Pholidoscelis fuscatus (Garman, 1887)

Adult Flank Coloration

Adults of the Dominican ground lizard, Pholidoscelis fuscatus, have bright blue spots on their flanks and inner thighs.

Adult Dorsal Coloration

Their dorsal surface is gray or sometimes reddish-brown, flecked with black.

Adult Ventral Coloration

Their ventral surface is pale blue, while the throat and chest are dark blue-gray.

Sexual Dichromatism

The species shows very little sexual dichromatism; only males tend to be more uniformly blue-gray.

Adult Snout-Vent Length

Adult males can reach a snout-vent-length (SVL) of up to 200 mm, and females reach up to 154 mm SVL.

Tail Length

Their tails are approximately the same length as their snout-vent body.

Adult Sexual Dimorphism in Head Structure

Adult males also have broader heads and broader jowls than females.

Juvenile Sex Identification

Juveniles look markedly different from adults, and cannot be sexed through simple observation.

Juvenile Base Coloration

Juveniles are coppery-brown overall, with a dark brown lateral stripe on each side bordered by yellow lines.

Juvenile Stripe Markings

These stripes have yellow flecks and spots, which turn blue as the lizard matures.

Juvenile Misidentification Risk

Juveniles are often confused with adults of two other lizard species found in the same habitat, Gymnophthalmus pleii and Mabuya mabouya, because all three are fast moving and share similar coloration and size.

Sympatric Species Distinguishing Features

These two species can be distinguished from juvenile Dominican ground lizards by their shinier skin and less differentiated, snake-like head and body.

Endemic Range

The Dominican ground lizard is found only on the island of Dominica, which is one of the few Lesser Antillean islands that has kept its original reptile and amphibian fauna over the last 200 years.

Endemic Status on Dominica

It is one of two lizard species endemic to Dominica; the other is the Dominican anole.

Habitat and Elevation Range

It is fairly common across the island, and inhabits dry coastal woodland, coastal scrub, littoral woodland, and cultivated land below approximately 300 m elevation.

Coastal Woodland Reptile Biomass

Dominica's coastal woodlands are noted as unusually favorable for reptiles, with one of the highest recorded biomass values for terrestrial reptile populations.

Population Density

In this environment, the mean population density of Dominican ground lizards is estimated at 379 individuals per hectare.

Range Expansion Trend

The species' range is expanding to higher elevations as more of Dominica's rain forest is cleared for agricultural development.

Heliothermic Activity Pattern

Dominican ground lizards are heliothermic, and are usually only seen during the hottest part of the day.

Locomotion and Climbing Behavior

They are primarily terrestrial, but have been observed climbing trees to heights over 1.5 m, possibly to hunt; this climbing behavior has also been recorded in at least two other lizard species.

Sexual Maturity Size Thresholds

Males reach sexual maturity at 94 mm SVL, while females reach sexual maturity at 105 mm SVL.

Breeding Seasonality

They do not have a restricted breeding season, and reproduce year-round.

Annual Clutch Frequency

It is estimated that they lay two or three clutches of eggs each year.

Clutch Size Characteristics

Each clutch contains approximately four eggs, and clutch size tends to increase as the female grows larger.