Facts About Morelet's Alligator Lizard
Mesaspis moreletii, commonly known as Morelet's alligator lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Anguidae. The species is endemic to Central America.
Etymology
The specific name, moreletii, is in honor of French naturalist Pierre Marie Arthur Morelet.
Geographic range
M. moreletii is native to southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and possibly Nicaragua.
Habitat
The natural habitat of M. moreletii consists of Central American pine-oak forests and cloud forests between 1,450 and 2,530 metres (4,760 and 8,300 ft) above sea level.
Subspecies
The following subspecies are recognized as being valid:
- Mesaspis moreletii moreletii (Bocourt, 1872)
- Mesaspis moreletii fulvus (Bocourt, 1871)
- Mesaspis moreletii rafaeli (Hartweg & Tihen, 1946)
- Mesaspis moreletii salvadorensis (Hartweg & Tihen, 1946)
- Mesaspis moreletii temporalis (Hartweg & Tihen, 1946)
Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Mesaspis.
The subspecific name, rafaeli, is in honor of Mexican herpetologist Rafael Martín del Campo.
El Salvador