Florida scrub lizard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Florida scrub lizard |
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| Photographed at Lake Placid, Florida | |
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The Florida scrub lizard (Sceloporus woodi) is a cool type of lizard that lives only in Florida, United States. It's a small, quick lizard that loves sunny, sandy places. This lizard is special because it is found nowhere else in the world!
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How It Got Its Name
The second part of the lizard's scientific name, woodi, honors a person named Nelson R. Wood. He was a taxidermist who worked at the Smithsonian Institution. Mr. Wood was the one who first found and collected a special example of this lizard.
What Does the Florida Scrub Lizard Look Like?
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An adult Florida scrub lizard is usually about 5 inches (13 cm) long. This measurement includes its body and its tail.
These lizards are often gray or brownish. They have a brown stripe that runs down each side of their body.
Differences Between Males and Females
Male Florida scrub lizards have bright turquoise patches. These colorful spots are found on their throat and belly.
Female lizards usually do not have these throat patches. They might have lighter patches on their belly instead.
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Life Cycle and Reproduction
Florida scrub lizards start their courtship and mating in the spring. This is when they find partners.
A female lizard can lay up to 5 groups of eggs. Each group, called a clutch, has about 2 to 8 eggs. She buries these eggs in the ground to keep them safe.
The eggs take about 75 days to hatch. The exact time can depend on how warm the air is around them. The last baby lizards of the year usually hatch in November.
Young lizards grow up quickly. They become ready to have their own babies in about 10 to 11 months.
Where Do Florida Scrub Lizards Live?
The Florida scrub lizard's favorite natural home is a special type of land called Florida scrub. This habitat includes areas with evergreen oak trees and sand pine trees.
You might also find them in places where scrub land meets sandhill areas. They are sometimes seen in flatwoods or even in citrus groves.
Ideal Living Conditions
These lizards like dry places with lots of open, sunny spots. They use these open areas for basking in the sun. Basking helps them warm up their bodies. They also need open spots for laying their eggs.
Nearby pine or oak trees are important for shelter. If there are too many trees that block out the sun, the habitat becomes unsuitable for them. They need open spaces to thrive.
Protecting the Florida Scrub Lizard
The Florida scrub lizard lives in different areas across Florida. These areas are like separate neighborhoods for the lizards. They are found along the Atlantic coast and the Gulf Coast. They also live in the middle of Florida and in the Ocala National Forest. They are also found on the Lake Wales Ridge.
Even though they are common in Ocala National Forest, their numbers are slowly going down in most other places. This is mainly because they are losing their homes.
Why Their Homes Are Disappearing
Many years ago, these lizards lived in more places. But Florida has developed a lot. New buildings and farms, like citrus groves, have taken over their sandy scrub habitats.
Another problem is fire suppression. This means preventing natural wildfires. Wildfires are actually good for scrub habitats. They help keep the tree canopy open, which creates the sunny spots these lizards need. Without fires, the trees grow too thick, and the lizards lose their open spaces.
Why Isolation Matters
Florida scrub lizards live in patches of habitat that are naturally separated. They also do not travel far from where they are born. This means different groups of lizards have been separated for thousands of years.
Because of this long separation, each group has developed unique genetic diversity. This means they have different traits and genes. It is very important to protect all these different groups. This helps keep the species strong and healthy overall.
