''Holbrookia approximans'', the speckled earless lizard, is a
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 ...
of earless lizard which is found in the
Southwestern
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and northern
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 ...
. It is sometimes referred to as the western earless lizard.
Taxonomy
The speckled earless lizard has been elevated to full
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 ...
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 lizard
Earless lizards are two genera of small lizards native to the semiarid and grassland habitats of the Southwestern United States and Mexico. The genus ''Cophosaurus'' and the genus ''Holbrookia'' are both characterized by having no external ea ...
s, it has no external
ear
An ear is the organ that enables hearing and, in mammals, body balance using the vestibular system. In mammals, the ear is usually described as having three parts—the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The outer ear consists of ...
openings.
Behavior
Like all species of earless lizards, the speckled earless lizard is
diurnal and
insectivorous
A robber fly eating a hoverfly
An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects.
The first vertebrate insectivores were ...
. It prefers sandy,
grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...
habitats
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
with sparse vegetation. It tends to be a nervous, wary species that flees quickly if approached.
References
External links
*
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).
Holbrookia
Fauna of the Southwestern United States
Reptiles of Mexico
Reptiles described in 1858
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