14 mutational steps. MtDNA divergence appears to coincide with formation of the middle Pleistocene lowland that united formerly separate ancient islands to form the current island of Lanzarote, allowing rejection of a two-island model of phylogeographical structure. There was evidence of large-scale population expansion after island unification, consistent with the colonization of new areas. A nested clade phylogeographical analysis (NCPA) revealed significant phylogeographical structuring. Two-step and higher-level clades each had disjunct distributions, being found to the east and west of a common area with a north-south orientation that extends between coasts in the centre-east of the island (El Jable). Other clades were almost entirely restricted to the El Jable region alone. Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo analyses were used to separate ongoing gene flow from historical associations. These supported the NCPA by indicating recent (75 000-150 000 years ago) east-west vicariance across the El Jable region. Lava flows covered El Jable and other parts of the central lowland at this time and likely led to population extinctions and temporary dispersal barriers, although present-day evidence suggests some populations would have survived in small refugia. Expansion of the latter appears to explain the presence of a clade located between the eastern and western components of the disjunct clades. Direct relationships between mtDNA lineages and morphology were not found, although one of two morphological forms on the island has a disjunct distribution that is broadly concordant with east-west components of the phylogeographical pattern. This work demonstrates how recent volcanic activity can cause population fragmentation and thus shape genetic diversity on microgeographical scales.

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1. The mating-bite of the Canarian Lacerta-species L. atlantica, L. galloti and L. simonyi carried out in the neck region represents no function of ehe different size between ehe sexes. lt is a character distinguishing these species from most other lacertids, especially from L. lepida. 2. The different types of mating-bite are intraspecifically constant and atelic characters, thus of taxonomic value. They are suitable for defining bundles of closely related species. 3. They cannot be recorded only by observing living animals, but also be concluded from bive scars in preserved females. 4. Preserved material shows that the species incertae sedis L. princeps and L. jayakari likely mate by means of neck-bite. 5. Phylogenetically ehe neck-bite is considered to be the primitive, the flank-bite ehe derived condicion. 6. The occurence of neck-bite in Mesalina shows, that the derived f!ank-bite must have evolved independently several times, thus representing no synapomorphy for the whole family. 7. The character mating-bite is not yet able to support generic diagnoses (Gallotia sensu ARNOLD 1973), as in other genera (Psammodromus) both types occur. Either one doubts, from this point of view, the monophyly of the latter, or one could also advocate a genus Timon containing besides L. lepida and the Canarian species also L. princeps and L. jayakari. Within this disjunct group with primitive mating-bite pattern, then, only L. lepida would have passed through a progressive development, also in respect of its maving behaviour. 8. To solve this dilemma, further investigations of lacertid mating behaviour, espe- cially courtship, will be necessary. They must be extended also to other lizard families. For this purpose the aid of terrarists is requested.

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Vocalizations of the Iberian lacertids Psammodromus algirus and P. hispanicus as well as of the Canarian endemic Gallotia atlantica, G. galloti galloti, g. eisentrauti, G. caesaris, g. gomerae, g. palmae and G. stehlini were analyzed sonagraphically. The structure of the calls resembles those known from the families Pygopodidae (Lialis, Delma) and Iguanidae (Anolis) rather than those of Gekkonidae. The vocal repertoire of the lacertids is rather simple; it consists of clicks and various combinations of tonal and noisy components. Duration and frequency range of the sounds are variable; at least frequency range seems to vary with individual size, body temperature and the level of excitement. Most lizards vocalized when handled, but vocalization was also heard in free-ranging animals kept in cages and observed in the field. Sounds are uttered by inferior individuals defending a hide but also by dominant animals pursuing a rival. Field observations indicate that vocal activity is most intensive after sunset and may last until midnight. It is argued that vocalization in the highly territorial lizards of genus Gallotia may help regulate the high population densities, especially in the dark when optical signals do not work. The subtropical climate and the heat-gathering lava of the Canary islands make a nocturnal activity possible. The systematic significance of vocalization in Gallotia is discussed. Vocalization may be a synapomorphic character defining the genus Gallotia, but it is also present in Psammodromus and has been mentioned for Podarcis, Lacerta and Ichnotropis. From this, a multiple evolution can also not be excluded. Therefore, the common derived karyotype of the Gallotia species is the only established synapomorphic character justifying a separate generic but not at all familial rank for the Canary lizards.

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Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy 3Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine, University Grenoble Alpes, University Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble, France 4Kosmos – Museo di Storia Naturale dell’Università di Pavia, Pavia, Italy 5Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy 6I.P.L.A., Istituto per le Piante da Legno e l`Ambiente, Torino, Italy Correspondence Gentile Francesco Ficetola, Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20126 Milano, Italy. Email: francesco.ficetola@gmail.com Funding information Italian Ministry for Research, Grant/Award Number: 2017KLZ3MA Editor: Ana Margarida Coelho dos Santos Abstract Aim: Analyses of biogeographical patterns and macroecology of islands require large datasets reporting the occurrence of species. The Mediterranean region is a biodiver- sity hotspot, which hosts a large number of reptile species and has been the focus of many studies. Nevertheless, comprehensive inventories describing the features and biodiversity of these environments are lacking. We gathered a dataset summarizing data on reptile distribution on islands of the Mediterranean basin and Macaronesia, also including detailed information on the geographical features. Location: Islands from the Mediterranean Basin, the Atlantic Ocean within the Mediterranean biogeographical region, and Macaronesia (Canary and Savage Islands, Azores, Madeira and Cape Verde). Time period: Present. Taxon: Reptiles (squamates and turtles). Methods: Initially, we developed a geographical database describing islands of the study region, then gathered information on reptile occurrences from 757 bibliograph- ical sources, including atlases, published papers and the grey literature. Through a critical review of these sources, we also obtained information on the status of popula- tions (native, island endemic or non-native) and on the reliability of occurrence data. Results: We obtained basic geographical information from 1875 islands covering the whole study region and with a very broad range of geographical features. We gath- ered >4150 records of reptile occurrence on islands, referring to 198 taxonomic units (species or species complexes); information on population status was available for 84.9% of records. Data are provided as comma-delimited text files. Main conclusions: The database provides a key resource for biogeographical analyses and can also serve as a backbone for conservation studies. The availability of a large database on island features can also be useful for biogeographers working on other taxonomic groups. Nevertheless, more data are required for some geographical areas, in order to ascertain the status (e.g., native vs. non-native) of many populations and to understand the interplay between natural and human-driven processes.

