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Hispaniolan Khaki Curlytail Range Map






Hispaniolan Khaki Curlytail Video




Hispaniolan Khaki Curlytail Juvenile

Home »» Lizards »» Leiocephalidae (Curly-Tailed Lizards) »» Hispaniolan Khaki Curlytail (Leiocephalus schreibersii)


Hispaniolan Khaki Curlytail (Leiocephalus schreibersii)Species of Least Concern





Classification: Introduced Species


Description: Size is moderate (SVL in males to 107 mm, in females to 75 mm); distinct sexual dichromatism, males with 2(-3) pairs of enlarged postanals; a distinct lateral fold present, with smaller scales in fold; dorsals imbricate, keeled; ventrals imbricate, smooth, subcycloid to very weakly denticulate; median dorsal crest scales slightly enlarged, much lower than median dorsal caudal scales, 63 to 87 in occiput-vent distance; one-half midbody scales 31-49; supraoculars usually 7/7; loreals 2 to 16 (usually 2 to 8); temporals 11 to 18; supraorbital semicircles usually complete; prefrontal and frontoparietal rows usually complete; parietals more often in contact than not (depending strongly on population); no azygous scales between posterior pair median head scales; median head scales 3 to 14. Dorsum (males): (1) pale tan to sandy, usually with yellow, gold, or buffy dots; venter grayish or pale bluish, or (2) broad, brown, median band with irregular edges, bordered by dull, buffy-brown bands laterally; dorsum without flecking or dotting; venter pale rose-orange; occasionally with gold flecking superimposed on basic dorsal pattern; head at times dotted with brown; a series of pale ovals following lateral fold; a black to gray axillary spot present or absent in both sexes; throat uniform grayish blue to purplish with, at times, scattered clear blue to green scales on darker background; a series of 5 to 6 orange lateral bars extending onto sides of venter, these bars flecked with pale blue or green scales; at times a turquoise-blue or bright orange spot over forelimb insertion; tail bright orange mixed with pale blue and brick scales below; females drab, sandier than males, without orange or green on dorsum or sides; about 8 transverse or attenuate, dumbbell-shaped figures on dorsum; throat gray, either streaked with darker gray or white, or plain clouded gray.


Habitat: The preferred natural habitat of L. schreibersii is shrubland at altitudes from sea level to 1,600 feet.


Range: It is native to Hispaniola (in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic) in the Caribbean, and an introduced population is found in southern Florida.


Found in these States: FL


Diet: Eats insects and sometimes small lizards, including conspecifics; sit and wait forager.


Reproduction: L. schreibersii is oviparous.


Status: This species has been assessed as Least Concern due to its broad distribution, parts of which coincide with protected areas. It currently has no major threats and is able to exploit a wide range of environments including some disturbed situations. Further research into the threat processes acting upon this species is needed as a higher threat category could be triggered in the future.


Subspecies: None in our region.


Taxonomy:

»» Kingdom: Animalia - Animals
   »» Phylum: Chordata - Chordates
     »» Subphylum: Vertebrata - Vertebrates
       »» Class: Reptilia - Reptiles
         »» Order: Squamata - Lizards
           »» Family: Leiocephalidae - Curly-Tailed Lizards
             »» Genus: Leiocephalus
               »» Species: Leiocephalus schreibersii - Hispaniolan Khaki Curlytail

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Hispaniolan Khaki Curlytail", 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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Disclaimer: ITIS taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the United States is a party, wildlife statutes, regulations, and any applicable notices that have been published in the Federal Register. For further information on U.S. legal requirements with respect to protected taxa, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 
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