NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Western alpine meadow lizard
Adolfus masavaensis Wagner, Greenbaum & Branch, 2014
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Adolfus masavaensis, also known as the western alpine meadow lizard, is a species of lizard. It is known from the Aberdare Mountains in Kenya and Mount Elgon on the Kenya/Uganda border. It is a moorland species found at high elevations, 2,896–3,372 m (9,501–11,063 ft) above sea level.
Adolfus masavaensis is a small species within its genus, measuring 39–56 mm (1.5–2.2 in) in snout–vent length.
Wikipedia contributors, Adolfus masavaensis; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T12:52:51.965637+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Adolfus masavaensis Wagner, Greenbaum & Branch, 2014
- Name authority
- Wagner, Greenbaum & Branch, 2014
- Common name
- Western alpine meadow lizard
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Lacertidae
- Genus
- Adolfus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderAutarchoglossa
- familyLacertidae
- genusAdolfus
- speciesAdolfus masavaensis Wagner, Greenbaum & Branch, 2014
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Adolfus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson’s Forest LizardAdolfus jacksoni (Boulenger, 1899) | LacertidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Alpine Meadow LizardAdolfus alleni (Barbour, 1914) | LacertidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Green-bellied Forest LizardAdolfus africanus (Boulenger, 1906) | LacertidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Adolfus&species=masavaensis Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:654J5. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.