Lizards lab

Sphenodontidae

• family with unmodified diapsid skull

• No tympanum

• well developed parietal eye

Sphenodon punctatus

• Sp with well developed parietal eye

• No tympanum

• unmodified diapsid skull

Pygopodidae, Eublepharidae, Gekkonidae

Gekkota families

Pygopodidae

• hindlimbs reduced to flaps near the vent

• eyes with immovable spectacle

• external ear present

• long body with LONG tail

Eublepharidae

• only geckos with functional eye lids

• lack adhesive toe pads

  • fat tail

Gekkonidae

• adhesive toe pads

• vocalization

• large eyes, tubercles and lamellae

Coleonyx variegatus

• cream colors dorsum with dark band

• gekko looking

Eublepharis macularius

• leopard gecko

• vertical pupil

• yellow with black spots or bars

• bumpy skin

Hemidactylus

• two rows of lamellae under toes

• toes with distal claw

• gekko looking

• genus

Gekko gekko

• gray or blue skin

• robust body

• gekko looking

Scincidae

• typically smooth cycloid scales (underlain by osteoderms)

• limbs often smaller or reduced

• no distinct neck

Plestiodon multivirgatus

• skink

• lots of thin brown/tan/white lines on back and side

Plestiodon skiltonianus

• darker ground color with stripes

• 2 dorsal and 2 lateral stripes

• blue tail

• skink

Plestiodon laticeps

• males with red head during breeding season

• skink

• triangular head

Plestiodon fasciatus

• 5 cream lines

• skink

• Y on head

Scincella lateralis

• eye stripe down

• long tail and tiny legs

• brown-gold color

• skink

Tribolonotus

• crocodile skink

• red/orange eyes

• spines

Tiliqua

• blue tongue

• triangular head

• BULKY

• fat tail

• small limbs

• skink

Xantusiidae

• plate like head scales

• granular scales on dorsum

• square, horizontal scales on belly and tail

Xantusia vigilis

• large plate-like scales on head, small granular scales on body

• no eyelids

• sp

Cordylidae

• scales in transverse circles across the body

• strongly keeled or spiny tail (in most)

Teiidae

• Neotropical and Nearctic

• dorsal and lateral scales are usually small and granular

• ventral scales rectangular, juxtaposed and transverse rows

• AKA whiptail

Aspidoscelis tigris

• dorsum with stipes and dots to form a network

• whiptail

Aspidocelis neomexicanus

• midorsal stripe wavy

• whiptail

• 6-7 dorsal stipes

• some dots between stripes

Aspidocelis sexlineatus

• six light dorsal stripes

• between two middorsal stripes, the background color is lighter brown

• dark brown to black everywhere else

• whiptail

Aspidocelis velox

• mid-dorsal stripe fain if present

• tail light blue at the end

Salvator

• huge

• reaching up to 4 ft

• whiptail

Lacertidae

• similar to Teiids but old world

• large scales on venter, granular scales on dorsum

• long tail, well developed limbs

Rhineuridae

• no fore or hind limbs

• shovel shaped head

• just in Florida

• family

Rhineura floridana

• no fore or hind limbs

• shovel shaped limbs

• pink

• restricted to FL

• sp

Bipes

• mole-like fore limbs

• no hind limbs

• burrow (reduced eyes, compact skull)

