Red Banded Butterfly Lizard (Leiolepis rubritaeniata)
Description: This diurnal species is charac-terized by a highly reduced dorsal pattern in males. The expandable lateral markings are reduced to the proximate post-axillary region; posterior lateral two-thirds of the flanks are plain reddish-orange up to the groin; a lesser degree of dark lateral barring and the edges of dorsal spots are fused in some places; except for a light yellowish post- and subocular stripe, little to no color pattern exists on the side of the head; and especially in older lizards, only a polygonal netlike pattern made of the borders of faded ocelli exists. The lateral color pattern of males is an easily observed character used to diagnose species. Males have the ability to flatten their bodies by expanding their rib cages, in order to display their colorful lateral patterns to enhance visual perception and communication.
Habitat: Leiolepis rubritaeniata is edificarian, but naturally inhabits open, flat, sandy areas within tropical lowland rainforests. This species con-structs an underground burrow with two exits, and when disturbed, it retreats into its burrow and seals the opening with loose sand.
Range: Leiolepis rubritaeniata, Reeves's butterfly lizard, is a species of agamid native to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. It was introduced into Florida.
Found in these States:
FL
Diet: The butterfly lizard feeds on vegetation, crabs, grasshoppers, beetle larvae, butterflies, and other insects.
Reproduction: is monogamous, with a single adult pair inhabiting the same burrow, where 3-8 eggs are laid during hot, dry weather. This species also exhibits parental care of neonates, with neonates sharing their parents' burrow for a few months before digging their own burrow nearby.
Status: It is considered locally common. It is common in protected areas in Thailand and in some protected areas in Cambodia, but is rare elsewhere due to harvesting. The species is likely to have declined historically in areas where it is heavily harvested, but the population is probably stable across its range as a whole.
»» Kingdom: Animalia - Animals
»» Phylum: Chordata - Chordates
»» Subphylum: Vertebrata - Vertebrates
»» Class: Reptilia - Reptiles
»» Order: Squamata - Lizards
»» Family: Agamidae - Dragon Lizards
»» Genus: Leiolepis
»» Species: Leiolepis rubritaeniata - Red Banded Butterfly Lizard
»» Subspecies: None
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Reeves' Butterfly Lizard", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Content may have been omitted from the original, but no content has been changed or extended.
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