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Night lizard

Xantusia vigilis
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Infraorder:	Scincomorpha
Family:	Xantusiidae Baird, 1858
Genera
Cricosaura Lepidophyma Xantusia

Night lizards (family Xantusiidae) are a group of small scincomorph lizards, averaging from less than 4 cm (1.6 in) to over 12 cm (4.7 in) snout–vent length. Most species are viviparous (live-bearing), with the exception of those in the genus Cricosaura. The family has only three living genera, with approximately 34^[1] living species. The genera are divided by geographic range: Xantusia in southwestern North America and Baja California, Cricosaura in Cuba, and Lepidophyma, the most populous night lizard genus, in Central America. Three fossil genera are also known: Catactegenys, Palepidophyma, Palaeoxantusia.

Biology

Night lizards were originally thought to be nocturnal because of their secretive lifestyle, but they are at least in some cases diurnal. Night lizards have evolved to live in very narrow environmental niches—"microhabitat specialization"—such as rock crevices or damp logs, and may spend their entire life under the same cover.

Physically, night lizards are characterized by relatively flat bodies and heads. Their heads are covered by large, smooth plates, while their bodies have rougher, granular skin. Their eyes, like those of snakes, are covered by immoveable, transparent membranes that function as eyelids.^[2] They feed on insects and sometimes plants.

Contrary to the reproductive strategies of most small lizards, night lizards tend to have very low reproductive rates, with several species giving birth to only one or two offspring, after a gestation period of about three months.^[2] They generally take several years to reach sexual maturity. However, the covert lifestyle of night lizards has contributed to a high life expectancy.

References

^ "Search results | The Reptile Database". reptile-database.reptarium.cz. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
^ ^a ^b Bauer, A.M. [in French] (1998). Cogger, H.G.; Zweifel, R.G. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 171–173. ISBN 0-12-178560-2.

External links

Xantusiidae

Squamata families

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata

Dibamia

Dibamidae

Gekkota

Scincoidea

Laterata / Lacertoidea

Lacertidae
Gymnophthalmoidea	Alopoglossidae Gymnophthalmidae Teiidae
Amphisbaenia	Amphisbaenidae Bipedidae Blanidae Cadeidae Rhineuridae Trogonophidae

Anguimorpha

Iguania

Serpentes

Scolecophidia	Anomalepididae Gerrhopilidae Leptotyphlopidae Typhlopidae Xenotyphlopidae
Alethinophidia	Acrochordidae Aniliidae Anomochilidae Atractaspididae Boidae Bolyeriidae Colubridae Cylindrophiidae Elapidae Loxocemidae Pythonidae Tropidophiidae Uropeltidae Viperidae Xenopeltidae

Taxon identifiers
Xantusiidae	Wikidata: Q260342 Wikispecies: Xantusiidae ADW: Xantusiidae BOLD: 105932 CoL: HX6 EoL: 8117 GBIF: 5025 iNaturalist: 39475 IRMNG: 102019 ITIS: 174088 NCBI: 8536 Open Tree of Life: 661801 Paleobiology Database: 37923

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