Description

• Holcosus undulatus is a medium-sized whiptail lizard in the family Teiidae, commonly called the ornate ground lizard. It has a slender body, long powerful hind limbs, a narrow head, and a long tapering tail. Adults are generally brown, olive, or greyish with pale longitudinal stripes and darker markings, while juveniles are often more strongly patterned.

Range

• Holcosus undulatus occurs from southern Mexico through Central America to Panama. In Mexico it is primarily associated with the tropical Pacific and southern regions, including Guerrero and the Zihuatanejo area.

Habitat

• It inhabits tropical dry forest, thorn woodland, scrub, grassland, plantations, forest edges, clearings, and disturbed areas. It is primarily terrestrial and is often encountered moving rapidly through leaf litter, open ground, and low vegetation, where it retreats beneath rocks, logs, or other cover.

Diet

• Holcosus undulatus is an active, opportunistic predator that feeds mainly on insects and other arthropods, including beetles, ants, termites, grasshoppers, spiders, and caterpillars. It may also consume small vertebrates, eggs, and occasionally fruit or other plant material.