Amphibians and Reptiles 
in the 
Canary Islands


Noting those during Focus On Nature Tours
with an (*)

including: 
Frogs
Lizards
Geckos
Skinks
Turtles

A list compiled by Armas Hill


UPPER RIGHT PHOTO: a LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE photographed during a FONT tour 
(photo by Alan Brady)


Codes: 

(i):   introduced in the Canary Islands

(e):   endangered 
(t):    threatened 
(nt):  near (or potentially) threatened 

EH:  found on El Hierro
FV:  found on Fuerteventura
GC:  found on Gran Canaria
LG:  found on La Gomera
LP:  found on La Palma 
LZ:  found on Lanzarote
TE:  found on Tenerife
(or offshore, relating to the sea turtles)  


Links: 

Upcoming FONT Birding & Nature Tours in the Canary Islands

Birds of the Canary Islands

Mammals & Marine Life of the Canary Islands

Butterflies, Dragonflies, & Damselflies in the Canary Islands

Interesting Plants of the Canary Islands

          Amphibians:

        Frogs: 

1. Iberian Water Frog  (i)  ______  TE
   Rana perezii  
   
   The Iberian Water Frog, Rana perezii, has occurred in the pools in the Parque Garcia Sanabria in Santa Cruz. in the large ponds at Erjos, and at many other locations on Tenerife.  
   In the southern part of the island, they have been in ornamental pools in the garden of the Las Gangarras restaurant.  
   
   
2. Stripeless Tree Frog  (i)  ______  TE
   Hyla meridionalis
   
   The Stripeless Tree Frog, Hyla meriidonalis, are found on farms and banana plantations where it breeds in the reservoirs and irrigation tanks. It is often heard calling at night.
   
   Both of these species of amphibian occur on other islands in the Canaries in addition to Tenerife. 
   
   
   Reptiles:
   
   Lizards:
   
   
3. Atlantic Lizard  ______  FV  GC(vulnerable)  LZ  (& nearby islets)  (endemic to the Canary Islands)
   Gallotia atlantica
   Gallotia a. atlantica  ______  LZ
   Gallotia a. delibesi  ______  GC
   Gallotia a. ibagnezi  ______  
   Malpais de la Corona Lizard  ______
   Gallotia a. laurae  ______  on the islet Malpais de La Corona, northeast of Lanzarote 
   Gallotia a. malhoratae  ______  FV  GC   
   
   Gallotia atlantica is the smallest of the species in the genus. The basic color of both sexes varies between gray and olive-brown, partly according to their habitat. They do not have color-changing ability.     
   There is considerable variation in coloration at different stages in its life-cycle. Juveniles range from gray-orange to a dark gray, with some being ochre-orange with a metallic sheen. Subadults have a brown-gray dorsum with a coppery sheen.
   
   Apart from the usual invertebrate prey, Galliotia atlantica also eats a considerable amount of plant matter.  
   
   Galliota atlantica is apparently quite common in the Timanfaya National Park on Lanzarote.
    
   
4. Boettger's Lizard  ______  EH  (rare on Greater Roque Salmor)  (endemic to the Canary Islands)
   Gallotia c. caesaris  (has also been Galliota galloti caesaris)
   La Gomera Boéttger's Lizard  ______ LG
   Gallotia c. gomerae  (has also been Galliota galloti gomerae)
   
   Gallotia caesaris has been considered a subspecies of Galliota galloti.
   
   Gallotia c. gomerae is not as dark as Gallotia c. caesaris.
   
   
5. West Canaries Lizard  (or Tenerife Lizard)  ______  EH  LG  LP  TE  (endemic to the Canary Islands)
   Gallotia galloti
   Gallotia g. galloti  ______  TE (south & central)
   Eisentraut's West Canaries Lizard  ______  TE (north) (rare on Roque de Tierra)
   Gallotia g. eisentrauti
   Roques de Anaga Lizard  ______  on Roque de Fera off the Anaga Peninsula (vulnerable)
   Gallotia g. insulanagae
   Palma West Canaries Lizard  ______  LP
   Gallotia g. palmae
   
   Gallotia galloti is the most commonly seen of the ''wall lizards" in the Canary Islands.
   
   About two-thirds of the length of Gallotia gallotia is the tail.
   
   In Tenerife, Gallotia gallotia is fairly abundant, from sea level to the sides of Mount Teide. It is only absent in areas with lurisilva.  
   
   The subspecies Gallotia g. palmae is larger than those of El Hierro and La Gomera, and smaller than those of Tenerife.
   Galliotia g. galloti is the smaller of the two Tenerife subspecies. 
   
   
6. EL Hierro Giant Lizard  (e)  ______  EH   (part of a "complex" of living & extinct giant lizards of the Canaries; until recently all of its members were believed to be extinct)  (endemic to the Canary Islands, a critically endangered species)
   Gallotia simonyi machadoi  _____  EH  (endangered)
   Gallotia s. simonyi  ______  EH (Roques del Salmor) (extinct)
   
   Gallotia simonyi is reduced to a small colony (that numbered about 200 individuals in 1975), surviving on the inaccessible north of the island of El Hierro. It is strictly protected.
   The nominate, Gallotia s. simonyi, on the Roques del Salmor died out around 1935.
   
   Gallotia simonyi are herbivorous lacertids, feeding basically on the two plants Kleinia neriifolia and Lavandula abrotanoides.
   They are stocky lizards with a broad head and pronounced jowls.
   The basic coloration is a dark gray-brown, with two lateral rows of pale orange patches.    
   
