Lizards of Zihuatanejo

SUBORDER SAURIA

-Snakes and Lizards (Order Squamata)

-Whiptails and Tegus (Family Teiidae)

-Whiptails and Ameivas (Subfamily Teiinae)

-Whiptail Lizards (Genus Aspidoscelis)

-Giant Colima Whiptail (Aspidoscelis communis)

Aspidoscelis communis, also known as the Colima giant whiptail, is a species of teiid lizard endemic to Mexico.

Aspidoscelis communis

Diet

Primarily insectivorous, feeding on ants, termites, beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, flies, caterpillars, spiders, and other small arthropods.
Occasionally consumes small fruits and other soft plant material.
An active daytime forager that continuously searches leaf litter, fallen logs, and open ground for prey.

Range

Endemic to western Mexico, occurring along the Pacific slope from Jalisco through Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero, and into western Oaxaca.
Common throughout the Zihuatanejo region, where it is one of the most frequently encountered ground-dwelling lizards.

Habitat

Inhabits tropical dry forests, thorn scrub, secondary forest, woodland edges, rocky hillsides, coastal scrub, and agricultural clearings.
Prefers warm, open, sunny areas with patches of leaf litter, loose soil, rocks, and fallen logs that provide shelter.
Most active during the hottest part of the day, retreating beneath cover when temperatures become extreme.

Size