''Lepidophyma'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...

s, commonly called tropical night lizards. The genus ''Lepidophyma'' (

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

for "warty scales") is one of three

genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...

night lizards Night lizards (family Xantusiidae) are a group of small scincomorph lizards, averaging from less than to over snout–vent length. Most species are viviparous (live-bearing), with the exception of those in the genus '' Cricosaura''. The famil ...

(

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Xantusiidae), which are a group of

viviparous In animals, viviparity is development of the embryo inside the body of the mother, with the maternal circulation providing for the metabolic needs of the embryo's development, until the mother gives birth to a fully or partially developed juve ...

(live-bearing)

s. There are 20

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of tropical night lizards in the genus ''Lepidophyma'', making it the most populous night lizard genus. Species of the genus ''Lepidophyma'' are distributed throughout

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

, found anywhere from central

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

, depending on the particular species. Tropical night lizards, particularly the yellow-spotted species, are sometimes called Central American bark lizards by pet dealers and owners.

Species

The following 23 species are recognized as being valid. www.reptile-database.org. *'' Lepidophyma chicoasensis'' – Sumidero tropical night lizard *'' Lepidophyma cuicateca'' – Sunidero tropical night lizard *'' Lepidophyma dontomasi'' – MacDougall's tropical night lizard *'' Lepidophyma flavimaculatum'' – Yellow-spotted tropical night lizard *'' Lepidophyma gaigeae'' – Gaige's tropical night lizard *'' Lepidophyma inagoi'' *'' Lepidophyma jasonjonesi'' *'' Lepidophyma lineri'' – Liner's tropical night lizard *'' Lepidophyma lipetzi'' – Lipetz's tropical night lizard *'' Lepidophyma lowei'' –

Lowe's Lowe's Companies, Inc. ( ) is an American retail company specializing in home improvement. Headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, the company operates a chain of retail stores in the United States. As of October 28, 2022, Lowe's and i ...

tropical night lizard *'' Lepidophyma lusca'' *'' Lepidophyma mayae'' – Mayan tropical night lizard *'' Lepidophyma micropholis'' – cave tropical night lizard *'' Lepidophyma occulor'' – Jalpan tropical night lizard *'' Lepidophyma pajapanensis'' – Pajapan tropical night lizard *'' Lepidophyma radula'' – Yautepec tropical night lizard *'' Lepidophyma ramirezi'' *'' Lepidophyma reticulatum'' – Costa Rican tropical night lizard *'' Lepidophyma smithii'' – (Andrew) Smith's tropical night lizard Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Lepidophyma gaigeae'', p. 96; ''L. lineri'', p. 159; ''L. lipetzi'', p. 159; ''L. lowei'', p. 161; ''L. smithii'', p. 246). *'' Lepidophyma sylvaticum'' – Madrean tropical night lizard *'' Lepidophyma tarascae'' – Tarascan tropical night lizard *'' Lepidophyma tuxtlae'' – Tuxtla tropical night lizard *''

Lepidophyma zongolica ''Lepidophyma zongolica'' is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, ...

'' ''

Nota bene ( ; plural: ) is the Latin language, Latin phrase meaning ''note well''. In manuscripts, ''nota bene'' is abbreviated in upper-case as NB and N.B., and in lower-case as n.b. and nb; the editorial usages of ''nota bene'' and ''notate bene'' fi ...

'': A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ''Lepidophyma''.

References

External links

*. *. {{Authority control Lepidophyma Reptiles of Mexico Lizards of Central America Lizard genera Taxa named by Auguste Duméril

Species

References

Further reading

External links