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An as yet undiagnosed illness of lacertid lizards of the genera Algyroides, Gallotia, Lacerta, and Algyroides is described. The main symptoms are runny eyes, apathy, food und water refusal. The illness is almost always fatal. Antibiotics like tetracyclines and sulphathiazole had no effect. It is not known whether the disease is contagious. Some species like green lizards seem to be more susceptible. Stress is thought to possibly play an important role in this disease.

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The interspecific relationships among female size, clutch size, egg size, and hatchling size were examined for 64 European lacertids. The eggs of all species increased linearly in both linear dimensions and mass during incubation. Across species initial egg mass was positively correlated with juvenile mass, with an allometric relationship exponent of 0.87. Initial egg mass across species increased proportionally with female mass to the power of 0.57. Moreover, an increase in maternal mass was also accompanied by an increase in clutch size. The number of eggs per clutch across species scaled with female mass to the power of 0.39. Removing the effect of female mass resulted in a negative correlation between egg mass and clutch size. Species for which the average egg size was lower than expected on the basis of female mass, tended to have larger relative clutch size. The total egg mass per clutch was about one third of female mass (exponent 0.94).

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Diet and helminth fauna were analysed in the lizard Gallotia atlantica (Squamata: Lacertidae), the smallest species of this genus endemic to Lanzarote and Fuerteventura (Canary Islands), in an attempt to confirm previous claims of rela- tionships between these ecological traits in this genus. A total of 70 lizards belonging to the subspecies atlantica (central southern Lanzarote), laurae (northern Lanzarote) and mahoratae (Fuerteventura) were examined. Compared with other Gallotia, the helminth fauna was impoverished, particularly in Fuerteventura, where the absence of larval cestodes suggests low predation pressure. Diet was omnivor- ous, the plant fraction (73.03–84.26%) included seeds and fruits while the animal fraction was quite diverse, at least in Lanzarote. Contrary to other Gallotia, the intestinal Pharyngodonidae nematodes were all typical of carnivorous reptiles. An individual association between the complexities of helminth communities and diet reinforces previous findings in other Gallotia species suggesting functional relation- ships between parasites and prey items inside the digestive tract.

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Qualitative and quantitative comparisons of histological data recorded from growing bone from seven extant and extinct taxa of Gallotia show that these lizards do not have the same longevity, reach sexual maturity at various ages and probably have different growth rates which are in reverse proportion to the specific size of individuals in each taxon. In term of relative growth, the highest rate is seen in the smallest taxon (G. atlantica) and the lowest in the largest taxon (G. goliath). It appears that differences between the maximum size reached, irrespective of the size of hatchlings, are only the consequence of changes in longevity allowing a more or less protracted growth; they are not due to differences in growth rates. On the basis of these data we discuss some points relating to adaptive strategies and evolutionary features of these lizards.

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We discuss three aspects of the thermal biology of lacertid lizards. First, we provide an overview of the available data on field body temperatures (Tb), the thermal sensitivity of various performance functions and selected body temperatures in different species of lacertid lizards. We also briefly summarise information on the mechanisms of thermoregulation. Second, we discuss recent developments to estimate the »precision« of thermoregulation, and the contribution of distinct behavioural mechanisms. Finally, we revise available evidence for the existence of evolutionary adjustments of thermal characteristics in lacertid lizards. Existing studies have mainly dealt with within- and among-species differences in thermoregulatory behaviour (selected temperatures) and thermal physiology of adults (optimal temperatures, heating rates). Available data provide only limited evidence for clear-cut evolutionary shifts in thermal physiology characteristics along climatic gradients.

