Holbrookia approximans
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.
| Speckled earless lizard | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| 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] | |
| |
Taxonomy
The speckled earless lizard has been elevated to full species status as Holbrookia approximans.
Description
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
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
- "Holbrookia approximans ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
Further reading
- 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).