Iphisa is a genus of the lizard family Gymnophthalmidae. The genus is monotypic, meaning that it has only one species, Iphisa elegans, and its common name is the glossy shade lizard. I. elegans is native to the Amazon and is typically found in regions of South America, centrally located in the Amazon Basin. The average body length of the glossy shade lizard is 55 mm. Relatively small, these lizards rely on running as their primary form of movement and, interestingly, exhibit death-feigning behavior, which aids in protection from potential predators.
History
The name Iphisa elegans stems from the root "Iphis-," which is associated with many individuals from Greek mythology. Namely, from Ovid's Metamorphoses narrative poem, Iphis, the daughter of Telethusa and Ligdus, was raised as a man by her mother such that her true gender could be hidden from her father, who wanted a son to carry on their family's farming legacy. The goddess Isis transformed Iphis into a man, and Iphis ended up marrying Ianthe.
In 1851, Gray diagnosed Iphisadae as a family; however, as the Iphisadae spelling is not in prevailing usage, it has been corrected to Iphisadae. This was then shortened to "Iphisa," as is the monotypic genus of this species.
Physical characteristics
The body of the glossy shade lizard is compressed dorsoventrally, giving the lizard its elongated shape. The average body length is 55 mm; however, the length of I. elegans can reach a maximum of 62 mm. There are two longitudinal rows of scales on the dorsal side of the lizard as well as two longitudinal rows of scales on the ventral side of the lizard. As the lateral scales are smaller than the dorsal and ventral scales, each lateral side of the lizard is composed of three to five longitudinal rows of scales, with ninety percent of glossy shade lizards having four longitudinal rows of lateral scales on each side.
thumb|Scales of the glossy shade lizard.
I. elegans has a vestigial inner finger, which means that it poses no true function and just exists as part of the lizard's body. It also has claws, but these claws are not really visible. This can give the glossy shade lizard an advantage in protecting itself from predators since it can use its claws as weapons while the predator approaches, unsuspecting of any self-defense mechanism that I. elegans possesses. Moving more cranially, the glossy shade lizard has a lower eyelid with a transparent window, and the tympanic membrane (or ear drum) in its ear is exposed outwards.
Habitat and distribution
Found in the Neotropics, I. elegans originates in South America.
The population trend for the glossy shade lizard is currently stable, meaning that there is relatively the same number of I. elegans continuously as the population size is neither increasing nor decreasing. The Neotropics specifically encompasses two lowland deserts, a high-altitude inland desert, and the coastal deserts of Atacama and Sechura, which, together, form a long arid continuum in South America. Nevertheless, in contrast to these drier habitats, the glossy shade lizard can find its home in tropical rainforests that are either completely undisturbed or moderately disturbed. They can also be found at the borders of flooded tropical rainforests or, for example, near a creek.
A vital part of the glossy shade lizard's habitat consists of leaf litter, which is a combination of leaves, twigs, and fallen bark that compose healthy soil. When leaf litter is decomposed, healthy nutrients are absorbed into the soil, which aid in keeping the soil moist. Furthermore, leaf litter is beneficial in that it can also serve as hiding spots and/or protection from any predators. Given the relatively small size of I. elegans, it is able to hide and take shelter among leaf litter, making this part of the lizard's habitat very advantageous.
Reproduction
I. elegans sexually reproduces, meaning that the sperm from the male parent fertilizes the egg of the female parent to form the offspring. The sperm and the egg are two gametes that come together and form the zygote. This zygote and later becomes a mature lizard. Glossy shade lizards are oviparous animals. This signifies that they are animals that lay eggs and that their offspring hatch from the eggs after coming out of the mother's body. This species of lizard produces around one litter in a year.
Foraging
Iphisa is a species with diurnal habits. This means that these lizards tend to forage just below the top layer of leaves that cover the forest floor.