Red-banded Butterfly Lizard
Leiolepis rubritaeniata
Mertens, 1961
lie-oh-LEP-is — roob-reh-teen-EH-at-uh
SSAR 9th Edition Comments:
Native to Indochina. It was introduced via the pet trade prior to 2013 and is established in Charlotte and Lee counties, Florida (Krysko et al., 2013, Reptiles & Amphibians 20: 197–198; Krysko and Enge, 2019, Leiolepis rubritaeniata. Pages 355–356 in Krysko et al. (Editors) Amphibians and Reptiles of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, Florida). Cobb et al. (2016, Bulletin of the Florida Museum of Natural History 54: 131–137) showed that Florida samples are closely related to lizards from Thailand in their native range. This species is not listed in Meshaka et al. (2022, Exotic Amphibians and Reptiles of the United States. University of Florida Press, Gainesville, Florida).
Range maps are based on curated specimens and provided gratis by CNAH.
(Created by Travis W. Taggart; Version: 2025.03.31.08.00.41)
Download GeoJSON polygon range file: - 0.04 MB
Province/State Distribution:
First instance(s) of published English names:
No historic English names have been assigned to this taxon yet.
Catalog of American Amphibians and Reptiles
The Reptile Database
GenBank
USGS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database
Selected References:
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1961
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Mertens, Robert. Die Rassen der Schmetterlingsagame, Leiolepis belliana. [The breeds of the butterfly dragon, Leiolepis belliana.] Senckenbergiana biologica 42(5/6):507-510
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2013
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Krysko, Kenneth L., Kevin M. Enge, and Claudia A. MacKenzie-Krysko. The Red-banded Butterfly Lizard, Leiolepis rubritaeniata Mertens 1961 (Sauria: Leiolepidadae), a new documented nonindigenous species in Florida. Reptiles & Amphibians 20(4):197-198
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2016
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Cobb, Nicole R., Kenneth L. Krysko, and Jan-Michael Archer. Genetic confirmation of two nonnative species of butterfly lizards (Leiolepidae; Leiolepis) with established populations in Florida, USA. Bulletin of the Florida Museum of Natural History 54(8):131–137
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2019
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Krysko, Kenneth L., Kevin M. Enge, and Paul E. Moler (Editor) Amphibians and Reptiles of Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. 728pp.
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2022
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Meshaka, Walter E. Jr., R. Bruce Bury, Suzanne L. Collins, and Malcolm L. McCallum. Exotic Amphibians and Reptiles of the United States. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. 245pp.
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