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IGUANA  •  VOLUME 11, NUMBER 2  •  JUNE 2004 97CYCLURA RICORDII

Nine species of Hispaniolan Curly-tailed Lizards (Genus
Leiocephalus) are currently recognized. Of these, L. semilin-

eatus is the smallest, with a maximum known snout-vent length
of 53 mm. In addition to its small size, this species is distinguished
by the light-bordered, dark brown lateral stripes that begin as a
mask and extend onto the body before fading near the hindlimbs.
These fading lateral stripes are responsible for the species’ scien-
tific name.

The species is known from the Llanos de Azua and also from
the Valle de Neiba of the Dominican Republic through the Cul-
de-Sac plain of Haiti. The latter area is largely below sea level and
is a remnant of the marine channel that once separated the North
and South paleoislands that joined to form Hispaniola. An appar-
ent hiatus in the range separates those two areas.

These little lizards are found in extremely dry habitats and
may be among the most drought-tolerant of Hispaniolan lizards.
They frequently occur in sympatry with Ameiva lineolata, a very
small member of its genus and equally xerophilic (from the Greek
meaning “dry-loving”). Although both species feed primarily on
small arthropods, they apparently avoid most competition with
one another by employing different foraging strategies.
Leiocephalus semilineatus, like all of its congeners, is a sit-and-wait
forager. Using an elevated perch on a rock or log, these lizards
respond to movement by ambushing their prey. In contrast,
Ameiva lineolata, is an active forager, constantly on the move and
rooting in surface litter, while searching for anything edible.
Although their diets overlap, a large proportion of that taken by
L. semilineatus is composed of insects, such as ants and beetles,
that move and attract the attention of lizards, whereas that of A.
lineolata includes many prey items, such as pupae and larvae, that
rest immobile under surface debris and would escape the notice
of a sit-and-wait forager.

Like other Curlytails, L. semilineatus coils its tail. Unlike
some members of the genus, however, the tail is never curled ver-
tically over the lizard’s body. The reasons for this behavior are
unknown, although luring insect prey, communication, and con-
fusing predators have been mentioned as possibilities.

References
Nelson, S.E., B.L. Banbury, R.A. Sosa, and R. Powell. 2001. Natural

history of Leiocephalus semilineatus in association with sympatric
Leiocephalus schreibersii and Ameiva lineolata. Contemporary
Herpetology 2001(1): 1–6 + 4 figs. + 2 tables (http://www.cnah.org/
ch/ch/2001/1/index.htm).

Nelson, S.E. and R. Powell. 2002. Leiocephalus semilineatus. Catalogue
of American Amphibians and Reptiles (751): 1–2.

Powell, R. 2002. Species Profile: Leiocephalus personatus. Iguana Times 9: 80.

S P E C I E S  P R O F I L E

Leiocephalus semilineatus

Robert Powell

Avila University, Kansas City, Missouri

An adult male Leiocephalus semilineatus from near Hatillo, Azua
Province, Dominican Republic. Photograph by Robert Powell.

President Mejia has been a strong sup-
porter of the development of National Parks
for tourism or mining, and has issued sev-
eral decrees authorizing private companies
to begin development. The only obstacle,
however, has been that, at the onset of this
administration, Mejia had signed
Environmental Law 64-00, which estab-
lished guidelines for the conservation of nat-
ural resources. The new bill that is moving
ahead in Congress would resolve this
impasse and enable unchecked development

of the new areas by companies chosen by
the Mejia government.

Dominican Legislature
Passes the Revised

Protected Areas Law
13 May 2004 — Santo Domingo,

Dominican Republic

Today, the Dominican Congress approved the
Protected Areas Law with significant changes
that drastically reduce and render unsustain-
able the Dominican System of Protected
Areas The two areas that have suffered the
most are Parque Nacional Jaragua and
Parque Nacional del Este. The struggle by
Dominican and international environmen-
talists continues, but is becoming more and
more difficult. The bill will now pass to the
President for approval — but  he has stated
publicly on several occasions that he favors it.


