Xantusiidae (Night Lizards)

Family Xantusiidae (Night Lizards)

Location: southwestern USA, Mexico, and Central America, including Cuba and some adjacent islands. The family includes 4 genera, to which 11 species belong.

Cuban Night Lizards Cricosaura Cuban Night Lizard (Cricosaura typica) Lepidophyma Yellow-spotted Lepidophyma (Lepidophyma flavimaculatum) Lepidophyma smithii Night Lizards, or Xantusias Xantusia Henshaw's Xantusia (Xantusia henshawi) Desert (tree-dwelling) Night Lizard (Xantusia vigilis) Island Night Lizard (Xantusia riversiana)

Xantusia henshawi Xantusia vigilis Small lizards occupy an intermediate position between geckos and skinks. One of the characteristic features of night lizards is their immobile eyelids. The largest reach 12–15 cm in length, including a short, easily breakable tail. They feed on various insects, spiders, millipedes, and scorpions, which they hunt at night, hiding during the day under stones, fallen tree trunks, in caves, and other shelters. Night lizards are found in forests, rocky semi-deserts, on rocks, and sea coasts. Sources:

Ananyeva N.B., Borkin L.Ya., Darevsky I.S., Orlov N.L. Five-Language Dictionary of Animal Names. Amphibians and Reptiles. https://abc-192.mosuzedu.ru/projects/anosova/index.html