Rio Fuerte Beaded Lizard Natural History
Size
Adults have been recorded at lengths of between 24 to 36 inches.
Habitat and Distribution
Dry forest and thorny scrubland make up the majority of this Mexican lizard’s habitat which can be found in much of Sonora and Northern Sinaloa.
Age
These animals can live for 30 years.
Diet
Mammals, birds and eggs make up the majority of this lizards diet. However, they tend to favour very young animals which are easy to pick out of nests.
Groups and Breeding
This is a slow maturing animal which may not become sexually active until it is between 6 to 8 years old. Once sexually mature, these animals breed in the late summer, with females laying clutches of 2 to 30 eggs a month later. These eggs can take over 6 months to hatch out sometimes.
Threats
Its population is dropping due to collection for the pet trade and destruction of their habitat (it is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN). However another subspecies of the Beaded Lizard (the Motagua Valley Beaded lizard) is one of the worlds rarest lizards at less than 200 individuals.
Interesting Facts
This species has venom glands to help kill its prey. However, unlike a venomous snake their venom is delivered via the bottom teeth by grinding it in to the flesh instead of injecting it.
The Rio Fuerte Beaded Lizard During Your Day Out in Kent
We have two individuals of this species at Wingham Wildlife Park. They share an enclosure together in the new nocturnal section of the Reptile House, which is also home to many other popular species of reptiles and amphibians. The Rio Fuerte Beaded Lizards at the park are usually fed mice but their diet here can also include bugs.