Mesalina simoni

Mesalina simoni, known commonly as Simon's desert racer, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Morocco.

Mesalina simoni
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Lacertidae
Genus:	Mesalina
Species:	M. simoni
Binomial name
Mesalina simoni (Boettger, 1881)
Synonyms[2]
Podarces (Mesalina) simoni Boettger, 1881 Eremias olivieri simoni — Bons, 1959 Mesalina simoni — Arnold, 1986

Etymology

The specific name, simoni, is in honor of Hans Simon who was a German collector of natural history specimens.[3]

Geographic range

In Morocco M. simoni is found on the central coast of the Atlantic Ocean.[1][2]

Habitat

The natural habitat of M. simoni is rocky areas.[1]

Reproduction

M. simoni is oviparous.[2]

References

1. Joger U, Slimani T, El Mouden H, Geniez P (2006). "Mesalina simonii ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2006: e.T61535A12509619. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2006.RLTS.T61535A12509619.en.
2. Mesalina simoni at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 19 May 2013.
3. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Mesalina simoni, p. 244).

Further reading

• Boettger O (1881). "Diagnoses Reptilium Novorum Maroccanorum ". Zoologischer Anzeiger 4: 570–572. ("Podarces (Mesalina) Simoni ", new species, pp. 571–572). (in Latin).
• Schleich, H. Hermann; Kästle, Werner; Kabisch, Klaus (1996). Amphibians and Reptiles of North Africa: Biology, Systematics, Field Guide. Koenigstein, Germany: Koeltz Scientific Books. 627 pp. ISBN 978-3874293778. (Mesalina simoni, p. 428).
• Sindaco, Roberto; Jeremčenko, Valery K. (2008). The Reptiles of the Western Palearctic: 1. Annotated Checklist and Distributional Atlas of the Turtles, Crocodiles, Amphisbaenians and Lizards of Europe, North Africa, Middle East and Central Asia. Latina, Italy: Edizioni Belvedere. 580 pp. ISBN 978-88-89504-14-7.