lizard

The Curaçao Whiptail (Cnemidophorus murinus) (Squamata: Teiidae) was once considered to have two subspecies, C. m. murinus (endemic to Curaçao and Klein-Curaçao) and C. m. ruthveni (endemic to Bonaire and Klein-Bonaire), but the two are now considered separate species (Ugueto and Harvey 2010). Little has been published on the natural history of C. murinus. Most of the literature on the natural history of “C. murinus” actually pertains to C. ruthveni and includes studies on diet (Dearing and Schall 1992, Schall 1996), body temperature (Schall and Dearing 1994), metabolic expenditure (Bennett and Gleeson 1979), population density and energetics (Bennett and Gorman 1979), signaling behavior (Cooper et al. 2004), escape behavior (Cooper et al. 2003), and learning (Schall 2000). In contrast, published literature on C. murinus that deals with topics other than its taxonomy, morphology, and distribution is limited to a few notes on its parasites (Specian and Whittaker 1980), pathology (Hughes and Delis 2014), clutch size (van Buurt 2011), conservation (van Buurt 2006), and interactions with tourists (van Buurt 2011). Herein I add to the published knowledge of C. murinus with observations on diet and foraging.

A common response among lizards to the approach of a predator is to attempt to avoid detection by moving out of the predator’s view. This may involve moving to the opposite side of a twig or tree trunk, moving into a burrow, or moving into vegetation or other structures (McElroy 2019). Here, I report an unusual behavior to avoid detection in the Aruba Whiptail (Cnemidophorus arubensis), a teiid endemic to the island of Aruba. This behavior involves movement into a shadow in the open, with no further concealment.A common response among lizards to the approach of a predator is to attempt to avoid detection by moving out of the predator’s view. This may involve moving to the opposite side of a twig or tree trunk, moving into a burrow, or moving into vegetation or other structures (McElroy 2019). Here, I report an unusual behavior to avoid detection in the Aruba Whiptail (Cnemidophorus arubensis), a teiid endemic to the island of Aruba. This behavior involves movement into a shadow in the open, with no further concealment.

Abstract

Resumen C. nigricolor fue considerada una especie plena, luego fue reasignada como una subespecie de C. lemnniscatus. Posteriormente fue elevada otra vez a especie plena por quienes presentaron una nueva diagnosis, basada en un trabajo comparativo entre muestras obtenidas del Archipiélago de los Roques en Venezuela (C. nigricolor)y de Surinam (C. lemniscatus). Inicialmente la distribución geográfica de C. nigricolor estaba restringida a varias islas frente a la costa norte de Venezuela, específicamente al archipiélagos de Los Roques (localidad tipo), Las Aves y Los Hermanos y las islas La Blanquilla, La Orchila y la Tortuga.Esta amplia distribución de C. nigricolor contrasta con otras especies del mismo género que están restringidas a una sola isla: Cnemidophorus arubensis (Aruba), C. murinus murinus (Curazao), C. m. ruthveni (Bonaire), C. senectus (Margarita y Cubagua), C. flavissimus (Archipiélago Los Frailes) y C. vanzo, lo cual hace suponer que dentro de C. nigricolor pueden estar incluidas varias especies crípticas. Había reportado la presencia de variación, aunque limitada, en el tamaño de las escamas braquiales y mesopigiales y en el color de los individuos de las islas venezolanas de Los Roques, Las Aves y La Blanquilla.

https://repositorioslatinoamericanos.uchile.cl/handle/2250/4949288