''Leiocephalus carinatus'', commonly known as the northern curly-tailed lizard or saw-scaled curlytail, is a species of

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 ...

in the family Leiocephalidae (

curly-tailed lizard Leiocephalidae, also known as the curlytail lizards or curly-tailed lizards, is a family of iguanian lizards restricted to the West Indies. One of the defining features of these lizards is that their tail often curls over. They were previously ...

Geographic range

It is native to the Bahama Islands, the

Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territory—the largest by population in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located to the ...

and Cuba. It was introduced intentionally in

Palm Beach, Florida Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida. Located on a barrier island in east-central Palm Beach County, the town is separated from several nearby cities including West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach by the Intracoas ...

, in the 1940s in an attempt to control sugar cane

pests PESTS was an anonymous American activist group formed in 1986 to critique racism, tokenism, and exclusion in the art world. PESTS produced newsletters, posters, and other print material highlighting examples of discrimination in gallery represent ...

, and is now also present in a few other parts of the state. Another introduced population inhabits Swan Islands, Honduras.

Description

Adults may attain a snout to vent length (SVL) of , or a total length, including the tail, of . The dorsal scales are keeled and pointed. ''L. carinatus'' resembles lizards of the genus '' Sceloporus'', but with the tail usually curled upward, especially when the lizard is in a horizontal position on rocks or on the ground.

Behavior

An active, robust lizard, it is mostly terrestrial and will retreat into a

burrow An Eastern chipmunk at the entrance of its burrow A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to construct a space suitable for habitation or temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. Burrows provide a form of sh ...

or cavity when frightened. It prefers sunny areas with loose rubble and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

. In the Cayman Islands a large captured specimen was observed to consistently burrow completely under the sand in a holding tank, even though a rock retreat was provided. The lizard also "played dead" when handled and remained completely motionless for a short while after being put down. ''Leiocephalus carinatus'' utilizes tail curling as an antipredator measure when being chased. This behavior is predominantly seen when the predator is distant, as it is an attempt to intimidate would-be pursuers; when the predator is close however, the lizard instead seeks immediate refuge.

Subspecies

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

are recognized, including the nominate race: *''L. c. carinatus'' Gray, 1827 *''L. c. aquarius''

Schwartz Schwartz may refer to: *Schwartz (surname), a surname (and list of people with the name) *Schwartz (brand), a spice brand *Schwartz's, a delicatessen in Montreal, Quebec, Canada *Schwartz Publishing, an Australian publishing house *"Danny Schwartz" ...

& Ogren, 1956 *'' L. c. armouri'' Barbour & Shreve, 1935 *''L. c. cayensis'' Schwartz, 1959 *''L. c. coryi''

K.P. Schmidt Karl Patterson Schmidt (June 19, 1890 – September 26, 1957) was an American herpetologist. Family Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. George W. Schmidt was a German professor, who, at the time of Kar ...

, 1936 *''L. c. granti''

Rabb Rabb ( ar, رب, ''Rabb'', sometimes "''rabb'' (-i/-u/-a)"), is often used to refer to God in Arabic (''Allah'') as the "Lord" or "master". It is used by adherents of various religions, including Muslims, Christians, Hindus, and Sikhs across the Mi ...

, 1957 *''L. c. hodsdoni'' K.P. Schmidt, 1936 *''L. c. labrossytus'' Schwartz, 1959, South Central Cuba, Playa Larga *''L. c. microcyon'' Schwartz, 1959 *''L. c. mogotensis'' Schwartz, 1959 *''L. c. virescens''

Stejneger Leonhard Hess Stejneger (30 October 1851 – 28 February 1943) was a Norwegian-born American ornithologist, herpetologist and zoologist. Stejneger specialized in vertebrate natural history studies. He gained his greatest reputation with reptiles ...

, 1901 *''L. c. zayasi'' Schwartz, 1959 Schwartz, A., and

R. Thomas R. Thomas (March 13, 1961 – 1971) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Kentucky by Bull Hancock at his renowned Claiborne Farm. Sired by Nadir, the 1957 American Co-Champion Two-Year-Old Colt, his dam was Fleet Flight, a daughte ...

. 1975. ''A Check-list of West Indian Amphibians and Reptiles''. Special Publication No. 1. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 216 pp. (''Leiocephalus carinatus'', pp. 127-129.)

Geographic range

Description

Behavior

Subspecies

References

Further reading