Abronia (lizard) explained

Abronia is a genus of lizards in the family Anguidae that is native to Mexico and Central America. The majority of the species are restricted to southern Mexico and Guatemala, but members of the genus occur as far south as Panama. They inhabit forests and woodlands, mostly in highlands, and some species are often associated with bromeliads. They are typically arboreal, but there are also terrestrial Abronia species.^[1] Many species are considered threatened due to habitat loss, killing by locals who mistakenly believe they are venomous, or collection for the captive reptile trade (they are listed on CITES, which restricts international trade).^[1] They feed on small animal prey, such as insects, and the females give birth to live young (rather than lay eggs).^[2]

These medium-sized to fairly large lizards (maximum length generally up to about) possess intriguing physical traits such as long prehensile tails that can be regrown if lost, keeled body scales, and a helmet-like structure on the top of the head, which in some species, for example A. lythrochila, has spikes towards the rear.^{[3] [4]} Their colors also vary significantly depending on species, including green, bluish-green, brown, yellowish, whitish, gray and black, and some have contrasting mottled or banded patterns.^[3]

Species

These species are recognized as being valid:^[5]

• Abronia antauges – Mount Orizaba alligator lizard
• Abronia anzuetoi – Anzueto's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia aurita – Cope's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia bogerti – Bogert's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia campbelli – Campbell's alligator lizard
• Abronia chiszari – Chiszar's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia cuchumatanus – Cuchumatanes alligator lizard
• Abronia cuetzpali
• Abronia cunemica – Coapilla arboreal alligator lizard.^[6]
• Abronia deppii – Deppe's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia fimbriata
• Abronia frosti – Frost's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia fuscolabialis – Mount Zempoaltepec arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia gadovii – Gadow's alligator lizard
• Abronia gaiophantasma – brilliant arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia graminea – Mexican alligator lizard
• Abronia juarezi – Sierra Juarez alligator lizard
• Abronia leurolepis – smoothback arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia lythrochila – red-lipped arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia martindelcampoi – Martín del Campo's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia matudai – Matuda's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia meledona
• Abronia mitchelli – Mitchell's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia mixteca – Mixtecan arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia montecristoi — Monte Cristo arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia monticola — montane alligator lizard
• Abronia moreletii – Morelet's alligator lizard
• Abronia morenica ^[7] – Sierra Morena arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia oaxacae – Oaxacan arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia ochoterenai – Ochoterena's arboreal alligator lizard, Northern Chiapas arboreal alligator lizard,
• Abronia ornelasi – Ornelas's arboreal alligator lizard, Cerro Baul alligator lizard
• Abronia ramirezi – Ramirez's alligator lizard
• Abronia reidi – Reid's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia salvadorensis — Salvador arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia smithi — Smith's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia taeniata – banded arboreal alligator lizard, bromeliad arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia vasconcelosii — Bocourt's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia viridiflava — dwarf alligator lizard
• Abronia zongolica ^[8]

Notes and References

1. García-Vázquez . U.M. . Clause . A.G. . Gutiérrez-Rodríguez . J. . Cazares-Hernández . E. . Ángel de la Torre-Loranca . M. . 2022 . A New Species of Abronia (Squamata: Anguidae) from the Sierra de Zongolica of Veracruz, Mexico . Ichthyology & Herpetology . 110 . 1 . 33–49 . 10.1643/h2021051 . free .
2. Cruz-Elizalde . R. . Villamar-Duque . T.E. . Ramírez-Bautista . A. . 2021 . Sexual dimorphism in size and shape in the viviparous lizard Abronia taeniata (Squamata: Anguidae) in central Mexico . Acta Zoologica . 102 . 2 . 220–226 . 10.1111/azo.12329.
3. Web site: Identification guide for dragons (Arboreal alligator lizards, Abronia spp.) regulated by CITES . 2018 . CITES . 8 June 2023 .
4. Web site: Status of conservation, use, management of and trade in the species of the genus Abronia . CITES . 8 June 2023 .
5. http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/search.php?genus=Abronia&exact%5B%5D=genus&submit=Search Abronia
6. https://news.yahoo.com/elusive-alligator-creature-found-treetops-173259785.html Elusive ‘alligator’-like creature found in treetops...
7. Clause. Adam G.. species:Adam G. Clause. Luna-Reyes. Roberto. species:Roberto Lina-Reyes. Nieto-Montes de Oca. Adrián. species:Adrian Nieto-Montes de Oca. 2020. A New Species of Abronia (Squamata: Anguidae) from a Protected Area in Chiapas, Mexico. Herpetologica. 76. 3. 330. 10.1655/Herpetologica-D-19-00047. 221564537. 0018-0831. (Abronia morenica, new species).
8. [species:Uri Omar García-Vázquez|García-Vázquez, Uri Omar]