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The Canary Islands have become a model region for evolutionary studies. We obtained 1.8 Kbp of mtDNA sequence from all known island forms of the endemic lizard genus Gallotia and from its sister taxon Psammodromus in order to reanalyze phylogenetic relationships within the archipelago, estimate lineage divergence times, and reconstruct the colonization history of this group. Well-supported phylogenies were obtained using maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference. Previous studies have been unable to establish the branching pattern at the base of the tree. We found evidence that G. stehlini (Gran Canaria) originated from the most basal Gallotia node and G. atlantica from the subsequent node. Divergence times were estimated under a global clock using Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods implemented by three different programs: BEAST, MCMCTREE, MULTIDIVTIME. Node constraints were derived from subaerial island appearance data and were incorporated into the analyses as soft or hard maximal bounds. Posterior node ages differed slightly between programs, possibly due to different priors on divergence times. The most eastern Canary Islands first emerged just over 20 mya and their colonization appears to have taken place relatively quickly, around 17–20 mya. The subsequent node is consistent with cladogenesis due to colonization of Gran Canaria from the eastern islands about 11–13 mya. The western islands appear to have been colonized by a dispersal event from Lanzarote/Fuerteventura in the east to either La Gomera or one of the ancient edifices that subsequently formed Tenerife in the west, about 9–10 mya. Within the western islands, the most recent node that is ancestral to both the G. intermedia/G. gomerana/G. simonyi and the G. galloti/G. caesaris clades is dated at about 5–6 mya. Subsequent dispersal events between ancient Tenerife islands and La Gomera are dated at around 3 mya in both clades, although the direction of dispersal cannot be determined. Finally, we show that G. galloti is likely to have colonized La Palma more than 0.5 Ma after emergence of the island 1.77 mya, while G. caesaris from the same clade may have colonized El Hierro very soon after it emerged 1.12 mya. There are tentative indications that the large-bodied endangered G. simonyi colonized El Hierro around the same time or even later than the smaller-bodied G. caesaris. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of Bayesian dating of a phylogeny in helping reconstruct the historical pattern of dispersal across an oceanic archipelago.

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As part of a natural history trip to the island of Lanzarote, it was possible to visit, among other things, a gray shrike’s spit-ground (Lanius excubitor koenigi) in a mastic bush (Pistacia lentiscus) of a garden. Severel cranial skeletons of Gallotia a. atlantica were discovered and photografically documented. A total of eight lizard skulls were counted, where further skulls are suspected in the upper area of the shrub.

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A new species of anoplocephalid cestode is described from Gallotia atlantica (Reptilia, Lacertidae) on the Canary Islands, Spain. Oochoristica feliui n. sp. belongs to the group of Oochoristica spp. having circular suckers and fewer than 25 testes in a single cluster: O. lygosomae Burt, 1933; O. lygosomatis Skinker, 1935; O. elongata Dupouy et Kechemir, 1973; O. jonnesi Bursey, McAllister and Freed, 1997; O. junkea Johri, 1950; O. macallisteri Bursey and Goldberg, 1996; O. novaezelandae Schmidt and Allison, 1985; O. parvogenitalis Dupouy and Kechemir, 1973; and O. sobolevi (Spasskii, 1948) Spaskii, 1951. Oochoristica feliui n. sp. differs from these species in a variety of characters such as the number of proglottids, size of the scolex and suckers, presence of a neck, size and shape of the ovary (divided into 5-6 lobules), ovoid shape of the vitelline gland, a spined cirrus, size of eggs, oncosphere and oncosphere hooks, and the presence of 2 osmoregulatory canals. Gallotia spp. are endemic to the Canary Islands. This is the first report of an adult cestode species in this lizard.

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We studied relationships among blood haemogregarines (Apicomplexa), ectoparasitic mites (Ophyonissus; Acari: Trombiculidae) and an endemic lizard host (Gallotia atlantica, Lacertidae) on an oceanic islet (Alegranza, Canary Islands). We asked whether blood infection, mite load and body condition were related in lizard subpopulations at two contrasting habitats. Both haemogregarine prevalence (100%) and intensity of parasitism (>1) were strikingly higher than values found for congeneric lizards from the other Canary Islands. There were few differences between habitats in infection levels, suggesting low influence of habitat on parasite performance. Both mite prevalence and intensity were very high, though only prevalence differed between habitats (higher in the richest and climatically more sheltered site). Body condition in lizards did not differ significantly between habitats. We found no association among blood parasite load, mite infection and lizard body condition. Results are discussed in the context of parasite‐host relationships on small islands as compared to larger areas such as continents.

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Phylogenetic relationships among species and subspecies of the Canary Island endemic lizard genus Gallotia are inferred base on nucleotide sequence of fragments of 12S ribosomal RNA and cytochrome b mitochondrial genes. The four morphologically established species have also been recognized at the molecular level. Relative affinities among species follow an eatsern-western geographic transect. The nearly extinct species Galloti simonyi from the most western island of El Hierro is closely related to the common western species Gallotia galloti. The nearest branch to this pair is Gallotia stehlini from the central island of Gran Canaria, and finally, Gallotia atlantica from the two eastern and geologically oldest islands appears as the most distantly related species of the group. At the statistical level, four subspecies can be recognized in G. galloti, but only two in G. atlantica.

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The implementation of molecular tools in parasitology has led to the discovery of numerous cryptic species. However, detailed morphological studies are needed to evaluate the cryptic nature of such species, as well as to provide an appropriate and formal description. Recent phylogenetic analyses using mitochondrial and nuclear genes have revealed that the nematode Spauligodon atlanticus, parasite of lizards of the genus Gallotia endemic to the Canary Islands, consists of two highly divergent and unrelated lineages, one in the eastern islands and the other in the western ones. This study provides a detailed morphological analysis of the two S. atlanticus lineages characterized genetically, based on body measurements and scanning electron microscopy. This integrative approach revealed phenotypic differences between them, despite their overall morphological resemblance. As a result, the new species Spauligodon occidentalis sp. nov., from the formerly western lineage, is described. The morphological similarity between the two Spauligodon species is better explained on the basis of evolutionary convergence, since both species parasitize Gallotia lizards. In addition to delimiting the new nematode species, this study highlights the importance of combining genetic and morphological data with taxonomy to uncover the nature of cryptic species and decrease taxonomic uncertainty.

