Audubon's Monkey Lizard

biology_ecology

Natural History: Beebe (1944) discussed the natural history of this lizard. Unfortunately, he combines information from both Caripito Venezuela and Kartabo, Guyana and it is not possible to unravel the comments he makes about P. marmoratus from Guyana, and from this species from Venezuela. However, Test et al. (1966) observed P. auduboni in the Botanical Garden at Caracas and above Turiamo Pass, Aragua, Venezuela. The latter individual was kept alive and is described as moving slowly and deliberately, unless grasshoppers were placed in its cage, at which time it jumps or runs towards the insects. The authors also describe tail waving as a human approached the cage, and interpret this as defensive behavior. During the day, the lizard was green in color but changed to gray-green at night while it slept on a branch. Its prey may also include humming birds. We have observed this lizard on Trinidad and Tobago, active during the day in secondary forests, climbing through branches and drinking water from the surface of leaves. Several times we have observed pairs together in the same or adjacent trees. Known predators include the hawk Leucopternis albicolis, house cats, and the parrot sna

Cryptic multicolored lizards in the Polychrus marmoratus Group (Squamata: Sauria: Polychrotidae) and the status of Leiolepis auduboni Hallowell

description

Re-description of holotype: Hallowellss (1845) description for this species is of little or no use in distinguishing it from Polychrus marmoratus or other taxa in this genus. Based upon photographs and the original description: Adult female with a snout-vent-length (SVL) of 101 mm. The head is 0.29 of the SVL; 0.65 times longer than wide, as wide as high. Snout blunt. Neck narrower than the head, almost as wide as the anterior portion of the body. Body compressed. Tail almost round in cross section, tapering toward the tip, 2.83 times SVL. Rostral pentagonal, almost two times as wide as high, visible from above, bordered posteriorly by two large postrostral scales. Scales on snout heterogeneous in size, irregularly polygonal, juxtaposed, rugose. Three scales across snout between anterior canthals, five scales across snout between posterior canthals, two canthals between nasal and supraciliaries, anterior one largest. Supranasals separated by three scales across the snout. Supraorbital semicircles more or less distinct, with 6 / 7 scales, separated medially by one row of scales, slightly smaller in size than those of supraorbital semicircles. Thirty-eight scales in supraocular regio

Cryptic multicolored lizards in the Polychrus marmoratus Group (Squamata: Sauria: Polychrotidae) and the status of Leiolepis auduboni Hallowell

diagnosis

Diagnosis: Loreal usually fragmented into two scales; supranasal not in contact with loreal; two or three internasals; loreal contacts upper labials 2 – 3 – 4; vertebral rows 93 – 112; scales around mid-body 62 – 80; lamellae on fourth toe 30 – 43; usually three scales (2 – 4) between the first canthals, and five scales (4 – 6) between the second canthals; nasal does not usually contact first upper labial, but does contact the second and third; total femoral pores 17 – 28; multicarinate scales in paravertebral rows few or none; paravertebrals much larger than laterals; the number of supraocular rows usually five, rarely four or six; scales on anterior of snout finely striated with scattered tiny tubercles; scales on anterior surface of humerus keeled.

Cryptic multicolored lizards in the Polychrus marmoratus Group (Squamata: Sauria: Polychrotidae) and the status of Leiolepis auduboni Hallowell

discussion

Comparisons: Distinguished from Polychrus marmoratus by few or no multicarinate paravertebral scales on the dorsum (many in P. marmoratus); paravertebrals consistently larger than laterals; loreal is one or two scales (3 – 4 in P. marmoratus); 17 – 28 femoral pores (8 – 19 in P. marmoratus).

Cryptic multicolored lizards in the Polychrus marmoratus Group (Squamata: Sauria: Polychrotidae) and the status of Leiolepis auduboni Hallowell