''Lepidophyma'' 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 n ...

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of 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 Amphisbaenia al ...

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

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece 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 ...

for "warty scales") is one of three

genera 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 ...

of night lizards (

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Xantusiidae), which are a group of viviparous (live-bearing)

s. There are 20

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 ...

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 ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

, found anywhere from central

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

, 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 22 species are recognized as being valid. www.reptile-database.org. *''

Lepidophyma chicoasensis ''Lepidophyma chicoasensis'', the Sumidero tropical night lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in Sumidero Canyon in Chiapas, Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican ...

'' – Sumidero tropical night lizard *''

Lepidophyma cuicateca ''Lepidophyma cuicateca'', the Sunidero tropical night lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in Santa María Texcatitlán, Oaxaca, Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexi ...

'' – Sunidero tropical night lizard *''

Lepidophyma dontomasi ''Lepidophyma dontomasi'', MacDougall's tropical night lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in Mexico. It is known only from the type locality on Cerro Lachiguiri in Oaxaca Oaxaca ( , also , , ...

'' – MacDougall's tropical night lizard *''

Lepidophyma flavimaculatum The yellow-spotted tropical night lizard or yellow-spotted night lizard (''Lepidophyma flavimaculatum'') is a species of night lizard (family Xantusiidae). The species is distributed from central Mexico, through Central America, south to Panama. ...

'' – Yellow-spotted tropical night lizard *''

Lepidophyma gaigeae ''Lepidophyma gaigeae'', also known commonly as Gaige's tropical night lizard and ''la lagartija nocturna de Gaige'' in Mexican Spanish, is a small species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. The species is native to eastern Mexico. Etymolog ...

'' – Gaige's tropical night lizard *''

Lepidophyma inagoi ''Lepidophyma inagoi'' is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is b ...

'' *''

Lepidophyma lineri ''Lepidophyma lineri'', Liner's tropical night lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in Mexico. It is native to the Sierra de Miahuatlán, a sub-range of the Sierra Madre del Sur in south-central Oa ...

'' – Liner's tropical night lizard *''

Lepidophyma lipetzi ''Lepidophyma lipetzi'', Lipetz's tropical night lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern ...

'' – Lipetz's tropical night lizard *''

Lepidophyma lowei ''Lepidophyma lowei'', Lowe's tropical night lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in Mexico. It is known only from San Bartolome Zoogocho, in Zoogocho Municipality, in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca ...

'' –

Lowe's Lowe's Companies, Inc. (), often shortened to Lowe's, 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 and Canada. A ...

tropical night lizard *''

Lepidophyma lusca ''Lepidophyma lusca'' is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bo ...

'' *''

Lepidophyma mayae ''Lepidophyma mayae'', the Mayan tropical night lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República d ...

'' – Mayan tropical night lizard *''

Lepidophyma micropholis ''Lepidophyma micropholis'', the cave tropical night lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in Mexico. It is native to caves in the Sierra del Abra Tanchipa, part of the Sierra Madre Oriental in eas ...

'' – cave tropical night lizard *''

Lepidophyma occulor ''Lepidophyma occulor'', the Japlan tropical night lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in Mexico. This species is native to the Valle de Jalpan in the Sierra Madre Oriental of northern Querétaro ...

'' – Jalpan tropical night lizard *''

Lepidophyma pajapanensis ''Lepidophyma pajapanensis'', the Pajapan tropical night lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in Mexico. It is native to the coastal Sierra de los Tuxtlas, and to the southeast near Jesús Carran ...

'' – Pajapan tropical night lizard *''

Lepidophyma radula ''Lepidophyma radula'', the Yautepec tropical night lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the south ...

'' – Yautepec tropical night lizard *''

Lepidophyma ramirezi ''Lepidophyma ramirezi'' is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in Mexico. References Lepidophyma Endemic reptiles of Mexico Reptiles described in 2022 {{lizard-stub ...

'' *''

Lepidophyma reticulatum ''Lepidophyma reticulatum'', the Costa Rican tropical night lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in Costa Rica and Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of ...

'' – Costa Rican tropical night lizard *''

Lepidophyma smithii ''Lepidophyma smithii'', Smith's tropical night lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of ...

'' – (Andrew) Smith's tropical night lizardBeolens, 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 ''Lepidophyma sylvaticum'', the Madrean tropical night lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the so ...

'' – Madrean tropical night lizard *''

Lepidophyma tarascae ''Lepidophyma tarascae'', the Tarascan tropical night lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in Mexico. It is currently known from two widely-separated locations in the State of Michoacán – near P ...

'' – Tarascan tropical night lizard *''

Lepidophyma tuxtlae ''Lepidophyma tuxtlae'', the Tuxtla tropical night lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the souther ...

'' – 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 (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is ...

'' ''

Nota bene (, or ; plural form ) is a Latin phrase meaning "note well". It is often abbreviated as NB, n.b., or with the ligature and first appeared in English writing . In Modern English, it is used, particularly in legal papers, to draw the atte ...

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

References

External links

*. *. {{Taxonbar, from=Q1516339 Lepidophyma Reptiles of Mexico Lizards of Central America Lizard genera Taxa named by Auguste Duméril

Species

References

Further reading

External links