Holbrookia maculata perspicua

prairie earless lizard
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Phrynosomatidae
Genus: Holbrookia
Species: H. maculata
Subspecies: H. m. perspicua
Trinomial name
Holbrookia maculata perspicua
Axtell, 1956

The prairie earless lizard or eastern earless lizard (Holbrookia maculata perspicua) is a subspecies of the lesser earless lizard, (Holbrookia maculata).

Geographic range

Holbrookia maculata perspicua is endemic to the prairies of the central United States from South Dakota in the north, as far south as Texas.

Description

The prairie earless lizard is an overall gray-brown in color, with rows of dark blotches on either side of the back, with a light colored stripe down the middle. The males have black and white diagonal markings just before their hind legs, which typically females lack. They grow from 4.5 to 6 inches in length, and like all earless lizards, they have no external ear openings. As their range overlaps with other subspecies of H. maculata, distinguishing them can be difficult.

Behavior

Like all earless lizards, the prairie earless lizard is diurnal and insectivorous. They are often seen basking themselves on rocks, but will flee quickly if approached.

References


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/14/2011. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.