Mexico Herpetology

YELLOW-SPOTTED NIGHT LIZARD
Lepidophyma flavimaculatum - Dumeril, in Dumeril & Dumeril 1851

IDENTIFICATION:

DISTRIBUTION:
In Mexico, this species occurs on Atlantic slopes from the Tuxtlas region of Veracruz south through eastern Oaxaca, southern Tabasco and Chiapas to Guatemala; it also occurs in coastal Quintana Roo.

HABITAT:
This versatile species occurs at low and moderate elevations in tropical moist forest, tropical dry forest, and subtropical wet forest, where it is found beneath the bark of and in rotting logs and tree stumps, in forest litter, under bark, under rocks, and in rock crevices, caves, and ruins.

NATURAL HISTORY:
This species has been reported to consume termites, ants, crickets, spiders, scorpions, centipedes, and millipedes. In return it is preyed upon by snakes such as Dryadophis melanolomus and Drymarchon corais. In Chiapas, this species is reported to give birth to five to eight young in June and July (A lvarez del Toro, 1982). L. flavimaculatum occurs in sympatry with L. pajapanense in Veracruz; with L. tuxtlae in Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Chiapas; with L. lipetzi in Chiapas and with L. mayae in Guatemala.

TAXONOMY:
Closely related to L. sylvaticum, L. mayae and L. lipetzi. Populations of this species in Panama and Costa Rica lack males and may represent a novel species.

TYPE:
Described as Lepidophyma flavimaculatus by A. Dumeril in Dumeril and Dumeril (1851). Holotype: MNHN 782. Type locality: ‘‘Province du Peten (America centrale)’’ (restricted to Rio de la Pasion, Guatemala, by Smith and Taylor, 1950).

PERSONAL NOTES:
I have never found this species in the wild.

CONSERVATION STATUS:
This species is widespread and common; it probably does not require any special protection status.

REFERENCES:
Alvarez del Toro, M. 1982. Los reptiles de Chiapas. Tercera Edicion. Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico: Instituto de Historia Natural. 248 pp.
Dumeril, A.M.C., and A.H.A. Dumeril. 1851. Catalogue methodique de la collection des reptiles du Museum d’Histoire Naturelle. Paris: Gide & Boudry, iv 1 224 pp.