Curly-tailed Lizard

Description:

The curly-tailed lizards belong to the family Leiocephalidae. One of the defining features of these lizards is that, when approached, their tail curls over.

Habitat:

On a path by shrubbery, near a harbour but also seen in gardens

Notes:

The curly-tailed lizards generally forage on flowers, fruits, and insects.[2] It is unofficially theorized that the tail curl may be a defensive mechanism meant to mimic that of a scorpion considering the arthropod inhabits the Caribbean and that the lizard only curls its tail when approached by a larger mammal. The curly-tailed lizards are approximately 90mm SVL (snout-to-vent length). These lizards have no femoral pores, pterygoid teeth, or palatine teeth. Additionally, these lizards are observed to have overlapping scales.[2]