Night lizard
(Redirected from
Xantusiidae
)
| Night lizard | |
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Xantusia vigilis
| |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Infraorder: | Scincomorpha |
| Family: | Xantusiidae Baird, 1858 |
| Genera | |
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Night lizards (
Cricosaura in Cuba, and Lepidophyma, the most populous night lizard genus, in Central America. Three fossil genera are also known: Catactegenys, Palepidophyma, Palaeoxantusia
.
Biology
Night lizards were originally thought to be
diurnal. Night lizards have evolved
to live in very narrow environmental niches—"microhabitat specialization"—such as rock crevices or damp logs, and may spend their entire life under the same cover.
Physically, night lizards are characterized by relatively flat bodies and heads. Their heads are covered by large, smooth plates, while their bodies have rougher, granular skin. Their eyes, like those of
snakes, are covered by immoveable, transparent membranes that function as eyelids.[2] They feed on insects and sometimes plants
.
Contrary to the reproductive strategies of most small lizards, night lizards tend to have very low reproductive rates, with several species giving birth to only one or two offspring, after a gestation period of about three months.[2] They generally take several years to reach sexual maturity. However, the covert lifestyle of night lizards has contributed to a high life expectancy.
References
- ^ "Search results | The Reptile Database". reptile-database.reptarium.cz. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
- ^ ISBN 0-12-178560-2.
External links
| Authority control databases: National |
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