The following taxonomic list will link you to the individual species.
Characteristics that distinguish
Idaho Lacertilia from the group Serpentes are the presence of four limbs (there
are some lizards species elsewhere that lack limbs), visible ear openings, and
movable eyelids. These three characters alone should allow you to readily recognize
Idaho lacertilians.
Family:
Anguidae
(Anguids)
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The family Anguidae is comprised of 15 genera and around
102 species (Pough et al. 1998). They are mainly distributed
in separated regions of North, Central and South America, and portions
of Africa and Asia (Goin and Goin 1971, Pough et al. 1998).
Several species of lizards in this family have reduced or absent limbs
and both oviparous |
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Family:
Crotaphytidae
(Crotaphytids)
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The family Crotaphytidae is comprised of 2 genera and
12 species, and they are found in North and Central America (Pough et
al. 1998). The lizards in this family are moderately sized and
occupy mesic or arid regions. An interesting characteristic is
that the lizards in this family include other vertebrates in their diet.
In Idaho, both the Longnose Leopard Lizard (Gambelia wislizenii)
and the Mojave Black-collared Lizard (Crotaphytus bicinctores)
eat other lizards.
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Family:
Phrynosomatidae
(Phrynosomatids)
| The family Phrynosomatidae is comprised of 10 genera and about 125 species that range from North America (southern Canada) to Panama (Pough et al. 1998). In Idaho, the species of phrynosomatids that occurs the farthest north is the Short-horned Lizard (Phryonsoma douglassii). This is the most diverse family of Idaho lizards and includes a second species of horned lizard, the Desert Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos) as well as three other species, the Sagebrush Lizard (Sceloporus graciosus), the Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis), and the Side-blotched Lizard (Uta stansburiana). | ||
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| Phrynosoma
douglassii (Short-horned Lizard) |
Phrynosoma
platyrhinos (Desert Horned Lizard) |
Sceloporus
graciosus (Sagebrush Lizard) |
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| Sceloporus
occidentalis (Western Fence Lizard) |
Uta
stansburiana (Side-blotched Lizard) |
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Family:
Scincidae
(Skinks)
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The family
Scincidae is a diverse and cosmopolitan family consisting of approximately
100 genera and about 1090 species (Pough et al. 1998). Skinks in
general are characterized by smooth cycloid
scales
 ,
a well developed secondary palate, osteoderms
(bony elements in the skin) that are comprised of many small bones, and
limb reduction in several species.The only representative of this family
in Idaho is the Western Skink (Eumeces skiltonianus). |
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Family:
Teiidae
(Teids)
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The family Teiidae is comprised of 40 genera (including both macro
and microteiids, which are sometimes considered separate families)
and around 245 species (again for both macro and microteiids) that
range from North, Central, and South America (Pough et al. 1998).
The Western Whiptail (Cnemidophorus tigris) is the only species
of the family Teiidae. Lizards in this family are found in
a wide range of habitats and have a wide range of body forms.
All Teiids have forked snake-like tongues, and several different
species have parthenogenic |
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