Reptilia Sauria Squamata Lizards Iguania and Scelroglossa Snakes Amphisbaenians

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Reptilia Sauria Squamata Lizards
(Iguania and Scelroglossa) Snakes
Amphisbaenians
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Family Agamidae

• The old world iguanids, widespread throughout
  Africa, Asia and Australia
• Show a range of life history strategies and
  habitats, from desert dwellers to tropical forms
• Primarily diurnal ground-dwellers
• Most lay eggs, but some give live birth
• All agamids have well-developed limbs and many
  have keeled scales, middorsal crests and throat
  fans
• Range from 14 mm SVL to 145 cm TL

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Draco volans Flying Dragon

• Approx. 20 cm long
• Elongated ribs support fleshy wings that allow
  the lizard to glide
• Male has a long, pointed bright yellow dewlap
  and bluish color on ventral side of wings
• Females have a smaller, blue dewlap and yellow
  on the ventral side of the wings

http//www.wildherps.com/species/D.volans.html
http//animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu
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Family Chamaeleonidae

• Have undergone 2 distinct radiations in
  Madagascar and Africa
• Distinguishable by zygodactylus feet (adjacent
  digits fused into 2 grasping pads), prehensile
  tails,
• Many species have laterally flattened bodies and
  casques, horns or crests on their head
• Synapomorphies (projectile tongues, no fracture
  planes in tail, no gular folds, femoral pores)
• Range from 2.5-68 cm

Chamaeleo jacksonii Three Horned Chameleon

• Native to the humid, cooler regions of E. Africa
• Adult size is about 30 cm TL
• They have a saw-toothed dorsal ridge
• Males have 3 prominent horns (one rostral and 2
  preocular), but female has either no horn or
  traces of rostral horn

http//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ImageChamaeleo_
jacksonii.jpg
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Family IguanidaeIguanas

• Range from 14 cm SVL to gt2m TL in Iguana iguana
• May be terrestrial, rock-dwelling or arboreal
• Amblyrhynchus cristatus, the Marine Iguana, is
  capable of living in vary saline environments and
  diving up to 10 m in search of algae also basks
  in large groups
• Ctenosaura are the Spiny-Tailed Lizards, which
  they use in defense
• All iguanids are herbivorous and oviparous.
• Have pleurodont teeth, as in other former
  subfamilies

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Iguana iguanaGreen Iguana

• 76-201 cm long
• An enlarged, round, smooth, scale one each side
  of the throat below the ear opening
• Highly variable in color and patterning
• A row of fleshy, gray spines down the back and
  onto the tail
• Native to Central and S. America but introduced
  to Florida

http//animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu
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Family CorytophanidaeCasque-Headed Lizards

• Slender, long-limbed species
• Spread from central MX to northern S. America
• Represented by 9 species in 3 genera
• Distributed form rainforests to dry scrub forests
• Characterized by large head crests
• Range in size form 9-20 cm

Basiliscus vittatus Striped Basilisk
http//www.wildherps.com/species/C.cristatus.html

• Highly sexually dimorphic males are larger and
  have large head and back crest while females have
  folded hood on head and smaller dorsal crest
• Toes have fringes on each side allow them to
  run on water as an escape
• Predominantly diurnal and terr. and arboreal,
  this lizard is very wary and fast

http//animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu
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Family CrotaphytidaeCollared and Leopard Lizards

• 2 genera consisting of 7 species
• Found from E. Missouri into the Pacific States
  and well into SW Mexico
• Fairly large lizards with large heads and long
  limbs and tails

Crotaphytus collaris Collared Lizards

• 20-35 cm
• Two black collar markings are constant other
  patterning is variable
• Big-headed, long-tailed lizard that runs on its
  hind legs
• A resident of hilly, rocky, arid terrain, found
  from E. Texas to Arizona and into MX

http//www.zo.utexas.edu/research/txherps/lizards/
crotaphytus.collaris.html
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Family PhrynosomatidaeContains the 1)Earless, 2)
Spiny, Tree and Side-Blotched, and 3) Horned
Lizards

• Contains 10 genera with over 100 species
• Display patterns, consisting of head bobbing,
  push-ups, and nodding and serve to declare
  territory, establish sex, aid in species
  discrimination or enable male-male challenges are
  very well-developed in this family
• Found throughout the continental US and into
  northern Central America
• Relatively small (lt10 cm) and have a diversity of
  forms
• Few characteristics unite (none of pterygoid
  teeth them besides a tendency towards arid areas

