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Common Ameiva

Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus (Cope, 1868)

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

The common ameiva (Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus) is a species of lizard endemic to Hispaniola and a number of smaller associated islands. It is known to engage in homosexual mating among males.

Wikipedia contributors, Common ameiva; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T03:31:28.133184+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.

Identity & source status

Scientific name
Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus (Cope, 1868)
Name authority
(Cope, 1868)
Common name
Common Ameiva
Rank
species
Accepted status
accepted
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Reptilia
Order
Squamata
Family
Teiidae
Genus
Pholidoscelis
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.

  1. domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
  2. kingdomAnimalia
  3. phylumChordata
  4. subphylumVertebrata
  5. infraphylumGnathostomata
  6. parvphylumOsteichthyes
  7. megaclassTetrapoda
  8. classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
  9. orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
  10. suborderAutarchoglossa
  11. familyTeiidae
  12. genusPholidoscelis
  13. speciesPholidoscelis chrysolaemus (Cope, 1868)

Close classified relatives

These entries share the source’s genus, Pholidoscelis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.

SpeciesClassificationSource status
Red-faced GroundlizardPholidoscelis erythrocephalus (Shaw, 1802)TeiidaeChordataAccepted speciesExtinction status not supplied
Antigua Bank GroundlizardPholidoscelis griswoldi (Barbour, 1916)TeiidaeChordataAccepted speciesExtinction status not supplied
Dwarf TeiidPholidoscelis lineolatus (Duméril & Bibron, 1839)TeiidaeChordataAccepted speciesExtinction status not supplied
Haitian AmeivaPholidoscelis taeniurus (Cope, 1862)TeiidaeChordataAccepted speciesExtinction status not supplied
Puerto Rican Blue-tailed GroundlizardPholidoscelis wetmorei (Stejneger, 1913)TeiidaeChordataAccepted speciesExtinction status not supplied
Guadeloupe AmeivaPholidoscelis cineraceus (Barbour & Noble, 1915)TeiidaeChordataAccepted speciesExtinction status not supplied
Mona AmeivaPholidoscelis alboguttatus (Boulenger, 1896)TeiidaeChordataAccepted speciesExtinction status not supplied

Browse 108 records assigned to Teiidae.

Names & synonyms

Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.

Recorded nameSource status
Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus boekeri Mertens, 1938 Mertens, 1938ambiguous synonym
Ameiva abbotti Noble, 1923 Noble, 1923synonym
Cnemidophorus affinis Fischer, 1883 Fischer, 1883synonym
Ameiva vittipunctata Cope, 1871 Cope, 1871synonym
Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus abbotti Noble, 1923 Noble, 1923ambiguous synonym
Ameiva chrysolaema alacris Schwartz & Klinikowski, 1966 Schwartz & Klinikowski, 1966synonym
Ameiva chrysolaema evulsa Schwartz, 1973 Schwartz, 1973synonym
Ameiva chrysolaema ficta Schwartz & Klinikowski, 1966 Schwartz & Klinikowski, 1966synonym
Ameiva chrysolaema jacta Schwartz & Klinikowski, 1966 Schwartz & Klinikowski, 1966synonym
Ameiva chrysolaema leberi Schwartz & Klinikowski, 1966 Schwartz & Klinikowski, 1966synonym
Ameiva chrysolaema parvoris Schwartz & Klinikowski, 1966 Schwartz & Klinikowski, 1966synonym
Ameiva chrysolaema quadrijugis Schwartz, 1968 Schwartz, 1968synonym
Ameiva chrysolaema richardthomasi Schwartz & Klinikowski, 1966 Schwartz & Klinikowski, 1966synonym
Ameiva chrysolaema secessa Schwartz & Klinikowski, 1966 Schwartz & Klinikowski, 1966synonym
Ameiva chrysolaema umbratilis Schwartz & Klinikowski, 1966 Schwartz & Klinikowski, 1966synonym
Ameiva chrysolaema Cope, 1868 Cope, 1868synonym
Ameiva regularis Fischer, 1888 Fischer, 1888synonym
Ameiva chrysolaema boekeri Mertens, 1938 Mertens, 1938synonym
Ameiva chrysolaema defensor Schwartz & Klinikowski, 1966 Schwartz & Klinikowski, 1966synonym
Ameiva chrysolaema procax Schwartz & Klinikowski, 1966 Schwartz & Klinikowski, 1966synonym
Ameiva chrysolaema woodi Cochran, 1934 Cochran, 1934synonym

Documented distribution

Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.

Hispaniola, Isla Beata, Isla Saona, Isla Catalina, Cayos Siete Hermanos, Isla Cabras, Ile de la Gonave, Ile de la Tortue, Ile a Cabrit, Grosse Caye

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.

  1. https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Pholidoscelis&species=chrysolaemus 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:8GQ6V. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.