Crotaphytidae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Crotaphytidae |
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| Crotaphytus collaris | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Clade: | Pleurodonta |
| Family: | Crotaphytidae H.M. Smith & Brodie, 1982 |
| Genera | |
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Crotaphytus |
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The Crotaphytidae, or collared lizards, are a family of desert-dwelling reptiles native to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Alternatively they are recognized as a subfamily, Crotaphytinae. They are very fast-moving animals, with long limbs and tails, and are carnivorous, feeding mainly on insects and smaller lizards.
The two genera contain 12 species.
Technical characters
- Femoral pores present
- Interparietal scale small (distinctly smaller than ear opening)
- Never have an enlarged middorsal scale row or fringe
- Never have a divided rostral scale
- No bony spines or projecting ridges on their heads
- No scales projecting over their ears, and no scales forming a prominent fringe on sides of toes as in Phrynosomatidae
Species
Genus Gambelia Baird, 1859 (leopard lizards)
- Cope's leopard lizard – Gambelia copeii (Yarrow, 1882)
- blunt-nosed leopard lizard – Gambelia sila (Stejneger, 1890)
- long-nosed leopard lizard – Gambelia wislizenii (Baird & Girard, 1852)
Genus Crotaphytus Holbrook, 1842 (collared lizards)
- venerable collared lizard – Crotaphytus antiquus Axtell & Webb, 1995
- desert collared lizard – Crotaphytus bicinctores N.M. Smith & W.W. Tanner, 1972
- common collared lizard – Crotaphytus collaris (Say, 1823)
- Dickerson's collared lizard – Crotaphytus dickersonae K.P. Schmidt, 1922
- Grismer's collared lizard – Crotaphytus grismeri McGuire, 1994
- Eastern collared lizard – Crotaphytus insularis Van Denburgh & Slevin, 1921
- Sonoran collared lizard – Crotaphytus nebrius Axtell & Montanucci, 1977
- reticulated collared lizard – Crotaphytus reticulatus Baird, 1858
- Baja collared lizard – Crotaphytus vestigium N.M. Smith & W.W. Tanner, 1972
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in different genus.
- Frost DR, Etheridge RE (1989). A Phylogenetic Analysis and Taxonomy of Iguanian Lizards (Reptilia: Squamata) Univ. Kansas Mus. Nat. Hist. Misc. Publ. 81: 1-62. (Family Crotaphytidae, p. 36).
- Smith HM, Brodie ED Jr (1982). Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. ISBN: 0-307-13666-3. (Subfamily Crotaphytinae, p. 106).
See also
In Spanish: Crotafítidos para niños
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Crotaphytidae Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.