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Während einer Reise im Juni 2016 nach Fuerteventura und eines Ausflugs auf die Insel Lobos wurde die Herpetofauna und Flora beobachtet und fotografiert. Es wurden die hier lebende Unterart der Atlantischen Eidechse, Gallotia atlantica mahoratae sowie die von teneriffa nach Esquinzo verschleppte Gallotia galloti eisentrauti gefunden. Der Purpurarienskink, Chalcides simonyi und die ebenfalls nach Fuerteventura verschleppte Gran-Canatria-Eidechse, Gallotia stehlini wurden leider nicht gefunden.

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1. Males and females often differ from one another in phenotypic traits due to differential investment in traits relevant to the fitness of each sex. However, how differences in sexually dimorphic traits affect ecologically relevant performance traits and whether these are correlated with variation in ecology remains poorly understood. 2. Here, we test the co-evolution of head shape, bite force capacity and diet in male and female lizards (Gallotia) from the Canary Islands, known to be sexually dimorphic. We collected data on bite force and head size and shape for both sexes of all seven extant species on all seven islands of the archipelago (ten evolutionary-independent lineages). Moreover, we collected diet data for five out of the seven species (eight lineages). 3. Our results show that the evolution of head morphology is associated with the evolution of bite force in both sexes. However, only in females is the evolution of head morphology and bite force associated with the evolution of diet. In males, head morphology and bite force are decoupled from the evolution of diet. In conjunction with the male head shape characterized by a broad rostrum, this suggests that head shape and bite force may be evolving principally under sexual selection in males. 4. Our data thus suggest that head morphology and associated functional traits may evolve under different selective pressures in the two sexes.

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A karyological analysis on lizards of the Canary Islands Gallotia simonyi and G. atlantica ssp., resulted inboth cases ina formula of 2n = 40 (38.1 + 2 m; NF = 40); what, besides the results in Gallotia galloti, defines the genus Gallotia (Lacertidae) endemic of the Canary Islands as a monophyetic unit. Considering the ancestral characteristic demonstrated in several species of this genus by different authors such ads some morphological aspects (the hemipenis) as well as ethological aspects (copulatory ritual), it pointed out the important coincidence of the karyotype of these species and its relictual character. The similarities with Lacerta jayakari of Oman, are commended taking into consideration the botanical connections between the Canary Islands and south-eastern Arabia.

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The Canary Island lizards constitute a monophyletic group which separated from the rest of the family shortly after the first islands of the archipelago emerged. Five living and at least one recently extinct species belong to the genus Gallotia. In addition, two of the living species, Gallotia simonyi and Gallotia stehlini have become extinct on Gomera and Tenerife, respectively. Juveniles of all species present tricuspid teeth. This character is preserved in the adults with changes to one degree or another in G. galloti, G. caesaris, G. simonyi and G. goliath. In G. atlantica there are only two cuspids and G. stehlini has 4 or more. It has been confirmed that in current species there is a direct relationship between the num,ber of cuspids in the adults and the extent to which they are herbivorous. The number and arrangement of teeth on the pterigoides also presents some differences in terms of species: only one row in G. atlantiva, G. galloiti, G. caesaris, G. stehlini, G. goliath from La Gomera and the smaller G. simonyi. Gallotia goliath on other islands and the larger G. simonyi specimens present a lot of teeth in two rows. A model is suggested according to which the phenomenon of gigantism in these lizards is related to favourable environments of recent volcanic origin, while the extinction of large species is associated with selective predation on the larger breeders by Mnan and by domestic animals.

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Chemosystematic investigations on the position of Lacerta jayakari and the genera Gallotia and Psammodromus (Sauria; Lacertidae) 13 species of the genera Lacerta, Psammodromus and Gallotia (L. erhardii, L. filfolensis, L. bedriagae, L. cappadocica, L. jayakari, L. vivipara, L. trilineata, L. agilis, P. hispanicus, P. algirus, G. atlantica, G. galloti, G. stehlin:) have been examined by means of micro complement fixation tests (albumin) as well as by proteinelectrophoresis concerning 14 genetic loci. The results and their con-sequences are the follows: 1. L. cappadocica, L. bedriagae, and L. erhardii/L. filfolensis are representatives of phylogeneticly equivalent groups (subgenera). Their isolation in the Middle Miocene corresponds with the first contacts of the landmasses of Eurasia and Africa. 2. Lacerta jayakari may be considered as a representative of a further group equivalent in this aspect; though the immunological results would not exclude a position near the green lizards (subgenus Lacerta s. str.). 3. Because of this isolated position of L. jayakari for this species (and Lacerta cyanura) the subgenus Omanosaura subgen. nov. has been established. 4. Psammodromus hispanicus and P. algirus have probably been isolated of each other since the Middle Miocene, too. 5. The radiation of the genus Gallotia corresponds closely with genesis of the Canary Isles.

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Gallotia atlantica is a lizard endemic to the eastermost islands of the Canary Islands. However, there is also one population present on Gran Canaria. Once described as a different subspecies than the ones from Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, it is now acknowledged that this population was introduced on Gran Canaria. According to different publications, this population was attributed either to Gallotia atlantica atlantica or to Gallotia atlantica mahoratae. Here, the author gives the clarification why the population on Gran Canaria should be considered as Gallotia atlantica atlantica and not Gallotia atlantica mahoratae.

