Junglerunner

JUNGLERUNNER

CLASSIFICATION

Kingdom: Animal
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Tediiaae
Genus: Ameiva
Species:

Jungle Runners also known as Amevias are very alert animals. They are typically nervous lizards with highly variable color patterns. As a general rule most are brown anteriorly and green posteriorly with a profusion of spots or bars forming irregular lateral rows. The belly of males is often a turquoise blue, on the females the belly is white. They have claws on their feet for digging and burrowing, which takes up a lot of their time. The males develop thick jowls as they get older. Their tails also break very easy. They may be anywhere between 12-24", but the average length is about 15".

RANGE Amevias are found throughout Centrals and South America. They are also introduced into the Florida Keys.

HABITAT Jungle Runners have many different place for where they live. Most of them come from the jungle and the open grasslands and spent much of their time burrowed underneath the ground.

DIET These lizards are most carnivores and consume animals such as insects, small rodents and even lizards.

GESTATION They lay eggs on the moist earth. When the lizards come out of the egg they are about 3-5".

BIBLIOGRAPHY Wynne, Richard. Lizards in Captivity. T.F.H Publications Inc, 1981.