Spiny weapontail
Template:Short description Template:Speciesbox The spiny weapontail (Hoplocercus spinosus) is a species of lizard belonging to the monotypic genus Hoplocercus<ref name=review/> in the family Hoplocercidae. The species is found in the Cerrado and adjacent Cerrado–Amazon mosaics in Brazil and Bolivia.<ref name=review/>
Taxonomy
H. spinosus is quite distantly related to the other members of Hoplocercidae, as it is believed to have diverged from these about 35 million years ago.<ref name=review/>
Description
The spiny weapontail has a total length (including tail) of about Template:Convert.<ref>Animalitaly: Lucertola dalla coda spinosa del Brasile, Hoplocercus spinosus. (in Italian). Retrieved 16 March 2018.</ref> As suggested by its name, it has a short, highly spiny tail (it is superficially similar to Uromastyx, Cachryx and the smaller species in Ctenosaura).<ref name=review/>
Behavior
When disturbed, H. spinosus retreats to its burrow with its tail orientated towards the entrance.<ref name=review/> It is nocturnal.<ref name=review/>
Diet
H. spinosus preys upon arthropods.<ref name=review/>
Reproduction
H. spinosus is oviparous.<ref>Template:EMBL species www.reptile-database.org.</ref>
References
Further reading
- Ávila-Pires TCS (1995). "Lizards of Brazilian Amazonia (Reptilia: Squamata)". Zoologische Verhandelingen (Leiden) 299: 1-706.
- Boulenger GA (1885). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume II., ... Iguanidæ .... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 497 pp. + Plates I–XXIV. (genus Hoplocercus, p. 199; species H. spinosus, pp. 199–200).
- Dirksen L, De la Riva I (1999). "The lizards and amphisbaenians of Bolivia (Reptilia, Squamata): checklist, localities, and bibliography". Graellsia 55: 199-215.
- Estes R, Pregill G (editors) (1988). Phylogenetic relationships of the Lizard Families: Essays Commemorating Charles L. Camp. Redwood City, California: Stanford University Press. xvi + 632 pp.
- Fitzinger L (1843). Systema Reptilium, fasciculus primus, Amblyglossae. Vienna: Braumüller et Seidel. 106 pp. + indices. (Hoplocercus, new genus, p. 78; H. spinosus, new species, p. 78). (in Latin).
- Harvey MB (1995). "A preliminary list of the reptiles and amphibians of the El Refugio biological reserve". pp. 21–26. In: Forsyth A (editor) (1995). A report on aspects of biodiversity and conservation potential in El Refugio. Washington, District of Columbia: Conservation International.