Crotaphytidae

Crotaphytidae
Crotaphytus collaris
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Lacertilia / Sauria
Infraorder:	Iguania
Family:	Crotaphytidae H.M. Smith & Brodie, 1982
Genera
Crotaphytus Gambelia

The Crotaphytidae, or collared lizards, are a family of desert-dwelling reptiles native to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. They are very fast-moving animals, with long limbs and tails, and are carnivorous, feeding mainly on insects and smaller lizards.

The two genera contain 12 species.

Technical characters

• Femoral pores present
• Interparietal scale small (distinctly smaller than ear opening)
• Never have an enlarged midorsal scale row or fringe
• Never have a divided rostral scale
• No bony spines or projecting ridges on their heads
• No scales projecting over their ears, and no scales forming a prominent fringe on sides of toes as in Phrynosomatidae

Species

Genus Gambelia Baird, 1859 (leopard lizards)

• Cope's leopard lizard – Gambelia copeii (Yarrow, 1882)
• blunt-nosed leopard lizard – Gambelia sila (Stejneger, 1890)
• long-nosed leopard lizard – Gambelia wislizenii (Baird & Girard, 1852)

Genus Crotaphytus Holbrook, 1842 (collared lizards)

• venerable collared lizard – Crotaphytus antiquus Axtell & Webb, 1995
• desert collared lizard – Crotaphytus bicinctores N.M. Smith & W.W. Tanner, 1972
• common collared lizard – Crotaphytus collaris (Say, 1823)
• Dickerson's collared lizard – Crotaphytus dickersonae K.P. Schmidt, 1922
• Grismer's collared lizard – Crotaphytus grismeri McGuire, 1994
• Eastern collared lizard – Crotaphytus insularis Van Denburgh & Slevin, 1921
• Sonoran collared lizard – Crotaphytus nebrius Axtell & Montanucci, 1977
• reticulated collared lizard – Crotaphytus reticulatus Baird, 1858
• Baja collared lizard – Crotaphytus vestigium N.M. Smith & W.W. Tanner, 1972

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in different genus.

Further reading

• Frost DR, Etheridge RE. 1989. A Phylogenetic Analysis and Taxonomy of Iguanian Lizards (Reptilia: Squamata) Univ. Kansas Mus. Nat. Hist. Misc. Publ. 81: 1-62. (Family Crotaphytidae, p. 36).

• Smith HM, Brodie ED Jr. 1982. Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. ISBN 0-307-13666-3. (Subfamily Crotaphytinae, p. 106).