''Abronia'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Anguidae Anguidae refers to a large and diverse family of lizards native to the Northern Hemisphere. Common characteristics of this group include a reduced supratemporal arch, striations on the medial faces of tooth crowns, osteoderms, and a lateral fold ...

. The genus is native to northern

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

, occurring mainly in

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

and

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. However, there are

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

that occur as far south as

El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...

and

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...

, for example, '' A. montercristoi''. ''Abronia'' species are almost exclusively

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the Animal locomotion, locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally, but others are exclusively arboreal. Th ...

. These lizards possess intriguing physical traits such as keeled body scales, patterns on each individual scale, and some, for example, '' A. lythrochila'', even have spikes on the back of the head. Traits vary from species to species.

Species

These species are recognized as being valid:''Abronia''
The Reptile Database. Consulted: 2012-04-06. *''

Abronia antauges ''Abronia antauges'' (Mount Orizaba alligator lizard) is a species of lizard in the family Anguidae. The species is endemic to Veracruz, Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern po ...

'' – Mount Orizaba alligator lizard *''

Abronia anzuetoi The Anzuetoi arboreal alligator lizard (''Abronia anzuetoi''), also known commonly as Anzueto's arboreal alligator lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Anguidae. The species is endemic to Volcán de Agua in Guatemala. Etymology The spe ...

'' – Anzueto's arboreal alligator lizard *'' Abronia aurita'' – Cope's arboreal alligator lizard *''

Abronia bogerti ''Abronia bogerti'', known by the common name Bogert's arboreal alligator lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Anguidae. The species is endemic to Mexico. Campbell JA (2007)''Abronia bogerti'' The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Vers ...

'' – Bogert's arboreal alligator lizard *''

Abronia campbelli ''Abronia campbelli'', commonly known as Campbell's alligator lizard, is species of critically endangered arboreal alligator lizard in the family Anguidae. ''Abronia campbelli'' is endemic to eastern Guatemala. Etymology The specific name, ''c ...

'' – Campbell's alligator lizard *''

Abronia chiszari ''Abronia chiszari'', Chiszar's arboreal alligator lizard, is an endangered species of arboreal alligator lizard in the family Anguidae. The species is native to east-central Mexico. Taxonomy ''A. chiszari'' was described in 1981 by Hobart Muir ...

'' – Chiszar's arboreal alligator lizard *''

Abronia cuchumatanus The Cuchumatanes alligator lizard (''Abronia cuchumatanus''), is a species of lizard in the family Anguidae. The species is endemic to Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no) ...

'' – Cuchumatanes alligator lizard *'' Abronia cuetzpali'' *'' Abronia deppii'' – Deppe's arboreal alligator lizard *'' Abronia fimbriata'' *'' Abronia frosti'' – Frost's arboreal alligator lizard *'' Abronia fuscolabialis'' – Mount Zempoaltepec arboreal alligator lizard *'' Abronia gadovii'' – Gadow's alligator lizard *''

Abronia gaiophantasma The brilliant arboreal alligator lizard (''Abronia gaiophantasma'') is a species of lizard endemic to Guatemala. This species is restricted to the mountains of east-central Guatemala, from the Sierra de las Minas east to the Chilascó region. I ...

'' – brilliant arboreal alligator lizard *''

Abronia graminea The Mexican alligator lizard (''Abronia graminea''), also known as the green arboreal alligator lizard, is an Endangered species, endangered species of lizard Endemism, endemic to the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca highlands of Mexico. It can be found in ...

'' – Mexican alligator lizard *'' Abronia juarezi'' – Sierra Juarez alligator lizard *'' Abronia leurolepis'' – smoothback arboreal alligator lizard *''

Abronia lythrochila ''Abronia lythrochila'' is a species of lizard in the family Anguidae known by the common name red-lipped arboreal alligator lizard. Distribution This species is endemic to the state of Chiapas in Mexico.Campbell, J.A. & Muñoz-Alonso, A. 2007 ...

'' – red-lipped arboreal alligator lizard *'' Abronia martindelcampoi'' – Martín del Campo's arboreal alligator lizard *'' Abronia matudai'' – Matuda's arboreal alligator lizard *'' Abronia meledona'' *''

Abronia mitchelli ''Abronia mitchelli'', Mitchell's arboreal alligator lizard, is a species of arboreal alligator lizard in the family Anguidae. The species, which was originally described in 1982 by Jonathan A. Campbell, is endemic to southwestern Mexico. Etym ...

'' – Mitchell's arboreal alligator lizard *'' Abronia mixteca'' – Mixtecan arboreal alligator lizard *'' Abronia montecristoi'' — Monte Cristo arboreal alligator lizard *'' Abronia monticola'' *'' Abronia moreletii'' – Morelet's alligator lizard *'' Abronia morenica'' (''Abronia morenica'', new species). – Sierra Morena arboreal alligator lizard *'' Abronia oaxacae'' – Oaxacan arboreal alligator lizard *''

Abronia ochoterenai ''Abronia ochoterenai'', Ochoterena's arboreal alligator lizard or Northern Chiapas arboreal alligator lizard, is a species of arboreal alligator lizard in the family Anguidae. The species, which is native to extreme southern Mexico, was describ ...

'' – Ochoterena's arboreal alligator lizard, Northern Chiapas arboreal alligator lizard, *''

Abronia ornelasi ''Abronia ornelasi'', Ornelas's arboreal alligator lizard or Cerro Baul alligator lizard, is a species of arboreal alligator lizard in the family Anguidae. The species, which was originally described in 1984 by Jonathan A. Campbell, is endemic ...

'' – Ornelas's arboreal alligator lizard, Cerro Baul alligator lizard *''

Abronia ramirezi ''Abronia ramirezi'', Ramirez's alligator lizard, is species of arboreal alligator lizard in the family Anguidae. The species, which was described in 1994 by Campbell, is endemic to Mexico. Etymology The specific name, ''ramirezi'', is in hono ...

'' – Ramirez's alligator lizard *''

Abronia reidi ''Abronia reidi'', Reid's arboreal alligator lizard, is a species of arboreal alligator lizard in the family Anguidae. The species is native to Mexico. It was described as a species new to science in 1961 by John E. Werler and Frederick A. Shan ...

'' – Reid's arboreal alligator lizard *'' Abronia salvadorensis'' — Salvador arboreal alligator lizard *''

Abronia smithi ''Abronia smithi'' is a species of lizard in the family Anguidae. Known by the common name Smith's arboreal alligator lizard, the species is endemic to the state of Chiapas in Mexico. Campbell JA, Muñoz-Alonso A (2007)''Abronia smithi''.The IUC ...

'' — Smith's arboreal alligator lizard *'' Abronia taeniata'' – banded arboreal alligator lizard, bromeliad arboreal alligator lizard *'' Abronia vasconcelosii'' — Bocourt's arboreal alligator lizard *'' Abronia viridiflava'' — dwarf alligator lizard *'' Abronia zongolica '' García-Vázquez, Uri Omar; Clause, Adam G.; Gutiérrez-Rodríguez, Jorge; Cazares-Hernández, Erasmo; de la Torre-Loranca, Miguel Ángel (2022)
"A New Species of ''Abronia'' (Squamata: Anguidae) from the Sierra de Zongolica of Veracruz, Mexico"
''Ichthyology & Herpetology.'' 110 (1): 33-49. (''Abronia zongolica'', new species).

References

External links

Abronia Lizard genera Lizards of Central America Taxa named by John Edward Gray {{Lizard-stub