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Gallotia is an endemic genus of Lacertidae from the Canary Islands. This genus is known to be omnivorous. It displays an opportunistic feeding behaviour and feeds on a wide variety of food with an important part made of plant matters, including stems, leaves, flowers and fruits. Its diet includes arthropods, other lizards, various animal carrions and even human leftover food too. Two species among the genus Gallotia have been reported to practice coprophagy. Here, the authors share personal observations of this behaviour in three other species of the same genus.

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We studied the occurrence of threat display as a defensive behavior at different temperatures in two large-sized (Gallotia simonyi and Gallotia stehlini) and two small-sized (Gallotia atlantica and Gallotia caesaris) lacertids from the Canary Islands. Lizards were chased on a linear track at five temperatures (24, 28, 32, 36, and 40 C). Only adult individuals of the two large-sized species sporadically adopted the threat display, and G. stehlini used the display more often than did G. simonyi. Among these, there was no clear pattern of relationship between temperature and probability of display nor differences between sexes.

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All recent members of the genus Gallotia from the seven large isles of the Canary Archipelago have been investigated immunologically by means of micro-complement- fixation technique. Three species of genera living in NW-Africa were used as outgroup. Prom the evolutionary tree constructed from the results isolation times can be estimated and ways of colonization can be reconstructed. Various possibilities of insertion of the fossil species G . goliath in the evolutionary tree are discussed.

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Aim Body size is instrumental in influencing animal physiology, morphology, ecology and evolution, as well as extinction risk. I examine several hypotheses regarding the influence of body size on lizard evolution and extinction risk, assessing whether body size influences, or is influenced by, species richness, herbivory, island dwelling and extinction risk. Location World-wide. Methods I used literature data and measurements of museum and live specimens to estimate lizard body size distributions. Results I obtained body size data for 99% of the world`s lizard species. The body size–frequency distribution is highly modal and right skewed and similar distributions characterize most lizard families and lizard assemblages across biogeographical realms. There is a strong negative correlation between mean body size within families and species richness. Herbivorous lizards are larger than omnivorous and carnivorous ones, and aquatic lizards are larger than non-aquatic species. Diurnal activity is associated with small body size. Insular lizards tend towards both extremes of the size spectrum. Extinction risk increases with body size of species for which risk has been assessed. Main conclusions Small size seems to promote fast diversification of disparate body plans. The absence of mammalian predators allows insular lizards to attain larger body sizes by means of release from predation and allows them to evolve into the top predator niche. Island living also promotes a high frequency of herbivory, which is also associated with large size. Aquatic and nocturnal lizards probably evolve large size because of thermal constraints. The association between large size and high extinction risk, however, probably reflects a bias in the species in which risk has been studied.

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Aim Temperature influences most components of animal ecology and life history – but what kind of temperature? Physiologists usually examine the influence of body temperatures, while biogeographers and macroecologists tend to focus on environmental temperatures. We aim to examine the relationship between these two measures, to determine the factors that affect lizard body temperatures and to test the effect of both temperature measures on lizard life history. Location World-wide. Methods We used a large (861 species) global dataset of lizard body temperatures, and the mean annual temperatures across their geographic ranges to examine the relationships between body and mean annual temperatures.We then examined factors influencing body temperatures, and tested for the influence of both on ecological and life-history traits while accounting for the influence of shared ancestry. Results Body temperatures and mean annual temperatures are uncorrelated. However, accounting for activity time (nocturnal species have low body temperatures), use of space (fossorial and semi-aquatic species are ‘colder’), insularity (mainland species are ‘hotter’) and phylogeny, the two temperatures are positively correlated. High body temperatures are only associated with larger hatchlings and increased rates of biomass production. Annual temperatures are positively correlated with clutch frequency and annual longevity, and negatively correlated with clutch size, age at first reproduction and longevity. Main conclusions Lizards with low body temperatures do not seem to have ‘slower’ life-history attributes than species with high body temperatures. The longer seasons prevalent in warm regions, and physiological processes that operate while lizards are inactive (but warm enough), make environmental temperatures better predictors of lizard life-history variation than body temperatures. This surprisingly greater effect of environmental temperatures on lizard life histories hints that global warming may have a profound influence on lizard ecology and evolution.

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This note describes general patterns of winter activity in lizard populations along a latitudinal gradient with an approximate range of twelve degrees (26 to 38°N) in southern Europe and North Africa. We make use of qualitative data gathered through the last ten years in the area, as well as much more accurate quantitative data obtained from periodic censuses covering the whole year cicle in certain populations. Results allow us to impute a great importance to the activity observed in the unfavourable season. This activity seems to be an attribute at the population level and shows a great variability between and within species and populations.

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I examined sexual dimorphism in the lacertids Gallotia atlantica atlantica and Gallotia atlantica mahoratae from Lanzarote and Fuerteventura Islands, respectively. Mean body size was smaller in G. a. mahoratae than in G. a. atlantica. Sexual size dimorphism was greater in G. a. atlantica than in G. a. mahoratae, but relative size of several morphological traits was not different between the two populations. In both subspecies, head and body traits scaled to SVL, with head size of males having a positive allometry, indicating a disproportionate increase of this trait with the increase in body size. Relative size in hind-limb length was greater in males than in females in G. a. atlantica but not in G. a. mahoratae.