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Cophosaurus texanusTexas Earless Lizard

• No external ear openings
• Flat tail with broad black crossbars on ventral
  surface
• Males have two black lines on lower sides near
  groin

Holbrookia propinqua Keeled Earless Lizard

• Tail rounded without ventral bars
• Keeled scales on dorsum
• Males have 2 short black lines near armpit

Sceloporus olivaceous Texas Spiny Lizard

• Very large scales, strongly keeled
• Pale longitudinal stripe
• Tree climber

http//www.zo.utexas.edu/research/txherps/
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Sceloporus undulatusFence Lizard

• Keeled scales 2 light, longitudinal stripes from
  head to pelvis
• Pattern of black markings on back
• Blue on belly and throat on males (just on throat
  on females

Sceloporus poinsetti Crevice Spiny Lizard

• Large lizard with large, strongly keeled scales
• Distinct black collar with black and white
  banded tail

Uta stansburiana Desert Side-blotched Lizard

• Presence of gular fold
• Presence of supranasals
• Single black spot posterior to armpit
• Very common in U.S. SW

http//www.zo.utexas.edu/research/txherps/
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Urosaurus ornatusTree Lizard

• Presence of gular fold
• Males have a blue patch under the throat and on
  each side of the belly

Phrynosoma cornutum Texas Horned Lizard

• Two long horns
• Large spots on back
• Two rows of fringelike scales along each side of
  the body

http//www.zo.utexas.edu/research/txherps/
Phrynosoma hernandesi Short Horned Lizard

• All horns short
• Sides of belly with one row of fringelike scales

http//coloherp.org/geo/species/spephhe.php
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Phrynosoma modestumRound-tailed Horned Lizard

• Four medium horns
• Round tail
• Relatively plain back
• No fringelike scales along side of body

http//www.zo.utexas.edu/research/txherps/
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Family PolychrotidaeAnoles

• Largest genus of lizards in the world with gt250
  species
• Especially abundant in the tropics, with only 1
  species native to the U.S.
• Have a brightly colored throat fan, or dewlap, in
  males for use in courtship and territorial
  displays (small or rudimentary in females)
• Have toe pads that enable them to climb well, but
  not as developed as in geckos
• Capable of changing colorsoften incorrectly
  called a chameleon

Anolis carolinensis Green Anole

• 12-20 cm
• Green coloration with pink throat fan
• Fairly arboreal
• Common lizard from N. Carolina to E. TX

http//www.uga.edu/srelherp/lizards/hemtur.htm
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Family GekkonidaeGeckos

• Found widely distributed throughout New and Old
  World tropics and subtropics
• Most have immoveable eyelids and the eye is
  covered by a transparent scale which they lick
  clean
• Remarkable ability to walk across walls and
  ceilings, thanks to 500,000 setae on each foot
  (finely divided sheets) each of which ends with
  100-1000 tiny suction cups
• Joints rotate in opposite direction toes allow
  them to peel toes back off the wall
• Noted for their vocalizations
• Very easily detached tails

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Gekko geckoTokay Gecko
Subfamily Gekkoninae

• 20-36 cm long
• Pale bluish gray ground color with numerous white
  and red-orange spots across dorsum
• Prominent tubercles all over body
• Strong jaws on very broad head
• Native to SE Asia but introduced to Florida

http//www.flickr.com

• 10-13 cm long
• Pale, ghostly lizard with tubercles all over
  body and huge eyes and very prominent toepads
• Primarily nocturnal
• Makes a faint, mouselike squeak at regular
  intervals An Old World gecko from W. India and
  both sides of the Mediterranean now established
  through MX and many parts of the SE US

http//www.uga.edu/srelherp/lizards/hemtur.htm
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Coleonyx brevisTexas Banded Gecko
Subfamily Eublepharinae

• 10-12 cm long
• Strongly patterned with light and dark stripes,
  but coloring gets increasingly mottled as gecko
  gets older
• Small scales lack tubercles
• Have a functional eyelid
• No toepads primarily terrestrial geckos
• Voice is a faint squeak
• Native to northern Mexico and SW TX found in
  dry, rocky areas

http//www.zo.utexas.edu/research/txherps/lizards/
coleonyx.brevis.html