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- El Hierro Giant Lizard
El Hierro Giant Lizard
Squamata Lacertidae
Gallotia Simonyi
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The El Hierro Giant Lizard lives only on the Hierro Island of the Canary Islands. It is on the brink of extinction due to a shortage of plants to feed on, and an increase in enemy attacks from seagulls and other animals.
Body length: 14.3 to 22.6cm
(Source: Doubutsu Sekai-isan* Red Data Animals Kodansha) (*World Animal Heritage)
The El Hierro Giant Lizard lives only on the Hierro Island of Spain's Canary Islands.
The El Hierro Giant Lizard eats plant leaves and stems.
Many reptiles become active after raising their body temperature by sunbathing. The body of the El Hierro Giant Lizard can be as hot as 40 degrees Celsius after sunbathing.
Find out more about the El Hierro Giant Lizard!
Only 300 to 400 more remaining...
The El Hierro Giant Lizard is a very large lacertid that can grow beyond 20 cm in length, and lives only on the Hierro Island of Spain's Canary Islands. It used to exist in a broader area but now only exists in a certain part of Hierro Island. Their number is down to a mere 300 to 400, including those returned to wilderness by humans.
Nationwide efforts to protect the El Hierro Giant Lizard
The number of El Hierro Giant Lizards has dropped because of a scarcity in food plants and an increase in attacks by seagulls and other animals. Although the extent of human-induced changes to the ecosystem is unknown, with so few El Hierro Giant Lizards in existence, any further human-induced changes to their environment could cause them to go extinct in a flash. To avoid this tragic scenario, Spain has enlisted the entire country to help protect the El Hierro Giant Lizard.
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