Congolacerta

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Lepidosauromorpha
Superordo: Lepidosauria
Ordo: Squamata
Cladus: Unidentata Episquamata

Subordo: Lacertoidea
Infraordo: Lacertibaenia

Familia: Lacertidae
Subfamilia: Lacertinae
Genus: Congolacerta
Species (2): C. asukului – C. vauereselli
Name

Congolacerta Greenbaum, Villanueva, Kusamba, Aristote & Branch, 2011: 927

Type species: Lacerta vauereselli Tornier, 1902, by original designation.
References
Primary references

Greenbaum, E., Villanueva, C.O., Kusamba, C,, Aristote, M.M. & Branch, W.R. 2011. A molecular phylogeny of Equatorial African Lacertidae, with the description of a new genus and species from eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 163(3): 913–942. DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2011.00732.x Reference page.

Links

Uetz, P. & Hallermann, J. 2023. Congolacerta . The Reptile Database. Accessed on 15 April 2019.

Congolacerta is a genus of equatorial African lacertids of the family Lacertidae. Species of this genus are distributed in western East Africa.[1][2]
Male of Congolacerta vauereselli (from Sternfeld 1912)
Head of Congolacerta vauereselli
Etymology

The name Congolacerta is a combination of "Congo" and "lacerta" (lizard). The common name is Congo Lizard.[2]
Distribution

Congolacerta vauereselli occurs from the Lendu Plateau (west of Lake Albert in Democratic Republic of Congo) along the Albertine Rift and its foothills through southwestern Uganda, Rwanda, and northwestern Tanzania as far south as the Kabobo Plateau at the border of South Kivu and Katanga Provinces, Democratic Republic of Congo.[2][3] C. asukului is known from only four localities from a small area (550 km2) at the highest elevations of the Itombwe Plateau/South Kivu/Democratic Republic of Congo.[2]
Habitat and natural history

Congolacerta are diurnal lacertid lizards which are good climbers on standing and fallen timber and rocky walls and presumably lay eggs. They emerge to bask as the morning warms up, and will then hunt for small arthropods.

Congolacerta vauereselli can be found in clearings and openings within Guineo-Congolian forests from 1000–2675 m altitude.[3] In Parc National des Volcans/Rwanda this species lives only on the artificial volcanic rock wall (which is 1–2 m high) intended to keep buffalo (Syncerus caffer) inside the park boundary (buffalo wall). C. vauereselli is sympatric in this region with Adolfus jacksoni and were found basking within 3 m of each other on the wall. Adolfus jacksoni appeared to be more common than C. vauereselli. Spawls et al. (2002) mentions that C. vauereselli is a true forest lizard, but it was never encountered in true forest or any other closed canopy habitat.[4]

Congolacerta asukului occurs in high-elevation grasslands (more than 2650 m altitude) often near rocky outcrops of the Itombwe Plateau in the Albertine Rift Montane Forest ecoregion. They inhabit high-elevation meadows that are common amongst rivers, swamps, and subalpine scrub forests, which are dominated by tree heathers and other Ericaceae. Individuals were observed basking on rocks, and they retreat to small burrows amongst tussocks of grass.[2]
Species

The following species are recognized as being valid.[1][5]

Congolacerta asukului Greenbaum, Villanueva, Kusamba, Aristote & Branch, 2011 - Asukulu's grass lizard
Congolacerta vauereselli (Tornier, 1902) - sparse-scaled forest lizard

References

"Congolacerta".Lacerta.de.
Greenbaum et al. 2011
Spawls et al. 2002
Roelke & Smith 2010

"Congolacerta". The Reptile Database

Further reading

Arnold, E.N. 1989. "Systematics and adaptive radiation of Equatorial African lizards assigned to the genera Adolfus, Bedriagaia, Gastropholis, Holaspis and Lacerta (Reptilia: Lacertidae)". Journal of Natural History 23: 525-555.
Greenbaum, E., Villanueva, C.O., Kusamba, C., Aristote, M.M. & Branch, W.R. 2011. "A molecular phylogeny of Equatorial African Lacertidae, with the description of a new genus and species from eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 163: 913–942.
Roelke, C.E. & Smith, E.N. 2010. "Herpetofauna, Parc National des Volcans, North Province, Republic of Rwanda". Check List 6 (4): 525-531.
Schmidt, K.P. 1919. "Contributions to the herpetology of the Belgian Congo based on the collection of the American Congo Expedition, 1909-1915. Part I. Turtles, crocodiles, lizards, and chameleons". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 39 (2): 385–624.
Sternfeld, R. 1912. "Reptilia". pp. 197–279 + Tafeln VI-IX. In: Schubotz, H. (Editor). 1913. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deutschen Zentral-Afrika-Expedition 1907-1908 unter Führung Adolf Friedrichs, Herzogs zu Mecklenburg, Band IV , Zoologie II. Leipzig: Klinkhardt & Biermann. 485 S. + 11 Tafeln. (in German).
Spawls, S., Howell, K.M., Drewes, R.C. and Ashe, J. 2002. "A Field Guide to the Reptiles of East Africa". Academic Press, Elsevier Science, San Diego, San Francisco, New York, Boston, London.
Tornier, G. 1902. "Herpetologisch Neues aus Ost-Afrika". Zoologischer Anzeiger 25: 700-704.(in German).

External links

For photos of the species see
Congolacerta asulului on lacerta.de
Congolacerta vauereselli on lacerta.de