Fringe-toed lizard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fringe-toed lizard |
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| Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard, Uma inornata | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Phrynosomatidae |
| Genus: | Uma Baird, 1859 |
Fringe-toed lizards are special lizards found in the deserts of North America. They belong to a group called Uma in the Phrynosomatidae family. These lizards get their name from the cool, fringe-like scales on their back toes. These scales help them live in sandy desert places.
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Amazing Adaptations for Desert Life
Fringe-toed lizards have some amazing features that help them survive in the desert. Their bodies are brown and tan. This coloring helps them blend in with the sand. It's like natural camouflage!
Their back has a soft, velvety feel. It also has cool, detailed patterns. But the most special part is the long scales on their back toes. These scales look like fringes. They help the lizards grip the sand. This gives them good traction and speed. It also stops them from sinking into soft, loose sand dunes.
These lizards also have special ways to keep sand out of their bodies. Their top jaw overlaps the bottom one. This stops sand from getting into their mouth. They can also close their nostrils whenever they want. When they move through sand, flaps close over their ear openings. Their eyelids have scales that lock together. This keeps sand out of their eyes.
Where Do Fringe-toed Lizards Live?
Fringe-toed lizards live in certain parts of North America. You can find them in the deserts of southeast California and southwest Arizona. Their home also stretches into northwest Sonora and northeast Baja California.
Their Desert Home
These lizards love low desert areas. They need places with fine, loose sand. This type of sand is perfect for their special fringe-like toes.
What Do They Eat?
Fringe-toed lizards mostly eat insects. Their favorite snacks include ants, beetles, grasshoppers, and caterpillars. They also munch on parts of plants. This includes Flower buds, stems, leaves, and seeds.
Cool Behaviors
When winter comes, fringe-toed lizards do something interesting. They bury themselves underground. They sleep in these burrows during the cold months. Their burrows also keep them safe. They use them to hide from animals that might try to eat them. The burrows also protect them from very hot or very cold weather.
Types of Fringe-toed Lizards
There are several different kinds of fringe-toed lizards. Each one is a unique species:
- Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard, Uma inornata Cope, 1895
- Colorado Desert fringe-toed lizard, Uma notata Baird, 1858
- Mohawk Dunes fringe-toed lizard, Uma thurmanae Derycke, Gottscho, Mulcahy, & De Queiroz, 2020
- Mojave fringe-toed lizard, Uma scoparia Cope, 1894
- Yuman Desert fringe-toed lizard, Uma cowlesi Heifetz, 1941
- Mexican fringe-toed lizard, Uma paraphygas K.L. Williams, Chrapliwy & H.M. Smith, 1959
- Coahuila fringe-toed lizard, Uma exsul Schmidt & Bogert, 1947
See also
In Spanish: Uma (animal) para niños
