Leiosauridae

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Leiosauridae
Pristidactylus achalensis in the Pampa de Achala

Pristidactylus achalensis in the Pampa de Achala

Systematics
without rank: Sauropsida
Superordinate : Scale lizards (Lepidosauria)
Order : Scale reptiles (Squamata)
without rank: Toxicofera
without rank: Iguana (Iguania)
Family : Leiosauridae
Scientific name
Leiosauridae
Frost & Etheridge , 2001

The Leiosauridae are a family of small to medium-sized lizards from the group of iguanas (Iguania). It occurs in large parts of central and southern South America in Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. The northern border of the distribution area is formed by the lower reaches of the Amazon and the Rio Madeira . In the south, the family settles in the river basin of Río Paraná and Río Uruguay and Patagonia south to the Strait of Magellan (genus Diplolaemus ). It is absent in large parts of the Brazilian northeast.

features

In general, the species of Leiosauridae resemble the keel- tailed iguanas (Tropiduridae), but their tail scales are smooth, the body more compact and flattened. The tail can be just a little longer or almost twice as long as the head and trunk . It is not autotomous , so it cannot be thrown off in danger. The scales on the underside of her sticky toes are keeled. All species have a camouflage color that is adapted to the predominant colors in their habitat. In many species, the center line of the back is marked by a colored pattern. These can be circles or semicircles ( Leiosaurus jaguaris ), angles ( Enyalius ), bars ( Pristidactylus ) or spots in the shape of a shark's tooth ( L. bellii ).

Way of life

The species of the Leiosauridae occur in the Brazilian Cerrado , in dry bushland, in dry forests , in the Atlantic rainforest and in the southern Amazon rainforest . Some live terrestrially on the ground (subfamily Leiosaurinae), others on the trees (subfamily Enyaliinae). Little is known about their other way of life. It is likely that all species feed primarily on insects and other arthropods . They are oviparous and bury their eggs in the ground. The number of eggs per clutch is 2 to 15. Two species occurring in southern Patagonia, Diplolaemus bibronii and D. darwinii , are still active at temperatures of 5 ° C.

Internal system

There are two subfamilies, six genera and over 30 species.

Diplolaemus darwinii , drawing by Thomas Bell from The Zoology of the Voyage of HMS Beagle

swell

  • Eric R. Pianka, Laurie J. Vitt: Lizards: Windows to the Evolution of Diversity (Organisms and Environments) . University of California Press (2003), ISBN 0520234014
  • Frost, DR; Etheridge, R .; Janies, D. & Titus, TA (2001): Total evidence, sequence alignment, evolution of Polychrotid lizards, and a reclassification of the Iguania (Squamata: Iguania) . American Museum Novitates 3343: 38 pp. PDF
  • Laurie J. Vitt, Janalee P. Caldwell: Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles. Published by Elsevier Ltd, Oxford (2013) ISBN 978-0123869197

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Pianka & Vitt (2003), page 169

Web links

Commons : Leiosauridae  - Collection of images, videos and audio files