   
7. La Gomera Giant Lizard  (e)  ______  LG  (species was discovered in 1996 & described  in 1999) (endemic to the Canary islands, critically endangered) 
   Gallotia bravoana  (was Gallotia (simonyi) gomerana & Gallotia simonyi bravoana)   
   
   Gallotia gomerana resembles Gallotia simonyi and inhabits a similar environment (inaccessible cliffs and rocks).
   
   Although Galliota gomerana was known from fossils, local people on La Gomera insisted that the large lizards had been alive quite recently and quite abundant.
   After the rediscovery of the lizards, 6 were transferred to breeding site. 
   
   The coloration of Gallotia gomerana is dark or black, with ivory ventral surfaces, especially on the throat. One captive male has had a rosy patch on the corners of its mouth.     
   
   
8. Giant Canary Giant Lizard  (e)  ______  FV(i)  GC  (endemic to the Canary Islands, a critically endangered species)  
   Gallotia stehlini   
   
   Gallotia stehlini was formerly considered a subspecies of Gallotia simonyi. It is the largest Canarian lizard that most visitors are likely to see.  Females are usually about 8 inches smaller than males.
   
   Dorsal coloration varies between dark reddish brown to gray-brown, and many individuals have lighter bands of varying intensity across the back. The snout is usually darker, while the lower sides of the head, the cheeks and part of the neck are a bright yellow or orange. The ventral surfaces are flecked with white.
   
   Galliotia stehlini is less often found in wooded areas than in banana plantations, tomato fields, and rubbish dumps. It is quite shy by nature. On Gran Canaria, it occurs from sea level to the highest parts of the island.    
   
   
9. La Palma Giant Lizard  (e)  ______  LP  (endemic to the Canary Islands, critically endangered)
   Gallotia auaritae
   
   
10. Tenerife Giant Lizard  ______  (extinct, known from subfossil remains) (was endemic to the Canary Islands)
    Gallotia goliath  (includes Gallotia maxima)
    
    Gallotia goliath, restricted to Tenerife, was apparently closer to Gallotia intermedia than to Gallotia simonyi.
    
    
11. Tenerife Speckled Lizard  (e)   ______  TE  (species discovered in 1996 & described in 1999)  (endemic to the Canary Islands, critically endangered)
    Gallotia intermedia  
    
    Gallotia intermedia resembles Gallotia simonyi and inhabits a similar environment (inaccessible cliffs and rocks) in the southwestern Teno Peninsula of Tenerife.
    Gallotia intermedia differs from Gallotia gallotia on the rest of Tenerife not only by the coloration, but also by its longer tail.  
    
    The overall color of Galliotia intermedia is dark gray with a lighter mottled pattern and blue spots on the flanks in both males and females.  
    
    There may be no more than 500 individuals in the population of Gallotia intermedia. Thus, strict protection and conservation is necessary.
    
    
    Geckos:
    
    
    In the Canary Islands, the TARENTOLAE seem at times to be present in almost every house. On the various islands, there are species and subspecies that resemble each other.   
    
    
12. East Canary Gecko  ______  FV(rare)  GC  LZ  (endemic to the Canary Islands)
    Tarentola angustimentalis
    
    
13. Boettger's Wall Gecko  ______  EH  GC  (endemic to the Canary Islands)
    Tarentola boettgeri
    
    
14. Tenerife Gecko  ______  LP  TE  (endemic to the Canary Islands)
    Tarentola delalandii
    
    
15. Gomera Wall Gecko  ______  LG  (endemic to the Canary Islands)
    Tarentola gomerensis
    
    
16. Mediterranean House Gecko  (or Turkish Gecko)  ______  GC(rare)  TE(vulnerable) 
    Hemidactylus turcicus
    
    
    Skinks
    
    
17. East Canary Skink  ______  FV  LZ  (rare)  (endemic to the Canary Islands)
    Chalcides simonyi
    
    Chalcides simonyi has been considered a subspecies: Chalcides polylepis occidentalis, the Many-sided Cylindrical Skink of Morocco & Western Sahara.
    
    
18. Gran Canaria Skink  ______  GC  (endemic to the Canary Islands)
    Chalcides sexlineatus
    
    
19. West Canary Skink  ______  EH  LG  (endemic to the Canary Islands) 
    Charcides viridanus
    Charcides v. viridanus  ______  EH  & Roque de Tierra & Roque de Fuera (rare) 
    Charcides viridanus coeruleopunctatus  ______  LG
    
    
    Turtles:
    
    
    Currently, there is no indication of any of the following marine turtles nesting in the Canary Islands, but it is thought that some may have done so in the past. Now, they occur as visiting migrants.    
    
    
20. Loggerhead Sea Turtle  ______  (photo at top of list)
    Caretta caretta   
    
    The Loggerhead Sea Turtle is by far the most common species of marine turtle in the Canary Islands. 
      
    
21. Green Sea Turtle ______  
    Chelonia mydas
    
    
22. Atlantic Hawksbill  ______
    Eretmochelys imbricata imbricata
    
    
23. Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle  ______
    Lepidochelys kempii
    
    
24. Leatherback Sea Turtle  ______
    Dermochelys coriacea
    
    There have been several sightings of Leatherback Turtles on beaches in Fuerteventura Island, but (as noted above), there has been no credible indication of nesting, either recently or historically.   
     
    
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