The Mexican beaded lizard belongs to the family of lizards called Cimicidae, which are mostly terrestrial and nocturnal. These lizards usually have a thick bushy tail that is lined with hairs. The head is larger than the body, and the upper parts of the snake look much like that of the Map Turtle.
In captivity, these lizards can live up to ten years in captivity if they are well-protected by the owner. They are not usually seen in the wild, although you will occasionally see one out in the wild. Most of the time, humans are not involved in the death of these animals because their body is too large and they are too slow to move. Instead, they get their venom injected into another animal or into a human who comes into contact with their venom or get struck by a venomous snake that is in the wild.
There are four main species of these reptiles – the Oriental Beaded lizard, the Central American Beaded lizard, the Mexican beaded lizard, and the Murphy Patterned lizard. All of these lizards share similar habitat, but some are more common in certain areas than others. For example, Mexican beaded lizards generally are found in the central to southern regions of the country. They prefer to live in wooded areas, swamps, along the river, and near oases.
In addition to the four aforementioned species of the Beaded lizard, there are also two others that are native to Mexico and are threatened or currently endangered in their native habitats. One is the long-tailed macaw; the other is the narrow-toed quail. Both of these species occur primarily in dry and desert habitats in the Sonora and Yucatan regions. Sonora and Yucatan are also where the Central American beaded lizard occurs.
The Mexican beaded lizard primarily preys on mice and rats. They also feed on birds, chinchillas, voles, chameleons, and shrews, but will attack birds and snakes that threaten their territory. They have small pointed ears and have a variety of corporations to help camouflage them in their natural habitat; they have gray, brown, black or white fur, with varying numbers of white spots on their backs, and red eyes.
These lizards can survive in their natural habitat, but due to encroachment from humans and development, have been forced to find new habitats elsewhere. There are only two known subspecies in the wild: the green-back beaded lizard, which are widespread in the southern states and in the Caribbean Sea, and the northern white-fronted beaded lizard, which are confined to the central part of the Sonoran Desert in northern Mexico. These lizards differ in size and diet. The green-back has a diet high in fruits and vegetables; it also eats a variety of rodents, such as voles and shrews, and sometimes other reptiles. On the other hand, the white-fronted is a carnivore and eats small animals, chinchillas, and rats. They are small in size, reaching about 7 inches in length when fully mature; they have gray skin and have short, rounded tails.
Some of the most common characteristics of the yellow spots barded lizards are their tendency to head toward humans for protection and food. When threatened, they will squat down low, bend their backside to the ground and wave their tail side to side. They are very shy, but once they learn to trust humans, they become extremely friendly and affectionate toward them. Other distinguishing features of the yellow spots include the presence of long, double eyelids which serve to protect their heads, and their fore and hind legs having no scales. Their legs appear to be segmented, and their head is covered with a thick headrest.
Beaded lizards are small in comparison to other reptiles, and most of them do not eat meat. They seek out soft-toed insects to eat, such as moths, mosquitoes, praying mantis, spiders, book lizards, and cockroaches. In captivity, they should be fed twice a day, so the first meal should come within two hours after eating its second piece. They generally lay one or two eggs in early summer and clutch not more than four.
