Urosaurus

Urosaurus
Urosaurus ornatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Lacertilia
Infraorder: Iguania
Family: Phrynosomatidae
Genus: Urosaurus
Hallowell, 1854[1]
Diversity
9 species (see text)

Urosaurus is a genus of lizards, commonly known as tree lizards or brush lizards, belonging to the New World iguanian family Phrynosomatidae.[1] Species in the genus Urosaurus can be distinguished from members of the genus Sceloporus by the presence of a gular (under neck) fold and granular lateral scales. They can be distinguished from members of the genus Uta by the presence of enlarged (sometimes only slightly) dorsal scales.

Urosaurus have been used as a model system in lizard life-history studies, and populations produce two or more clutches of eggs per year.[2][3] Field studies have also shown a cost of reproduction in a natural New Mexico population of the species Urosaurus ornatus.[4]

Species

There are nine species:[5]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Urosaurus Hallowell, 1854". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
  2. ↑ Michel, L. (1976). "Reproduction in a southwest New Mexican population of Urosaurus ornatus". The Southwestern Naturalist 21 (3): 281–299. doi:10.2307/3669714. JSTOR 3669714.
  3. ↑ Ballinger, R. E. (1984). "Survivorship of the lizard, Urosaurus ornatus linearis, in New Mexico". Journal of Herpetology 18 (4): 480–481. doi:10.2307/1564108.
  4. ↑ Landwer, A. J. (1994). "Manipulation of egg production reveals costs of reproduction in the tree lizard (Urosaurus ornatus)". Oecologia 100 (3): 243–249. doi:10.1007/BF00316951.
  5. ↑ Urosaurus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database

Further reading