Lizards Part 2
Herpetoculture
Pensacola Jr College
Family Gekkonidae
= geckos
800 species
Family Gekkonidae
w Range: worldwide in tropics
/ subtropics
w Physical characteristics:
Small soft scales
Flattened body shape
Short legs
Fragile tail
Broad toes with gripping
flaps and bristles underneath
Family Gekkonidae
w Physical characteristics:
Small paired bony sacs at
base of tail
Short broad tongue with
slight notch
Pleurodont teeth
High vocalization ability
w Most nocturnal insectivores
Family Gekkonidae
w Communal egg-layers
w Usually have 1-2 hard
shelled eggs
w Young have 2 temporary egg
teeth
Ashy Gecko
Texas Banded Gecko
Barefoot Gecko
Leaf-tailed gecko
Leaf-toed gecko
Mediterranean
Gecko
Palmetto Gecko
San Diego banded
gecko
Malaysian cat
gecko
Leopard Gecko
Ornate Day Gecko
Philippine Emerald
Gecko
Frog-Eyed Gecko
Eyelash Gecko
Tokay Gecko
Tokay gecko -
hatching
Family Scincidae =
skinks, sandfish, blindworms, casquehead lizards, etc
1275 species
Family Scincidae
w Range: worldwide in tropics
and temperate zones
w Physical characteristics:
Smooth flat overlapping
scales
Elongated body form, very
rounded
Legs variable or absent
Short broad scaly tongue,
slightly notched
Family Scincidae
w Physical characteristics:
Pleurodont teeth
Usually no skin glands
w Mostly nocturnal
insectivores (larger ones herbivorous)
w Varied habitat / lifestyle
w Many viviparous (up to 24
eggs or live young / clutch)
Crocodile Skink
Five-lined skink
Gilberts skink
Great Plains Skink
Western Skink
Stump-tailed Skink
Burden's Snake-eyed
Skink
Bali skink
Emerald Skink
Blue-tongued skink
Mullers skink
Australian 4-toed
skink
Sandfish
Desert Skink
Painted crocodile
skink
Blue-tailed emoia
African Fire Skink
newborn
Prehensile-tailed skinks
Family Helodermatidae
= Gila monster and Mexican beaded lizard
2 species
Family
Helodermatidae
w Range: SW United States, W
Mexico
w Physical characteristics:
Large convex scales
surrounded by ring of granules
Thick cylindrical body form
Large head and throat fold
Fairly short non-fragile
tail, stores fat
Family
Helodermatidae
w Physical characteristics:
Long deeply forked tongue
Sharp inward curved
pleurodont teeth
Venomous saliva from lower
jaw
Skin glands mostly absent
w Carnivorous (insects, worms,
eggs, vertebrates, carrion)
Family
Helodermatidae
w Crepuscular
w Semi-hibernation in winter
w Mate in spring
w Oviparous
w 3-13 eggs laid and buried
w 4 month incubation period
Venom glands
w Grooved teeth conduct venom
into wound
w Attacks nervous system,
paralysis
Gila Monster
Mexican Beaded
Lizard
Mexican beaded -
hatchlings
Family Varanidae =
monitor lizards (including Komodo dragon)
31 species with low diversity
Family Varanidae
w Range: Africa, Asia,
Australia
w Physical characteristics:
Some small granular scales,
others large and pitted
Long narrow head, pointed
snout
Long neck w/ throat folds
Thick limbs and claws
Family Varanidae
w Physical characteristics:
Long slender deeply forked
tongue
Fanglike pleurodont teeth
Mostly lacking skin glands
w Diurnal and mainly terrestrial
w Carnivorous (vertebrates,
eggs, carrion, large inverts)
Family Varanidae
w Live in variety of habitats
w oviparous
w 7 35 soft shelled eggs
w Laid in nests of dirt
mounds, tree holes, termite nests etc
Nile monitor
Indian monitor
Spiny-tailed
monitor
Short-tailed pygmy
monitor
Sand Monitor
Pernetie
Spotted Tree
Monitor
Lace Monitor
Mertens Water
Monitor
Komodo Dragon
Komodo Dragon hatching