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Green-legged Curlytail Lizard - Leiocephalus personatus scalaris

Florida's Exotic Wildlife. Species detail.

First year: 1970s

Extirpated year: 1980s

Established status: Species are present but not confirmed to be breeding. Population persists only with repeated introductions and/or escapes of individuals.

Estimated Florida range: 1 county Less than 10 years

Statewide trend: Unknown status

Threats to natives: Unknown.

Species Account: This Hispaniolan species is tenuously established in several areas in Dade County, where it seems more terrestrial than the northern curlytail lizard and less tolerant of occasional freezes. It was thought to have been established in Florida in the 1970s but disappeared in the 1980s when lizard imports from Haiti temporarily ceased. When imports began again in the mid-1990s, individuals were again observed in parks and fields near the facilities of reptile importers. This species prefers lightly wooded areas and is mostly seen sitting on the ground on a sidewalk, curbstone, or rubble pile. Males have a rough-scaled brown back, greenish belly and hind limbs, and dark mask. The tail is not as tightly curled as the northern curlytail lizard (Bartlett and Bartlett 1999).

County	First Year	Extirpated Year	Breeding status	Notes
DADE	1970s	1980s	Less than 10 years	Populations established in the 1970s apparently disappeared in the 1980s and re-appeared in the mid-1990s when imports began again (Bartlett and Bartlett 1999); population near Miami International Airport apparently no longer exists (Meshaka et al. 2004).

References

Bartlett, R. D., and P. P. Bartlett. 1999. A field guide to Florida reptiles and amphibians. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. 278pp.

Meshaka, W. E., Jr., B. P. Butterfield, and J. B. Hauge. 2004. The exotic amphibians and reptiles of Florida. Krieger, Melbourne, Florida. 166pp.

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