Holbrookia approximans
| Speckled earless lizard | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Phrynosomatidae |
| Genus: | Holbrookia |
| Species: | H. approximans
|
| Binomial name | |
| Holbrookia approximans Baird, 1858
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Holbrookia approximans, the speckled earless lizard, is a species of earless lizard which is found in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It is sometimes referred to as the western earless lizard.
Taxonomy[edit]
The speckled earless lizard has been elevated to full species status as Holbrookia approximans.
Description[edit]
The speckled earless lizard is an overall gray-brown in color, with black and white speckling all along its back, with a solid gray-brown underside. It has distinct black and white bars immediately preceding the hind legs. Males tend to have a blue coloration to the white bars, whereas females do not. Like all species of earless lizards, it has no external ear openings.
Behavior[edit]
Like all species of earless lizards, the speckled earless lizard is diurnal and insectivorous. It prefers sandy, grassland habitats with sparse vegetation. It tends to be a nervous, wary species that flees quickly if approached.
References[edit]
- ^ "Holbrookia approximans ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
Further reading[edit]
- Baird SF (1858). "Description of New Genera and Species of North American Lizards in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution". Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 10: 253–246. (Holbrookia approximans, new species, pp. 253–254).
External links[edit]
- Species Holbrookia approximans at The Reptile Database
.jpg){kind=small} | This lizard article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |