Holbrookia approximans
| Speckled earless lizard | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Phrynosomatidae |
| Genus: | Holbrookia |
| Species: | H. approximans
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| Binomial name | |
| Holbrookia approximans Baird, 1858
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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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
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