Guarocuyus

The Jaragua forest lizard is a species of lizard of the family Diploglossidae endemic to the Dominican Republic on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.

Taxonomy

It is the only member of the genus Guarocuyus. It was named in honor of the Taíno cacique Enriquillo, whose indigenous name is thought to have been "Guarocuya". Being both a monotypic genus and species restricted to a single island and described only in 2022, G. jaraguanus is unique among recently-described reptiles. It is the sister group to the clade containing the genera Celestus, Comptus, and Panolopus.

Description

It is unique among celestines due to its nocturnal, arboreal habits with a semi-prehensile tail and webbed toes.

Distribution and habitat

It is found in the Dominican Republic, where it is known only from two small, adjacent keys in the Laguna [de Oviedo], a lagoon in Jaragua National Park.