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The aim was to study as to how biometric and life-history traits of endemic lacertids in the Canary Islands (genus Gallotia) may have evolved, and possible factors affecting the diversification process of this taxon on successively appearing islands have been deduced. To that end, comparative analyses of sexual dimorphism and scaling of different body, head and life-history traits to body size in 10 species/subspecies of Gallotia have been carried out. Both Felsenstein`s independent contrasts and Huey and Bennett`s `minimum evolution` analyses show that male and female snout-vent length (SVL) changed proportionally (sexual size dimorphism not changing with body size) throughout the evolution of these lizards and all within-sex biometric traits have changed proportionally to SVL. Life-history traits (size at sexual maturity, clutch size, hatchling SVL and mass, and life span) are highly correlated with adult female body size, the first two being the only traits with a positive allometry to female SVL. These results, together with the finding that the slope of hatchling SVL to female SVL regression was lower than that of SVL at maturity to female SVL, indicates that larger females reach maturity at a larger size, have larger clutches and, at the same time, have relatively smaller hatchlings than smaller females. There was no significant correlation between any pair of life-history traits after statistically removing the effect of body size. As most traits changed proportionally to SVL, the major evolutionary change has been that of body size (a ca. threefold change between the largest and the smallest species), that is suggested to be the effect of variable ecological conditions faced by founder lizards in each island.

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I examined sexual dimorphism in the lacertids Gallotia atlantica atlantica and Gallotia atlantica mahoratae from Lanzarote and Fuerteventura Islands, respectively. Mean body size was smaller in G. a. mahoratae than in G. a. atlantica. Sexual size dimorphism was greater in G. a. atlantica than in G. a. mahoratae, but relative size of several morphological traits was not different between the two populations. In both subspecies, head and body traits scaled to SVL, with head size of males having a positive allometry, indicating a disproportionate increase of this trait with the increase in body size. Relative size in hind-limb length was greater in males than in females in G. a. atlantica but not in G. a. mahoratae.

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The author reports on the food and the analysis of faecal pellets of Gallotia atlantica on Fuerteventura (Canary Islands, Spain). The results show that this lizard is omnivorous, but feeds predominantly on insects. It uses a wide range of food, especially Diptera, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera (Formicidae), and adapts quickly to natural changes in food resources. After rainfall and the emergency of new growing vegetation, insect laevae (especially caterpillars) are increasingly eaten by the lizards. Finally, in one of the faecal samples little bones and scales were found and revealed a case of cannibalism in this species.

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1. Secondaryseeddispersaloccurswheneveraseedisdispersedintwoormoredifferent dispersal events, so that different dispersal agents (e.g. animal frugivores or inverte- brates) contribute to different events. Three secondary seed dispersal systems, in which lizards and predatory birds participate, are studied in Lanzarote (Canary Islands). 2. Seeds from all three plant species studied (Lycium intricatum, Rubia fruticosa and Asparagus nesiotes) were found with the remains of lizards (Gallotia atlantica) when they appeared inside shrike (Lanius meridionalis) and kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) pellets. This suggests that these two avian predators might secondarily disperse these plants by incidentally ingesting seeds when they prey upon the frugivorous lizards. 3. Lycium and Rubia seeds dispersed by Falco had significantly thinner seed coats com- pared to the other treatments (Gallotia and Lanius) and to uningested seeds. Correlated with this result, seed hardness increased from Lycium (the softest coat), to Rubia (inter- mediate values), to Asparagus. 4. Seed viability was high in all three species, although both viability and germination were significantly reduced in seeds of Lycium and Rubia dispersed by Falco. 5. The seed distribution was markedly different, Gallotia being an important disperser in the open ground microhabitats, Lanius in hillocks and Falco in hills. Because all three plant species were present in all these microhabitats, our observations suggest that the dispersal of these plants might be associated with the differential use of the habitat by the different dispersers. 6. Synthesis: Contrary to some long-distance seed dispersal (LDD) paradigms, the complex seed dispersal systems we describe are common and affect an important number of seeds that are moved each year to particular microhabitats. Finally, the simultaneous ecological factors analysed in this study support the hypotheses that diplochory by double endozoochory could have played a more important role in LDD events than is currently recognized, both in recent volcanic areas (lowlands) and also probably in the colonization of other subtropical islands.

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In this paper we present the regression analysis between SVL and eight osteological variables in G. atlantica and G. galloti. Positive significant relationships can be observed among them, although coefficient of determination (R²) indicate better fits in the case of G. galloti than G. atlantica. Furthermore, preliminary data on the weight-length relationships are shown. The proposed models can be used in predator vertebrate alimentary studies that include lizards size selection of both mentioned species and also in paleontological surveys.

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Secondary seed dispersal is a multistep system that includes 2 or more dispersal processes that can increase the distance from whichseeds arrive. This phenomenon is relatively common in some habitats of subtropical oceanic islands due to the frequent frugivore–predator interactions found in them. In this study, we describe how the Eurasian Kestrel is an effective disperser of plants in thesecondary seed dispersal process, through interaction with frugivorous lizards. Experiments using captive wild kestrels, along withfield data, showed that predation of kestrels on lizards leads to a secondary seed dispersal with 2 possible outcomes: 1) most seeds(89%) are not consumed by kestrels because they reject the lizards’ digestive tracts and so receive only the gut treatment of lizardsand 2) a small fraction of seeds (11%) appeared inside the kestrel pellets as a result of indirect ingestion by this raptor, thusundergoing double gut treatment. So, 2 different seed dispersal distances may result from this interaction: 1) when the kestrelscapture the lizard and transport it to a perch where the seed-containing guts are discarded and 2) when they indirectly ingest a fewseeds from lizards, consequently increasing the dispersal distance. Seeds from the Macaronesian plant speciesRubia fruticosaweretested, finding that those passed through kestrels had a lower germinability than those that remained inside the rejected lizards’digestive tracts, which had similar germination rates to those from control plants (uningested seeds). The kestrel can be consid-ered an important and effective long-distance seed disperser due to the high abundance of frugivorous lizards in their diet, theirstereotyped consumption behavior, and the effectiveness of their seed dispersal.

