Dracaena (lizard)

Dracaena
Temporal range: Mid Miocene-recent
~
Northern caiman lizard (Dracaena guianensis)
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Teiidae
Subfamily: Tupinambinae
Genus: Dracaena
Daudin 1802
Species
  • Dracaena guianensis Daudin 1802 (type)
  • Dracaena paraguayensis Amaral 1950
  • Paradracaena colombiana Estes 1961

The genus Dracaena (romanized form of the Ancient Greek δράκαινα - drakaina, "female dragon"), also called caiman lizards or water tegus, is in the teiid family, along with tegus and ameivas. Caiman lizards are found in South America in Ecuador, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru and Brazil. These semiaquatic lizards spend a lot of time in the water and inhabit marshes, streams and flooded forests. Caiman lizards often bask on branches overhanging the water.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.