Tropidurus oreadicus
Tropidurus oreadicus or better known in Brazil as calango is a species of lizard of the Tropiduridae family.[1][2] It is endemic to Brazil and widely distributed in the biomes of Cerrado.[1] and Caatinga. can be found in the northeast, north, southeast and the Midwest regions of Brazil
| Tropidurus oreadicus Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Tropiduridae |
| Genus: | Tropidurus |
| Species: | T. oreadicus |
| Binomial name | |
| Tropidurus oreadicus Rodrigues, 1987 | |
Males grow to 104 mm (4.1 in) and females to 85 mm (3.3 in) in snout–vent length (SVL). The tail is 1.2–1.8 times SVL.[3] It is oviparous.[2] and it has a Pineal eye to detect Light changes in Light sensitivity, it mostly feeds on insects like Crickets, Cockroaches and some times plant material. It is a Tetrapod meaning that it has 4 pair of limbs. It has a reproductive period aligning with the rainy season in the biomes of Cerrado and Caatinga, it can also be found in urban environments. Examples being Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro and others. The juveniles are slimmer meanwhile the adults are more robust, they have a detachable tail to distract predators. Just like other lizard species like geckos.
References
- Colli, G.R.; Fenker, J.; Tedeschi, L.; Bataus, Y.S.L.; Uhlig, V.M.; Lima, A.; Nogueira, C. de C.; Borges-Nojosa, D.M.; Costa, G.C.; de Moura, G.J.B.; Winck, G.; Silva, J.R.S.; Viñas, L.V.; Ribeiro Júnior, M.A.; Hoogmoed, M.S.; Tinôco, M.S.T.; Almeida-Santos, P.; Valadão, R.; de Oliveira, R.B.; Avila-Pires, T.C.S.; Ferreira, V.L.; de Menezes, V.A. (2021). "Tropidurus oreadicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T49845644A159255459. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- Tropidurus oreadicus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 5 April 2022.
- Avila-Pires, T.C.S. (1995). "Lizards of Brazilian Amazonia (Reptilia: Squamata)". Zoologische Verhandelingen. 299: 151–159.
Appearance
The characteristics of the tropidurus oreadicus are similar to the appearance of the other species of reptiles in the genus Tropidurus, the head is circular and the body flat. Allowing the lizard to enter tight spaces, they have 4 sets of limbs (2 arms, 2 legs) with five fingers in each limb, one Pineal eye, two Primary eyes, two sets of nostrils that connects to the Lungs, two sets of Ears and one Mouth. The tail can fall out if the lizard is threatened by the presence of a predator.
Diet
Tropidurus oreadicus is a omnivorous species of reptile, meaning that it's diet is varied. Big part of the Tropidurus oreadicus diet consists of Insects (Cockroaches, Crickets, Ants…), Arachnids (Spiders, Scorpions…) and other Arthropods, in some case. The lizard can eat plant material (Leafs or Tree bark) or human food (Salami, Bread…).
Life style
Tropidurus oreadicus big part of the time sunbathes from 9:00 to 10:59, from 11:00 till 15:00 they usually fight for mates or hunt for insects. From 16:00 till 6:00 they are less active, mostly sleeping