Yellow-spotted tropical night lizard

Yellow-spotted night lizard
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Xantusiidae
Genus: Lepidophyma
Species: L. flavimaculatum
Binomial name
Lepidophyma flavimaculatum
A. Duméril, 1851

The yellow-spotted tropical night lizard[2] or yellow-spotted night lizard (Lepidophyma flavimaculatum) is a species of night lizard.[1][3] It is distributed from central Mexico through the Central America south to Panama. It includes four subspecies:[3]

Reproduction

It reproduces parthenogenetically,[1] although some populations also contain males.[3] and gives birth to fully developed young.[1]

Habitat and ecology

It is a secretive, terrestrial and nocturnal lizard of tropical wet and moist forests. Mostly found on the ground, it is occasionally found on tree trunks or beneath bark on standing trees. It feeds on small invertebrates.[1]

In popular culture

The yellow-spotted night lizard is featured as a poisonous lizard, whose bite is "The worst thing that can happen to you," in the children's fiction book Holes.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Sunyer, J., Chaves, G., Porras, L.W., Lamar, W. & Solórzano, A. (2013). "Lepidophyma flavimaculatum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN) 2013: e.T197495A2490538. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T197495A2490538.en.
  2. "SPECIES Lepidophyma flavimaculatum". UniProt. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 Lepidophyma flavimaculatum at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 17 October 2015.
  4. Sachar, Louis (1998). Holes. United States: Random House, Inc. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-440-41480-3.


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