Abronia (lizard)

Abronia is a genus of lizards, known colloquially as alligator 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.<ref name="RDB"/> 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.<ref name=Vazquez2022>Template:Cite journal</ref> 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).<ref name=Vazquez2022/> They feed on small animal prey, such as insects, and the females give birth to live young (rather than lay eggs).<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

These medium-sized to fairly large lizards (maximum length generally up to about Template:Cvt) 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.<ref name=CITES2018>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name=CITES2018/>

Species

File:Abronia montecristoi 55841718.jpg

Abronia montecristoi

File:Abronia taeniata.jpg

Abronia taeniata

These species are recognized as being valid:<ref name="RDB">Abronia. The Reptile Database. Consulted: 2012-04-06.</ref>

• Abronia antauges Template:Small – Mount Orizaba alligator lizard
• Abronia anzuetoi Template:Small – Anzueto's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia aurita Template:Small – Cope's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia bogerti Template:Small – Bogert's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia campbelli Template:Small – Campbell's alligator lizard
• Abronia chiszari Template:Small – Chiszar's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia cuchumatanus Template:Small – Cuchumatanes alligator lizard
• Abronia cuetzpali Template:Small
• Abronia cunemica Template:Small – Coapilla arboreal alligator lizard.<ref>Elusive ‘alligator’-like creature found in treetops... Yahoo News. By Aspen Pflughoeft. January 5, 2024. Accessed January 7, 2024.</ref>
• Abronia deppii Template:Small – Deppe's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia fimbriata Template:Small
• Abronia frosti Template:Small – Frost's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia fuscolabialis Template:Small – Mount Zempoaltepec arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia gadovii Template:Small – Gadow's alligator lizard
• Abronia gaiophantasma Template:Small – brilliant arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia graminea Template:Small – Mexican alligator lizard
• Abronia juarezi Template:Small – Sierra Juarez alligator lizard
• Abronia leurolepis Template:Small – smoothback arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia lythrochila Template:Small – red-lipped arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia martindelcampoi Template:Small – Martín del Campo's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia matudai Template:Small – Matuda's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia meledona Template:Small
• Abronia mitchelli Template:Small – Mitchell's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia mixteca Template:Small – Mixtecan arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia montecristoi Template:Small – Monte Cristo arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia monticola Template:Small – montane alligator lizard
• Abronia moreletii Template:Small – Morelet's alligator lizard
• Abronia morenica Template:Small<ref name=":0">Template:Cite journal (Abronia morenica, new species).</ref> – Sierra Morena arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia oaxacae Template:Small – Oaxacan arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia ochoterenai Template:Small – Ochoterena's arboreal alligator lizard, Northern Chiapas arboreal alligator lizard,
• Abronia ornelasi Template:Small – Ornelas's arboreal alligator lizard, Cerro Baul alligator lizard
• Abronia ramirezi Template:Small – Ramirez's alligator lizard
• Abronia reidi Template:Small – Reid's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia salvadorensis Template:Small – Salvador arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia smithi Template:Small – Smith's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia taeniata Template:Small – banded arboreal alligator lizard, bromeliad arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia vasconcelosii Template:Small – Bocourt's arboreal alligator lizard
• Abronia viridiflava Template:Small – dwarf alligator lizard
• Abronia zongolica Template:Small<ref>García-Vázquez, Uri Omar; Clause, Adam G.; Gutiérrez-Rodríguez, Jorge; Cazares-Hernández, Erasmo; de la Torre-Loranca, Miguel Ángel (2022). "A New Species of Abronia (Squamata: Anguidae) from the Sierra de Zongolica of Veracruz, Mexico". Ichthyology & Herpetology. 110 (1): 33-49. (Abronia zongolica, new species).</ref>