About
The Sierra curlytail lizard is an incredibly rare species with only 7 specimens collected between 1973 and 2010!
The Sierra curlytail lizard is a member of the genus Leiocephalus which is the only genus in the family Leiocephalidae, known as the curlytail lizards. This family diverged from all other reptile families 59 million years ago, around the time that Asian elephants and manatees shared a common ancestor.
The main threat to the Sierra culytail lizard is habitat loss due to animal grazing and intentional fires to clear the land. There are now conservation measures in place for this species. The type locality is inside the Reserva Florística Manejada Macambo, but so far there is no legal designation of this as a protected area.
Further research into population size, distribution and trends is required, and into this species’ life history and threats.
- Order: Squamata
- Family: Leiocephalidae
- Population: Unknown
- Trend: unknown
EDGE Score
Distribution
This species is endemic to Cuba, where it is known only from the vicinity of the type locality on the top of Loma de Mocambo, Guantánamo province.
Habitat and Ecology
This egg laying species is associated with xeric (dry) habitats and is found on coastal semidesert thorn scrub and on very eroded rocks with karst topography. It is an egg-laying species.