A new Canarian lizards subspecies from Hierro Island (Canarian archipelago)

Abstract

The first in-depth study of a relict population of large-sized lizards on Hierro (Canary Islands) was done by Antonio Machado in 1985. The presence of this animal in Hierro was first revealed by Böhme & Bings (1975, 1977) and a preliminary study in situ (Martinez-Rica 1982) was carried out in September 1975. Later discoveries of fossil remains at other places on the island demonstrated the former existence of this lizard on virtually all the island surface (Böhme et al, 1981; Bings, 1985; and our own unpublished data).

Gallotia simonyi machadoi subsp. nov. is described from the mainland of Hierro, where a surviving population was discovered in 1975. The new lizard differs markedly in size and pholidotic characters from the typical subspecies, which lived on the Rock of Salmor until its extinction.