Common butterfly lizard

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Common butterfly lizard
Leiolepis belliana, common butterfly lizard - Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Agamidae
Genus: Leiolepis
Species:
L. belliana
Binomial name
Leiolepis belliana
(Hardwicke & Gray, 1827) [2]
Synonyms [3]
  • Uromastix belliana
    Hardwicke & Gray, 1827
  • Leiolepis bellii
    Gray, 1845
  • Leiolepis belliana
    Boulenger, 1890

The common butterfly lizard (Leiolepis belliana), also called the butterfly agama or butterfly lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is native to Asia.

Contents

Etymology

The specific name, belliana, is in honor of English zoologist Thomas Bell. [4]

The common name butterfly lizard is from flaps of skin on their sides which can expand to look like butterfly wings. [5]

Geographic range

L. belliana can be found in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. [2]

It has been observed as an invasive species in Florida as far back as 1992. It was originally introduced by a tropical fish dealer in the Miami area and populations there continue to spread. The ecological impacts on native Florida species are unknown. [6]

Description

L. belliana has a tan or olive green body and yellow spots on its back, with small orange and black lines on its sides and extendable side flaps. Male lizards will have bright red and black stripes during mating season. [7] Adults can reach 15 inches in length. [5]

Ecology

Reproduction

L. belliana are strictly monogamous and share their burrow with their partner. Females can lay up to 8 eggs at a time. Babies are cared for in the parent's burrow for a few months before they dig their own burrows nearby. [8]

Diet

The butterfly lizard feeds primarily on insects including grasshoppers, beetle larvae, and butterflies, though sometimes feeds on plants. [8]

Habitat

L. belliana prefers open, dry areas and grasslands. It digs and lives in burrows averaging 30 cm (12 in) deep and 70 cm (28 in) long which it protects itself in during the night. [6]

Related Research Articles

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Calotes is a genus of lizards in the draconine clade of the family Agamidae. The genus contains 29 species. Some species are known as forest lizards, others as "bloodsuckers" due to their red heads, and yet others as garden lizards. The genus name Calotes has been derived from the Greek word Καλότης (Kalótës), meaning ‘beauty’, referring to the beautiful pattern of this genus.

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<i>Gonocephalus</i> Genus of lizards

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<i>Leiolepis</i> Genus of lizards

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<i>Monilesaurus rouxii</i> Species of reptile

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Japalura andersoniana, Anderson's mountain lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is native to southern Asia.

<i>Japalura tricarinata</i> Species of lizard

Japalura tricarinata is a species of agamid lizard endemic to Asia.

Laudakia dayana, commonly known as the Haridwar agama, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is native to extreme northern India.

<i>Japalura austeniana</i> Species of lizard

Japalura austeniana, also known commonly as the Abor Hills agama or Annandale's dragon, is a rare species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to Asia.

<i>Phrynocephalus theobaldi</i> Species of lizard

Phrynocephalus theobaldi is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blanford's rock agama</span> Species of lizard

Blanford's rock agama is species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to Peninsular India. One of two species in the genus, P. blanfordanus is found mainly to the east of the distribution of P. dorsalis. Unlike the other species, the male P. blanfordanus in breeding season has the red body color restricted to the head and lacks the broad dorsal stripe.

<i>Saara hardwickii</i> Species of lizard

Saara hardwickii, commonly known as Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizard or the Indian spiny-tailed lizard is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is found in patches across the Thar desert, Kutch, and surrounding arid zones in India and Pakistan. It is mainly herbivorous and lives in numbers in some areas. Since it is found in loose clusters it often attracts predators such as raptors. It is also hunted by local peoples in the belief that the fat extracted from it is an aphrodisiac.

<i>Gekko smithii</i> Species of lizard

Gekko smithii, commonly known as Smith's green-eyed gecko or the large forest gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to mainland Southeast Asia and Indonesia.

Crossobamon orientalis, commonly called the Sind gecko, is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to South Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhino-horned lizard</span> Species of lizard

The rhino-horned lizard, also commonly known as Stoddart's unicorn lizard and the mountain horned agama, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to Sri Lanka. It is called kagamuva angkatussa-කගමුව අං කටුස්සා in Sinhala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leaf-nosed lizard</span> Species of lizard

Ceratophora tennentii, commonly known as the rhinoceros agama, horn-nosed lizard, and Tennent's leaf-nosed lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to Sri Lanka.

Diploderma hamptoni, also known commonly as Hampton's japalure, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is endemic to Myanmar.

<i>Laudakia sacra</i> Species of lizard

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References

  1. Grismer L, Quah E, Neang T, Cota M, Lwin K (2019). "Leiolepis belliana". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019:e.T99930769A99931106. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/99930769/99931106. Downloaded on 20 December 2020.
  2. 1 2 Species Leiolepis belliana at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
  3. Boulenger GA (1890). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xviii + 541 pp. (Leiolepis belliana, pp. 156-157).
  4. Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN   978-1-4214-0135-5. (Leiolepis belliana, p. 22).
  5. 1 2 "Florida Lizards: 25 Common Lizards of Florida & Pictures - More Reptiles". www.morereptiles.com. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
  6. 1 2 Enge, Kevin; Krysko, Kenneth (2005-01-01). "A new non-native lizard in Florida, the butterfly lizard, Leiolepis belliana (Sauria: Agamidae)". Florida Scientist. 68: 247–249.
  7. EXOTIC-PETS.CO.UK. "Butterfly Agama - Leiolepis belliana". www.exotic-pets.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
  8. 1 2 "Nonnatives - Butterfly Lizard". myfwc.com. Archived from the original on 2017-03-24. Retrieved 2018-05-12.

Further reading