''Gerrhonotus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomencla ...

of anguid

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of Squamata, squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbae ...

s that are commonly referred to as alligator lizards, due to a vague resemblance to an

alligator An alligator is a large reptile in the Crocodilia order in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae. The two extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A. sinensis''). Additional ...

. Along with glass lizards (''

Ophisaurus ''Ophisaurus'' (from the Greek 'snake-lizard') is a genus of superficially snake-like lizards in the family Anguidae. Known as joint snakes, glass snakes, or glass lizards, they are so-named because their tails are easily broken; like many liz ...

'') and many other lizards, alligator lizards have the ability to regrow their tail.

Species and subspecies

There are nine recognized

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

in the genus ''Gerrhonotus''. One species has recognized

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

."''Gerrhonotus'' ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. *'' Gerrhonotus farri'' – Farr's alligator lizardBeolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Gerrhonotus farri'', p. 88; ''G. liocephalus loweryi'', p. 161; ''G. lugoi'', p. 162). *'' Gerrhonotus infernalis'' –

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by b ...

alligator lizard *'' Gerrhonotus lazcanoi'' *'' Gerrhonotus liocephalus'' – smooth-headed alligator lizard, Texas alligator lizard, Wiegmann's alligator lizard **'' Gerrhonotus liocephalus austrinus'' **'' Gerrhonotus liocephalus liocephalus'' **'' Gerrhonotus liocephalus loweryi'' – Lowery's alligator lizard *'' Gerrhonotus lugoi'' – Lugo's alligator lizard *'' Gerrhonotus mccoyi'' *'' Gerrhonotus ophiurus'' *''

Gerrhonotus parvus ''Gerrhonotus parvus'' (common name: pygmy alligator lizard) is a species of lizard in the subfamily Gerrhonotinae. It is endemic to the state of Nuevo León, Mexico. The name ''parvus'' is from the Latin word for small because it is the species ...

'' – pygmy alligator lizard *'' Gerrhonotus rhombifer'' – isthmian alligator lizard

Species and subspecies

References

External links

Further reading