Liolaemidae
Family of lizards
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Liolaemidae are a family of iguanian lizards.[1] They were traditionally included in the family Iguanidae as subfamily Liolaeminae, which some more recent authors prefer to delimit in a more restricted way. This family is only found within South America with the widest range being in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, and Paraguay.[2] A common name for this group is liolaemids. Liolaemidae are typically herbivores that have a diet high in fruit. Because of this special diet, Liolaemidae have a larger small intestine when compared to other similar omnivorous and insectivorous lizards.[3] Liolaemidae also have evolved both herbivory and omnivory independently more times than any other lizard group[2]
| Liolaemidae | |
|---|---|
| |
| male Liolaemus tenuis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Liolaemidae Frost & Etheridge, 1989 |
| Synonyms | |
|
Liolaeminae (but see text) | |
The genera placed here are:
- Ctenoblepharys Tschudi, 1845 – cabezona (one species)
- Liolaemus Wiegmann, 1834 – tree iguanas, snow swifts (over 280 species)
- Phymaturus Gravenhorst, 1838 (52 species)
