| Taxon | Liolaemidae |
|---|---|
| Authority | Frost & Etheridge, 1989 |
| Synonyms | Liolaeminae (but see text) |
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]
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)
References
- ^
- ^ Pinchiera-Donoso, Daniel; Scolaro, Jose Alejandro; Sura, Piotr (2008). A monographic catalogue on the systematics and phylogeny of the South American iguanian lizard family Liolaemidae (Squamata, Iguania). Magnolia Press. pp. 4–6, 7.
- ^ O'Grady, Shannon P. (2005). "Correlating diet and digestive tract specialization: Examples from the lizard family Liolaemidae". Zoology. 108 (3): 201–210. Urban & Fischer. doi:10.1016/j.zool.2005.06.002. PMID 16351968