Liolaemidae Explained

Liolaemidae are a family of iguanian lizards. They were traditionally included in the family Iguanidae as subfamily Liolaeminae, which some more recent authors prefer to delimit in a more restricted way. A common name for this group is liolaemids. Liolaemidae are typically herbivores that have a diet high in fruit. Because of this special diet, Liolaemidae have a larger small intestine when compared to other similar omnivorous and insectivorous lizards.^[1]

The genera placed here are:

• Ctenoblepharys – cabezona (one species)
• Liolaemus – tree iguanas, snow swifts (over 280 species)
• Phymaturus (52 species)

Notes and References

1. O'Grady . Shannon P. . Correlating diet and digestive tract specialization: Examples from the lizard family Liolaemidae . Zoology . 108 . 3 . 201–210 . Urban & Fischer . 10.1016/j.zool.2005.06.002 . 2005 . 16351968 .