Celestinae Schools & Hedges, 2021

Schools, Molly & Hedges, Blair, 2024, A new forest lizard fauna from Caribbean islands (Squamata, Diploglossidae, Celestinae), Zootaxa 5554 (1), pp. 1-306 : 24-26

Subfamily Celestinae Schools & Hedges, 2021

Caribbean Forest Lizards

Genus Caribicus Schools & Hedges, 2021

Hispaniolan Giant Forest Lizards

Type species. Celestus darlingtoni Cochran, 1939:2 .

Diagnosis. Species of Caribicus have (1) a dorsal pattern of absent/lineate/bands, (2) head markings absent/ present, (3) markings in the longitudinal paramedian area absent/present, (4) dots arranged in bars in the lateral band absent/present, (5) a maximum SVL of 61.1–300 mm, (6) ventral scale rows, 69–107, (7) midbody scale rows, 33–43, (8) total lamellae on one hand, 33–48, (9) total strigae on ten scales, 90–500, (10) relative length of all digits on one hindlimb, 24.6–31.9 %, (11) relative distance between the angled subocular and mouth, 0.768–1.57 %, (12) relative eye length, 3.43–3.92 %, (13) relative forelimb length, 19.8–23.3 %, (14) relative ear width, 1.15–1.88 %, (15) relative rostral height, 1.55–2.22 %, (16) relative head length, 17.4–23.8 %, (17) relative mental width, 1.46–2.52 %, (18) relative postmental width, 2.70–3.87 %, (19) relative cloacal width, 7.08–10.8 %, (20) relative prefrontal width, 4.51–7.41 %, (21) relative largest supraocular width, 1.95–3.12 %, (22) relative longest finger length, 3.41–6.14 %, (23) relative distance between the ear and eye, 5.96–10.6 %, (24) relative head width, 71.4–93.4 %, (25) relative frontal width, 74.3–89.3 %, (26) relative nasal height, 1.06–1.45 %, (27) relative angled subocular height, 0.652–1.89 %, (28) relative distance between the eye and naris, 4.38–6.27 %, (29) relative canthal iii length, 1.64–2.17 %, (30) relative angled subocular width, 2.13–2.91 %, and (31) relative nasal width, 1.49–1.92 %.

Content. Three species (Table 3): Caribicus anelpistus , C. darlingtoni , and C. warreni .

Distribution. Caribicus occurs primarily on the geological North Island of Hispaniola and adjacent Île-de-la- Tortue, although two old records are from the South Island (Fig. 5).

FIGURE 5. Map showing the distribution of Caribicus . Hollow symbols indicate unexamined records assignable to species.

TABLE 3. Classification and IUCN threat level of the Caribbean species of the subfamily Celestinae . Additional details on distribution are provided in the text. Bold text in the IUCN Threat Level column indicates a threat level assessment recommended herein.

TABLE 3. (Continued)