Skip to main content

La Gomera Giant Lizard

Gallotia bravoana
It's already really awesome when a species is "rediscovered." Until about ten years ago, most had thought that this large lizard species was extinct. And not only recently extinct, but extinct for about 500 years!

In 2000, Biologists from La Laguna University discovered six specemins hiding out on the cliffs of La Gomera, one of the Canary Islands. Before this finding the species had only been known from fossilized remains.

There are now about 90 wild individuals and 40 in captivity, and species protection plans have been put in to place to keep this rare species alive. Their major threats include habitat loss and feral cats and rats (enemies to many a species!)
IUCN Status :  Critically Endangered
Location : La Gomera, Canary Islands
Size : Full length up to 4ft (1.2m)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata 
Family : Lacertidae -- Genus : Gallotia -- Species : G. bravoana
Labels:

Comments

  1. Emma SpringfieldMay 27, 2011 at 7:07 PM

    They are rediscovering a lot of species of animals that were previously listed as extinct. It is an interesting phenomenon.

    ReplyDelete
  2. peterbeesDecember 22, 2013 at 11:18 AM

    I've just come back from a holiday on La Gomera. The Giant Lizard really is a national treasure there.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a
59 comments
Read more

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!
18 comments
Read more

Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws! Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km)  from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be! While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long! Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills. IUCN Status :  Not Listed Location :   Cent
Post a Comment
Read more