Yellow-spotted tropical night lizard

The yellow-spotted tropical night lizard or yellow-spotted night lizard (Lepidophyma flavimaculatum) is a species of night lizard (family Xantusiidae). The species is distributed from central Mexico, through Central America, south to Panama. It includes two subspecies.

Yellow-spotted tropical night lizard
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Xantusiidae
Genus:	Lepidophyma
Species:	L. flavimaculatum
Binomial name
Lepidophyma flavimaculatum A.H.A. Duméril, 1851
Synonyms
Lepidophyma flavimaculatum A.H.A. Duméril, 1851 Poriodogaster grayii A. Smith in Gray, 1863 Lepidophyma flavomaculatum A.H.A. Duméril & Bocourt, 1878 Lepidophyma flavimaculatum obscurum Barbour, 1924 Lepidophyma tehuanae H.M. Smith, 1942 Lepidophyma flavimaculatum tenebrarum Walker, 1955 Lepidophyma anomalum Taylor, 1955 Lepidophyma ophiophthalmum Taylor, 1955 Lepidophyma flavimaculata — Liner, 1994

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.

• Lepidophyma flavimaculatum flavimaculatum A.H.A.Duméril, 1851
• Lepidophyma flavimaculatum ophiophthalmum Taylor, 1955

Reproduction

L. flavimaculatum reproduces parthenogenetically. The female gives birth to live, fully developed young lizards. Before birth the egg cells are not fertilized.

Habitat and ecology

L. flavimaculatum is a secretive, terrestrial and nocturnal lizard of tropical wet and moist forests, at altitudes from sea level to 1,500 m (4,900 ft). Mostly found on the ground, it is occasionally found on tree trunks or beneath bark on standing trees. It feeds on small invertebrates.

Fiction

The yellow-spotted night lizard is sometimes suggested to be the inspiration for the "yellow-spotted lizards" in the children's novel Holes by Louis Sachar. However, in the making of the movie adaptation of the novel, the filmmakers used bearded dragons and painted yellow spots on them, rather than using actual yellow-spotted night lizards. In both versions, the lizards are portrayed as animals that are aggressive toward humans and produce deadly venom, which is not true of either species.

Further reading

• AHA Duméril (1851). In: Duméril AMC, Duméril AHA (1851). Catalogue methodique de la Collection des Reptiles du Muséum d'Histoire naturelle de Paris. Paris: Gide et Baudry / Roret. 224 pp. (Lepidophyma flavimaculatum, new species, p. 138). (in French).
• Holmback, Erik (1984). "Parthenogenesis in the Central American night lizard Lepidophyma flavimaculatum at San Antonio Zoo". International Zoo Yearbook 23: 157–158.
• Liner EA (1994). Scientific and Common Names for the Amphibians and Reptiles of Mexico in English and Spanish: Nombres Científicos y Comunes en Ingles y Español de los Anfibios y los Reptiles de México. Herpetological Circular No. 23. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR). iii + 113 pp. (Lepidophyma flavimaculatum). (in English and Spanish).
• Schlüter U (2009). "Die Gelbgefleckte Krokodil-Nachtechse (Lepidophyma flavimaculatum) im Terrarium ". Reptilia, Münster 14 (80): 70–74. (in German).
• Taylor EH (1955). "Additions to the Known Herpetological Fauna of Costa Rica with Comments on Other Species. No. II". University of Kansas Science Bulletin 37 (1): 499–575. (Lepidophyma ophiophthalmum, new species, pp. 558–562, Figure 15).