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Many animals display complex colour patterns that comprise several adjacent, often contrasting colour patches. Combining patches of complementary colours increases the overall conspicuousness of the complex pattern, enhancing signal detection. Therefore, selection for conspicuousness may act not only on the design of single colour patches, but also on their combination. Contrasting long- and short-wavelength colour patches are located on the ventral and lateral surfaces of many lacertid lizards. As the combination of long- and short-wavelength-based colours generates local chromatic contrast, we hypothesized that selection may favour the co-occurrence of lateral and ventral contrasting patches, resulting in complex colour patterns that maximize the overall conspicuousness of the signal. To test this hypothesis we performed a comparative phylogenetic study using a categorical colour classification based on spectral data and descriptive information on lacertid coloration collected from the literature. Our results demonstrate that conspicuous ventral (long wavelength-based) and lateral (short wavelength-based) colour patches co-occur throughout the lacertid phylogeny more often than expected by chance, especially in the subfamily Lacertini. These results suggest that selection promotes the evolution of the complex pattern rather than the acquisition of a single conspicuous colour patch, possibly due to the increased conspicuousness caused by the combination of colours with contrasting spectral properties.

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A helminthological investigation was carried out on the lacertid lizard, Gallotia atlantica (Peters and Doria, 1882) (Reptilia: Lacertidae) from Lanzarote, Canary Islands (Spain). One hundred and three digenean trematodes were found in the small intestine. Based on morphological and morphometric analysis of 35 specimens, it is concluded to be a new species which is here named Pseudoparadistomum yaizaensis gen. et sp. nov. referring to the locality where the hosts were caught. Pseudoparadistomum n.g. most closely resembles members of Paradistomum and Paradistomoidella, but is characterized by a V-shaped excretory vesicle, a spined tegument, and the position of the ovary relative to the testes.

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Die Kanareneidechsen der Gattung Gallotia gehören zu den chasrismatischten Vertretern der Lacertidae. Durch ihr Vorkommen auf den beliebten Urlaubsinseln, ihre Größe und ihr teils massenhaftes Auftreten sind sire auch bei Laien recht bekannt, während die packenden bis dramatischen Geschichten rund um die beinahe ausgestorbenen Rieseneidechsen die Fachleute elektrisieren. Im seltsamen Mißverhältnis dazu steht, dass diese kräftigen, teils farbenfrohen Echsen in der letzten Zeit in der Terraristik nur noch wenig beachtet worden sind. Zeit für eine Ehrenrettung!

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Observation of introduced lizard species on the Canary Islands of Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. Teira dugesii from Madeira has been observed on Gran Canaria, Gallotia stehlini, originally from Gran Canaria, on the island of Fuerteventura. Also on Fuerteventura, the evidence of Gallotia galloti eisentrauti, introduced from Tenerife, was confirmed.

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Whereas the range size of endangered species is undoubtfuly useful to predict risk of extinction, the role of their life-history characteristics is much less clear, and their effects may depend on the nature of the threatening factors. Such factors, for instance, are known to be different on islands and on the mainland. We used phylogenetically based statistical analyses to study the relationships among conservation status, insularity, range size, and life-history traits in a clade of Western Palaearctic lacertids including insular and continental species. These lizards are ecologically similar, but they show wide variation in life-history traits and vulnerability to extinction. Insular species of a given size had smaller clutches than mainland ones. Degree of threat was best predicted by a logistic regression including range size, insularity, clutch size, and the insularity × clutch size interaction. On the mainland, but not on islands, threatened species had smaller clutches than non-threatened ones. On islands, small clutch size is probably an adaptive trait, and it might predispose certain species to extinction, but the intrinsic characteristics of such species remain unclear. However, small clutch size was a good predictor of extinction risk on the mainland, having evolved most frequently in late maturing species from montane habitats in which climatic conditions limit their reproductive output and increase their vulnerability to stochastic hazards or habitat fragmentation.

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The last species list of the European herpetofauna was published by Speybroeck, Beukema and Crochet (2010). In the meantime, ongoing research led to numerous taxonomic changes, including the discovery of new species-level lineages as well as reclassifications at genus level, requiring significant changes to this list. As of 2019, a new Taxonomic Committee was established as an official entity within the European Herpetological Society, Societas Europaea Herpetologica (SEH). Twelve members from nine European countries reviewed, discussed and voted on recent taxonomic research on a case-by-case basis. Accepted changes led to critical compilation of a new species list, which is hereby presented and discussed. According to our list, 301 species (95 amphibians, 15 chelonians, including six species of sea turtles, and 191 squamates) occur within our expanded geographical definition of Europe. The list includes 14 non-native species (three amphibians, one chelonian, and ten squamates).

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Elements of the herpetofauna are in the author`s opinion of great importance for the zoogeographical division of the Palaearctic region. It is suggested that this region be divided into the following four subregions: 1/ arctic, 2/ boreal Euro-Siberian, 3/ bo- real Himalayan-Manchurian and 4/ Mediterranean-Central-Asiatic.

