Smooth headed iguanas
| Smooth headed iguanas | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Roll-tailed iguana ( Leiocephalus carinatus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the family | ||||||||||||
| Leiocephalidae | ||||||||||||
| Frost & Etheridge , 1989 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Leiocephalus | ||||||||||||
| Gray , 1827 |
Smooth-headed iguanas ( Leiocephalus ) are endemic to the islands of the Antilles , from Cuba to Trinidad . They live exclusively in dry areas with sparse forests, stony steppes and sandy beaches. Leiocephalus is the only genus of the relatively newly established family Leiocephalidae (formerly: Tropiduridae ).
features
Smooth-headed iguanas are 15 to 35 centimeters long, depending on the species. The tail is longer than the head-torso length, which is 5.5 to 14 centimeters. The animals are strongly built and often strikingly colored. Males are larger and have thicker heads. There is a flat comb on the back and tail. The back scales are large, keeled and stacked like roof tiles. The scales on the flanks can be quite different. They are either similar to the dorsal scales or they are small and clearly separated from the dorsal scales by a gusset. There are strong bulges above the eyes.
Way of life
These lizards are ground dwellers that feed on insects, smaller lizards, flowers and fruits. The females lay only a few (one to three) very large eggs.
species
28 species have been described , seven of which became extinct in the Pleistocene or Holocene. All species (with the exception of L. carinatus , which lives on Cuba, Little Bahama Bank and three islands in the Cayman Islands ) are endemic to only one island. There are 12 species in Hispaniola , but only one in most of the West Indies. Of Jamaica just a fossil species is known.
- Leiocephalus anonymous PREGILL, 1984
- Leiocephalus apertosulcus ETHERIDGE, 1965
- Leiocephalus barahonensis SCHMIDT, 1921
- Roll-tailed iguana , Leiocephalus carinatus GRAY, 1827
- Leiocephalus cubensis (GRAY, 1840)
- Leiocephalus cuneus ETHERIDGE, 1964
- Leiocephalus endomychus SCHWARTZ, 1967
- † Leiocephalus eremitus (COPE, 1868)
- † Leiocephalus etheridgei PREGILL, 1981
- Leiocephalus greenwayi BARBOUR & SHREVE, 1935
- † Leiocephalus herminieri (DUMÉRIL & BIBRON, 1837)
- Leiocephalus inaguae COCHRAN, 1931
- Leiocephalus jamaicensis ETHERIDGE, 1966
- Leiocephalus loxogrammus (COPE, 1887)
- Leiocephalus lunatus COCHRAN, 1934
- Leiocephalus macropus (COPE, 1863)
- Leiocephalus melanochlorus COPE, 1863
- Leiocephalus onaneyi GARRIDO, 1973
- Colorful masked iguana , Leiocephalus personatus (COPE, 1863)
- Leiocephalus pratensis (COCHRAN, 1928)
- Leiocephalus psammodromus BARBOR, 1920
- Leiocephalus punctatus COCHRAN, 1931
- Leiocephalus raviceps COPE, 1863
- Leiocephalus rhutidira SCHWARTZ, 1979
- Leiocephalus Schreibersii (GRAVENHORST, 1837)
- Leiocephalus semilineatus DUNN, 1920
- Leiocephalus stictigaster SCHWARTZ, 1959
- Leiocephalus vinculum COCHRAN, 1928
literature
- Manfred Rogner : Lizards. Volume 1: geckos, pinnipeds, agamas, chameleons and iguanas. Ulmer, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3-8001-7248-8 .
- Eric R. Pianka, Laurie J. Vitt: Lizards. Windows to the Evolution of Diversity (= Organisms and Environments. Vol. 5). University of California Press, Berkeley CA et al. 2003, ISBN 0-520-23401-4 .
Individual evidence
- ^ Leiocephalus in The Reptile Database ; Retrieved January 22, 2011.
