''Xenosaurus platyceps'', the flathead knob-scaled lizard, is a lizard found in the Sierra Madre Oriental of

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 ...

. Its natural habitat is dry

scrub forest Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It ma ...

and

oak savanna An oak savanna is a type of savanna—or lightly forested grassland—where oaks (''Quercus ''spp.) are the dominant trees. The terms "oakery" or "woodlands" are also used commonly, though the former is more prevalent when referencing the Medite ...

. The species is

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...

due to habitat fragmentation for the development of tourism and agriculture as well as predation by

feral cat A feral cat or a stray cat is an unowned domestic cat (''Felis catus'') that lives outdoors and avoids human contact: it does not allow itself to be handled or touched, and usually remains hidden from humans. Feral cats may breed over dozens ...

s. Currently, the flathead knob-scaled lizard does not live in a protected area.Mendoza-Quijano, F. 2007. ''Xenosaurus platyceps''. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. . Downloaded on 4 April 2013.

References

Xenosauridae Reptiles described in 1968 Endemic reptiles of Mexico Fauna of the Sierra Madre Oriental {{lizard-stub