Crotaphytus reticulatus
Encyclopedia
The Reticulate Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus reticulatus) is a moderately sized lizard
native to semi-arid, rocky regions of the Tamaulipan mezquital
. Its range includes the American
state of Texas
and the Mexican
states of Coahuila
, Nuevo León
, and Tamaulipas
. Of all the species in its family, Crotaphytidae
species, C. reticulatus is the only one that is not restricted to rocky habitat.
during breeding season, the males have a black collar around their neck
, and yellow
chest
and throat
markings. Females develop orange
bars along their underside when gravid. Collared lizards have small pockets at the base of the tail and folds of skin above the front legs. Mites and chiggers gather in these areas. C. reticulatus lacks post-femoral mite pockets that are present in the rest of the genus. This suggests that this genus broke away from the ancestral group first. C. reticulatus has black oral melanin
and black femoral pore secretions, the rest of the genus, except C. antiquus, has gray secretions.
and primarily carnivorous
, feeding on invertebrate
s and other small prey, even other lizards. They spend most of their time perched on rocks, basking in the sun, but are generally quick to flee if approached. C. reticulatus spends its life on the ground much like the closely related leopard lizards
. When threatened, it will take refuge in rodent burrows and under brush.
species in the United States that is protected from collecting.
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
native to semi-arid, rocky regions of the Tamaulipan mezquital
Tamaulipan mezquital
The Tamaulipan mezquital ecoregion, in the deserts and xeric shrublands biome, is located in the southern United States and northeastern Mexico...
. Its range includes the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and the Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
states of Coahuila
Coahuila
Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico...
, Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
, and Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
. Of all the species in its family, Crotaphytidae
Crotaphytidae
The family Crotaphytidae, or collared lizards, are desert-dwelling reptiles native to the southwest USA and northern Mexico. They are very fast-moving animals, with long limbs and tails, and are carnivorous, feeding mainly on insects....
species, C. reticulatus is the only one that is not restricted to rocky habitat.
Description
Crotaphytus reticulatus is a tan to brown lizard with reticulations covering most of its dorsum, limbs, and tail. Some of these reticulations are filled with black pigmentation. Unlike the rest of Crotaphytus, there is no color difference between males and females except during the breeding season. During this time males develop a bright yellow coloration on their chest, The collars on C. reticulatus are faint and the anterior collar is complete ventrally. The dewlap, or gular area is a greenish gray with black pigmentation in the center. The gular area of the female is white to yellow without the black pigmentation in the center. Symmetrical black spots fill in some of the pattern. The ventral surface is white or a cream color. They can grow to a length of 16 inches (40.6 cm). They are sexually dimorphicSexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
during breeding season, the males have a black collar around their neck
Neck
The neck is the part of the body, on many terrestrial or secondarily aquatic vertebrates, that distinguishes the head from the torso or trunk. The adjective signifying "of the neck" is cervical .-Boner anatomy: The cervical spine:The cervical portion of the human spine comprises seven boney...
, and yellow
Yellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
chest
Chest
The chest is a part of the anatomy of humans and various other animals. It is sometimes referred to as the thorax or the bosom.-Chest anatomy - Humans and other hominids:...
and throat
Throat
In vertebrate anatomy, the throat is the anterior part of the neck, in front of the vertebral column. It consists of the pharynx and larynx...
markings. Females develop orange
Orange (colour)
The colour orange occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum at a wavelength of about 585–620 nm, and has a hue of 30° in HSV colour space. It is numerically halfway between red and yellow in a gamma-compressed RGB colour space, the expression of which is the RGB colour wheel. The...
bars along their underside when gravid. Collared lizards have small pockets at the base of the tail and folds of skin above the front legs. Mites and chiggers gather in these areas. C. reticulatus lacks post-femoral mite pockets that are present in the rest of the genus. This suggests that this genus broke away from the ancestral group first. C. reticulatus has black oral melanin
Melanin
Melanin is a pigment that is ubiquitous in nature, being found in most organisms . In animals melanin pigments are derivatives of the amino acid tyrosine. The most common form of biological melanin is eumelanin, a brown-black polymer of dihydroxyindole carboxylic acids, and their reduced forms...
and black femoral pore secretions, the rest of the genus, except C. antiquus, has gray secretions.
Behavior
Collared lizards are diurnalDiurnal animal
Diurnality is a plant or animal behavior characterized by activity during the day and sleeping at night.-In animals:Animals that are not diurnal might be nocturnal or crepuscular . Many animal species are diurnal, including many mammals, insects, reptiles and birds...
and primarily carnivorous
Carnivore
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...
, feeding on invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s and other small prey, even other lizards. They spend most of their time perched on rocks, basking in the sun, but are generally quick to flee if approached. C. reticulatus spends its life on the ground much like the closely related leopard lizards
Gambelia
Gambelia is the genus name for the Leopard Lizards in the family Crotaphytidae. One difference between the genera Gambelia and Crotaphytus is that the former has fracture planes in their tails, allowing the tails to break off when grasped by predators.-Genus Gambelia:*Cope's Leopard Lizard,...
. When threatened, it will take refuge in rodent burrows and under brush.
Conservation concerns
This species range is declining due to habitat destruction and possibly climate change. The reticulated collared lizard is the only CrotaphytidCrotaphytidae
The family Crotaphytidae, or collared lizards, are desert-dwelling reptiles native to the southwest USA and northern Mexico. They are very fast-moving animals, with long limbs and tails, and are carnivorous, feeding mainly on insects....
species in the United States that is protected from collecting.