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Bisher sind für Gallotia atlantica keine Unterarten beschrieben, während G. galloti mehrere aufweist.Die Streuung von 23 Beschuppungsmerkmalen und 24 Körperproportionen wurde bei G. atlantica mit Hilfe des verallgemeinerten Abstands (Mahalanobis D²) untersucht. Die Unterschiede zwischen atlantica-Populationen von verschiedenen Inseln sind im Durchschnitt geringer als bei solchen von galloti. Die Kanonische Analyse von Beschuppung und Körperproportionen ergibt kein einheitliches Bild von Unterschieden in beiden Merkmalskomplexen. Männchen und Weibchen von Lanzarote sind jedoch größer als solche von anderen Inseln und weichen von diesen auch in einigen Körperproportionen ab.

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berücksichtigt sie nicht die kleinen Inselchen, die von G. galloti bewohnt werden. Auch die bei anderen Eidechsen beobachtete positive Korrelation zwischen Inselgröße und populationsinterner Variabilität existiert nicht bei Gallotia. Dagegen besteht eine sehr eine Beziehung (r ≥ 0.94) zwischen Körpergröße und Variabilität bei allen Populationen von Gallotia, die für beide Geschlechter und verschiedene Merkmalstypen bemerkenswert durchgängig ist. Die Variabilität des Phänotyps wird durch ontogenetische Homoeostase-Mechanismen in der Weise beeinflußt, daß eine starke Tendenz zur Homoeostasis nur eine geringe Variation in der phänotypischen Ausprägung der Gene erlaubt. Umgekehrt gilt infolgedessen, daß die hohe potentielle Wachstumsrate großer Eidechsen einer weniger strengen Kontrolle unterliegt. Hierdurch dürfte zu erklären sein, warum großwüchsige Eidechsenarten eine stärkere phänotypische Variabilität zeigen.

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A novel source of nuclear DNA information from random amplified polymorphisms (RAPD) and a wide‐range mitochondrial DNA information (cytochrome b, cytochrome oxidase, and 12s rRNA sequence, RFLP from 4‐base and 6‐base recognition endonucleases) are used to reconstruct the population phylogeny of the western Canary Island lizard, Gallotia galloti, which, for geological reasons, has been subject to dispersal but not vicariance. Interpretation of DNA phylogenies in terms of colonization sequence indicates that G. galloti arose in Tenerife and dispersed westward in two independent pathways: north from north Tenerife to La Palma, and south from south Tenerife to Gomera to Hierro. The direction and timing of colonization by DNA divergence is entirely compatible with geological time and sequence of island origin.

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Die Verbreitung und Inkonsistenz einiger konventioneller diagnostischer Merkmale bei zwei rezenten Formen von Gallotia (galloti und atlantica) sind Anlaß zu einer Untersuchung, ob es sich bei diesen um eigenständige Arten handelt. Phylogenetische und multivariate Analysen einer großen Anzahl von Merkmalen der Beschuppung und von Körperproportionen zeigen, daß die Unterschiede zwischen galloti und atlantica durchgehend größer sind als zwischen Populationen beider Formen; sie sind also “gute” Arten. Es gibt einige, allerdings nicht eindeutige Hinweise darauf, daß es sich bei galloti und stehlini um Sachesternarten handelt, während atlantica mit beiden weniger nah verwandt ist.

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Omnivorous endemic Canarian lacertids (Gallotia atlantica and G. galloti) do not present any specific digestive and physiological adaptations to herbivorous diet, compared to species and populations with a different degree of herbivory in the Canarian archipelago. The only characteristics that could be related to the type of diet were the number of cusps per tooth (between species) and the number of small stones contained in droppings (between species and populations). The rest of measured traits were correlated with lizard size and for this reason G. galloti has longer intestines, heavier stomachs and livers, more teeth and cusps, and longer gut passage. These data suggest that body size is a major determinant of the reliance on plant food (mainly fleshy fruits) in these lizards and facilitates mutualistic interactions with fleshy-fruited plant species.

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Water fluxes and daily energy expenditure (DEE) of Gallotia galloti, G. stehlini and G. atlantica, were estimated over a three-year period using the doubly-labelled water (DLW) method. Water influx varied little between seasons and between sexual categories. Juveniles tended to have higher water fluxes in spring in all three species; after a dry period the water turnover tended to decrease for all sexes in G. galloti and G. stehlini, whereas little variation was observed for G. atlantica. The average water influx, combined for all periods, was 46.27, 50.97 and 38.20 ml H²O.kg-¹ d-¹ for the three species respectively; only the last value differs significantly from the remaining two. The mean DEE, for all periods combined, were 189.7, 179.4 and 146.5 H g-¹ d-¹ for the three species respectively. As for water turnover, only the value for G. atlantica differed significantly. These data suggest that: G. atlantica may be better adaptated to maintain homeostasis during dry periods and that differences in interspecific DEE can also explained by others factors than differences in habitat, climatic conditions, daily profiles of activity or body temperatures. We suspect that the incident of intraspecific competition has more importance in G. atlantica than in the two other species.

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Während einer Reise im Dezember 2013 nach Fuerteventura wurde die dortige Herpetofauna untersucht. Neben der nahezu allgegenwärtigen Atlantischen Eidechse, die hier in der Unterart Gallotia atlantica mahoratae vorkommt, und dem Kanarischen Mauergecko (Tarentola angustimentalis) wurde auf der südlichen Halbinsel Jandia auch eine eingeschleppte Population der aus dem Norden Teneriffas stammenden Gallotia galloti eisentrauti nachgewiesen. Dagegen gelang es nicht, den versteckt lebenden und nur in einigen Gebieten der Insel vorkommenden Purpurarienskink (Chalcides simonyi) aufzuspüren.