Celestus Explained

Celestus is a genus of diploglossid lizards mostly endemic to Jamaica (aside from a single species endemic to Haiti) and containing about 11 species, though three of these may be extinct. They are commonly known as galliwasps although the origin of this name is unclear. Formerly, this genus had more than 31 species, but a 2021 phylogenetic study found this classification to be paraphyletic and split those species into their own genera.^{[1] [2]} A more recent study found that several ecomorphs exist on Jamaica including a swamp ecomorph, a tree ecomorph, and a ground ecomorph.^[3]

Species

• Celestus barbouri – limestone forest galliwasp
• Celestus crusculus – Jamaican forest galliwasp
• Celestus duquesneyi – blue-tailed forest galliwasp
• Celestus fowleri – bromeliad forest galliwasp
• Celestus hewardi – red-spotted forest galliwasp
• Celestus macrolepis – large-scaled forest galliwasp (possibly extinct)
• Celestus macrotus Thomas & Hedges, 1989 – La Selle forest galliwasp
• Celestus microblepharis – small-eyed forest galliwasp
• Celestus molesworthi – Portland Coast forest galliwasp
• Celestus occiduus – Jamaican giant galliwasp (possibly extinct)
• Celestus striatus – golden forest galliwasp (possibly extinct)

Nota bene: a binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Celestus.

Further reading

• Gry JE (1839). "Catalogue of the Slender-tongued Saurians, with Descriptions of many new Genera and Species". Annals and Magazine of Natural History, [''First Series'' ] 2: 287–293. (Celestus, new genus, p. 288).

External links

• Web site: San Cristobal Galliwasp, Celestus anelpistus . . 2018-06-29.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Search results The Reptile Database . 2022-08-02 . reptile-database.reptarium.cz.
2. Schools . Molly . species:Molly Schools . Hedges . S. Blair . Stephen Blair Hedges . 2021 . Phylogenetics, classification, and biogeography of the Neotropical forest lizards (Squamata, Diploglossidae) . Zootaxa . 4974 . 2 . 201–257 . 10.11646/zootaxa.4974.2.1 . 34186858 . 1175-5334.
3. Schools . Molly . Kasprowicz . Adrienne . Hedges . S. Blair . 2022 . Phylogenomic data resolve the historical biogeography and ecomorphs of Neotropical forest lizards (Squamata, Diploglossidae) . Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution . en . 175 . 107577 . 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107577 . 1055-7903. free . 35835424 .