Yellow-spotted tropical night lizard

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Yellow-spotted tropical night lizard
Lepidophyma flavimaculatum (Costa Rica).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Xantusiidae
Genus: Lepidophyma
Species:
L. flavimaculatum
Binomial name
Lepidophyma flavimaculatum
Synonyms [2]
  • Lepidophyma flavimaculatum
    A.H.A. Duméril, 1851
  • Poriodogaster grayii
    A. Smith in Gray, 1863
  • Lepidophyma flavomaculatum
    A.H.A. Duméril & Bocourt, 1878
  • Lepidophyma flavimaculatum obscurum
    Barbour, 1924
  • Lepidophyma tehuanae
    H.M. Smith, 1942
  • Lepidophyma flavimaculatum tenebrarum
    Walker, 1955
  • Lepidophyma anomalum
    Taylor, 1955
  • Lepidophyma ophiophthalmum
    Taylor, 1955
  • Lepidophyma flavimaculata
    Liner, 1994

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

Contents

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies. [2]

Reproduction

L. flavimaculatum reproduces parthenogenetically. [1] The female gives birth to live, fully developed young lizards. Before birth the egg cells are not fertilized. [1]

Habitat and ecology

L. flavimaculatum is a secretive, terrestrial and nocturnal lizard of tropical wet and moist forests, at altitudes from sea level to 1,500 m (4,900 ft). [4] Mostly found on the ground, it is occasionally found on tree trunks or beneath bark on standing trees. It feeds on small invertebrates. [1]

Fiction

The yellow-spotted night lizard is sometimes suggested to be the inspiration for the "yellow-spotted lizards" in the children's novel Holes by Louis Sachar. However, in the making of the movie adaptation of the novel, the filmmakers used bearded dragons and painted yellow spots on them, rather than using actual yellow-spotted night lizards. In both versions, the lizards are portrayed as animals that are aggressive toward humans and produce deadly venom, which is not true of either species. [5]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Sunyer J, Chaves G, Porras LW, 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. 1 2 3 4 Lepidophyma flavimaculatum at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 17 October 2015.
  3. "SPECIES Lepidophyma flavimaculatum ". UniProt . Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  4. "Yellow Spotted Lizard". Reptile Range. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  5. "15 facts o Yellow spotted lizard". factinformer.com. Retrieved 2023-06-01.

Further reading