biology

Panolopus curtissi

Panolopus curtissi is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Panolopus curtissi rather than just read about it. In short: Panolopus curtissi, also known commonly as Curtiss' galliwasp, Curtis's galliwasp, and the Hispaniolan khaki galliwasp, is a species of lizard in the family Diploglossidae endemic to the island of Hispaniola and surrounding islets. Taxonomy It was formerly classified in the genus Celestus, but was moved to Panolopus in 2021.

Key takeaways

Panolopus curtissi belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Panolopus curtissi to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Panolopus curtissi from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Panolopus curtissi, also known commonly as Curtiss' galliwasp, Curtis's galliwasp, and the Hispaniolan khaki galliwasp, is a species of lizard in the family Diploglossidae endemic to the island of Hispaniola and surrounding islets.

Taxonomy It was formerly classified in the genus Celestus, but was moved to Panolopus in 2021.

Etymology The specific name, curtissi, is in honor of American naturalist Anthony Curtiss.

Geographic range P. curtissi is found in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Habitat The preferred natural habitat of P. curtissi is dry forest, at altitudes from sea level to 550 m (1,800 ft).

Description Small for its genus, P. curtissi has a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of less than 9 cm (3.5 in) as an adult.

Reproduction P. curtissi is viviparous (ovoviviparous). Litter size is 2–5.

Subspecies Four subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.

Panolopus curtissi aporus (Schwartz), 1964 Panolopus curtissi curtissi Grant, 1951 Panolopus curtissi diastatus (Schwartz, 1964) Panolopus curtissi hylonomus (Schwartz, 1964)

References

Further reading Grant C (1951). "The Specific Characters of the Celesti, with the Description of a New Species of Celestus (Sauria, Anguidae)". Copeia 1951 (1): 67–69. (Celestus curtissi, new species). Schools M, Hedges SB (2021). "Phylogenetics, classification, and biogeography of the Neotropical forest lizards (Squamata, Diploglossidae)". Zootaxa 4974 (2): 201–257. (Panolopus curtissi, new combination). Schwartz A (1964). "Diploglossus costatus Cope (Sauria: Anguidae) and its relatives in Hispaniola". Reading Public Museum and Art Gallery, Scientific Publications (13): 1–57. (Diploglossus curtissi, new combination, p. 39; D. c. aporus, new subspecies, p. 45; D. c. diastatus, new subspecies, p. 42; D. c. hylonomus, new subspecies, p. 49). Schwartz A, Henderson RW (1991). Amphibians and Reptiles of the West Indies: Descriptions, Distributions, and Natural History. Gainesville: University of Florida Press. 720 pp. ISBN 978-0813010496. (Celestus curtissi, p. 371). Schwartz A, Thomas R (1975). A Check-list of West Indian Amphibians and Reptiles. Carnegie Museum of Natural History Special Publication No. 1. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 216 pp. (Diploglossus curtissi, pp. 117–118).

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Panolopus curtissi

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Panolopus curtissi claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Panolopus curtissi before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Panolopus curtissi ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Panolopus curtissi

In research: Panolopus curtissi appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Panolopus curtissi in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Panolopus curtissi is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Endemic fauna of Hispaniola, IUCN Red List least concern species, Lizard stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Panolopus curtissi outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Panolopus curtissi in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Panolopus curtissi means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Panolopus curtissi out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Panolopus curtissi in simple terms?

Why does Panolopus curtissi matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Panolopus curtissi?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Panolopus curtissi.