• genus

Helodermatidae

• venomous

• beaded scales

Xenosauridae

• dorsoventrally flattened

• granular scales

• dorsal scales heteromorphic, some gathered into knobs or tubercles

• family

Shinisauridae

• crocodile-like scalation and tail

• SE China and NE Vietnam

• semi aquatic

• monotypic family

Heloderma suspectum

• beaded scales

• venomous

• orange and black design

• sp

Xenosaurus

• dorsoventrally flattened

• granular scales

• dorsal scales heteromorphic, some gathered into knobs or tubercles

• genus

Shinisaurus crocodilurus

• crocodile-like scalation and tail

• SE China and NE Vietnam

• semi aquatic

• sp

Anguidae

• lateral skin fold

• osteoderms

• Large, non-overlapping scales and a lateral fold

Elgaria

• has limbs

• dark ventral stripes run between rows of scales

• lateral skin fold

• osteoderms

Aniella pulchra

• limbless

• eyelids

• shovel shaped snout

• short blunt tail

• yellow underside

• sp

Ophisaurus

• limbless

• eyelids

• external ear opening

• lateral skin fold

Varanidae

• long neck

• long, forked tongue

• powerful tails

• well developed limbs

• powerful claw

• carnivorous mainly

Varanus komodoensis

• komodo dragon

• largest extant lizard

Varanus

• only genus in this family

• long neck

• long, forked tongue

• powerful tails

• well developed limbs

• powerful claw

• carnivorous mainly

Agamidae

• well developed limbs

• crests, frills, and spines common

• very visual- color and ornamentation common

Pogona

• enlarge gular area

• small spiked

• can buff out

• aka bearded dragon

Chlamydosaurus kingii

• frilled lizards

• frill is folded over shoulders

• thin fold of skin surrrounds neck

• looks like Queen Elizabeth

Moloch horridus

• covered in spikes

• have a fake head on shoulder

• AKA thorny devil

Draco

• extended ribs support “wings”

• thin body

• long tail

• “flying dragons”

Agama

• well developed limbs

• bright colors

• agamidae

Chameleonidae

• zygodactylous feet

• eyes on turrets

• laterally flattened body

• horns and crests

• protruding eyes

Furcifer pardalis

• panther chameleon

• brightly colors

• no horns or projections

• smaller dorsal ridge

Brookesia

• super small

• super spiky and leaf like head

Trioceros jacksonii

• chameleon with 3 horns

• typically green

• invasive in Hawaii, FL, and CA

Phrynosomatidae

• most lizards

• flat vodies with short tails

Sceloporus magister

• scales pointed and skeeled

• black wedge pattern on neck

Sceloporus tristichus

• 2 blue throat patches

• sometimes with chevron

Scleoporus graciosus

• granular sacles on rear thighs

• single blue throat patch

• smaller scales

Sceloporus occidentalis

• single blue throat patch

• keeled scales on rear thighs

• often have orange in axilla and posterior limbs and by femoral pores

• bigger scales

Holbrookia maculata

• no ear openings

• chevron pattern down back

• 2 black bards just behind forelimbs

Cophosaurus texanus

• no ear opening

• two parallel black stripes

• tail with black and whites tripes ventrally

Callisaurus draconoides

• black and white bands on tail

• short snout

• long legs and toes

• long, flat tail

Urosaurus ornatus

• 2 middorsla rows of enlarged keeled scales

• throat of many colors

• long toes- on trees

Uta stansburiana

• dark blothces behind to forelimes

• small uniform dorsal scales

• phrynosomatid

Phrynosoma hernandesi

• large gap between short cranial horns

• single row of fringe scales

Phrynosoma platyrhinos

• longer “horns”

• no gap between center horns

Iguanidae

• primarily herbivorous

• colon partitions to support herbivorous diet

• dorsal spines

• large jaw muscles seen as pouches below the mandible

• large head

Dipsosaurus dorsalis

• row of enlarged keeled mid-dorsal scales

• short snout

• desert

• small head

Sauromalus ater

• chuckwalla

• tail with blunt tip

• loose folds of skin

Iguana iguana

• large mid dorsal row of spines from head to tail

• large scale tympanum

• well developed dewlap

Brachylophus

• green iguana with lighter colored strips

• short dorsal crest

• small dewlap

Amblyrhynchus cristatus

• marine iguana

• tail laterally compressed

• snout short

• gray to black coloring

Dactyloidae

• lamellae on toes

• brightly colored dewlaps

• thin body

• well-developed limbs

• long triangular head

• family

Anolis

• lamellae on toes

• brightly colored dewlaps

• thin body

• well-developed limbs

• long triangular head

• one genus- what is it

Anolis carolinensis

• green anole with pink/red patch

• sp

Crotaphytidae

• large heads and robust musculature

• no enlarged dorsal scales/fringes/spines

• long legs and tails

Corytophanidae

• long legs and tails

• fast

• well developed limbs

• bodies laterally compressed

• casques and crests typical

• some bipedal

Crotaphytus collaris

• bright yellow and green

• collared

• tail round in cross sections

Crotaphytus bicintores

• brownish

• tail taller than wide

• collared

• western US

Gambelia wizlisenii

• spotted with light cross bards

• long round tail

• leopard lizard

Basiliscus

• don’t loose tail

• bipedal

• AKA Jesus lizards

• long bringes on toes

• head and back ornamentation

• genus

Bipididae

• mole-link fore limbs

• no hindlimbs

• burrower (reduced eyes, compact skull)

• family

Phrynosoma cornutum

• dark bars from horns to eyes

• two large horns extending posteriorly

• can shoot blood from eyes