Giant Hispaniolan Galliwasp
CR

Giant Hispaniolan Galliwasp

Caribicus anelpistus

Unknown

Photo: Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Overview

Caribicus anelpistus, the Altagracia giant galliwasp, is a species of lizard of the Diploglossidae family endemic to the Dominican Republic on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.

Caribicus anelpistus faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to urban development and agricultural expansion across its limited Caribbean range. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to localized environmental changes and human disturbance. Invasive plant species are altering the native vegetation structure that this endemic species depends upon for survival.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species inhabits dry coastal forests and scrublands in the Caribbean, typically found in areas with limestone substrates and native vegetation. It requires undisturbed forest patches with specific microhabitat conditions that are increasingly rare due to human development.

Forest· majorForest - Temperate· majorArtificial - Terrestrial· major

Conservation measures underway

Species managementSpecies recovery

Other threatened species in DIPLOGLOSSIDAE

VU

Bromeliad Galliwasp

Celestus fowleri

Stable
VU

Giant Hispaniolan Galliwasp

Caribicus warreni

Declining
EN

Portland Coast Galliwasp

Celestus molesworthi

Declining
EN

Wetmorena agasepsoides

Unknown

Threatened in Dominican Republic

Hispaniola PupfishEN

Hispaniola Pupfish

Cyprinodon bondi

Unknown
Humped BladderwortCR

Humped Bladderwort

Utricularia gibba

Unknown
EN

Black-throated Stout Anole

Anolis armouri

Unknown
EN

Bay-breasted Cuckoo

Coccyzus rufigularis

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Giant Hispaniolan Galliwasp classified as Critically Endangered?
Giant Hispaniolan Galliwasp is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Caribicus anelpistus faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to urban development and agricultural expansion across its limited Caribbean range. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to localized environmental changes and human disturbance. Invasive plant species are altering the native vegetation structure that this endemic species depends upon for survival.
Where does Giant Hispaniolan Galliwasp live?
Giant Hispaniolan Galliwasp occurs in Dominican Republic, and Haiti. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Giant Hispaniolan Galliwasp?
The main threats to Giant Hispaniolan Galliwasp are 2.1, 5.3, 8.1, and ai-1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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