{"id":102,"date":"2021-01-31T16:06:54","date_gmt":"2021-01-31T16:06:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lec101blog\/?p=102"},"modified":"2021-01-31T16:30:44","modified_gmt":"2021-01-31T16:30:44","slug":"the-guatemalan-beaded-lizard-how-saving-one-shunned-species-could-protect-many-others","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lec101blog\/2021\/01\/31\/the-guatemalan-beaded-lizard-how-saving-one-shunned-species-could-protect-many-others\/","title":{"rendered":"The Guatemalan beaded lizard: how saving one shunned species could protect many others"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Maisie Mitchell<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0– Heloderma charlesbogerti<\/em>, commonly known as the Guatemalan beaded lizard, is arguably already one of the most misunderstood species on the planet, despite only being classed as one in 2013[1]; when it comes to local folklore, the beaded lizard is so notoriously mythologised that it\u2019s often killed on sight[2]. With only around 200 left in the wild[3], you might ask whether saving this species is really worth the effort.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

An adult Guatemalan beaded lizard. Photo by Angeldeleon7, CC BY 3.0. via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n

The thing is, we wouldn\u2019t just be saving one species\u2014H. charlesbogerti<\/em> is considered to be an umbrella species[4], meaning its conservation will also protect other species[5,6]. In 2015, conservationists Daniel Ariano-S\u00e1nchez and Gilberto Salazar released a paper detailing the yearly movements and behaviour of H. charlesbogerti. They observed 32 lizards for two years, having attached radio transmitters to six of them so they could be properly identified and tracked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ariano-S\u00e1nchez and Salazar noticed that the home range\u2014where an individual lives, hunts and mates[7]\u2014of H. charlesbogerti<\/em> varies in size between the wet (June-October) and dry (November-May) seasons. It\u2019s much larger in the wet season, when H. charlesbogerti is active, than in the dry season, when the lizard undergoes aestivation, a process a bit like hibernation[4].<\/span><\/p>\n

While active, H. charlesbogerti<\/em> frequently moves between shelters, preying on eggs and sometimes small mammals[4]. This could be the reason for the increase in home range size: it\u2019s thought that the size of a home range is relative to how many resources an animal needs[8], and a bigger area could mean more opportunities for food and shelter.<\/span><\/p>\n

Motagua spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura palearis<\/em>) eggs are a usual snack for H. charlesbogerti<\/em>. C. palearis<\/em> lays its eggs in April, just at the end of H. charlesbogerti\u2019s aestivation period. This coincides with a spike of H. charlesbogerti activity, possibly because the beaded lizard will eat the iguana\u2019s eggs as a way to tide it over after aestivation until birds start laying eggs at the start of the wet season[4]. Like H. charlesbogerti<\/em>, C. palearis<\/em> is endangered[9]\u2014conservation of this species could actually help the Guatemalan beaded lizard population to survive[4,10].<\/span><\/p>\n

How can all this research help protect H. charlesbogerti <\/em>from extinction? Firstly, we can use information gained by observing its activity within a home range to identify resources that are less readily available; this can inform how we manage the land around its habitat, so these resources aren\u2019t reduced more than necessary[4]. In addition, more information will mean that locals can be educated further about this lizard, so they\u2019re less likely to exterminate it[2] and may even be encouraged to protect it[3].<\/span><\/p>\n

While the focus of Ariano-S\u00e1nchez and Salazar\u2019s paper was conserving the Guatemalan beaded lizard, it can potentially also help other species[4]. For example, around 77% of the underground shelters H. charlesbogerti <\/em>uses are dug by mammals, especially skunks and nine-banded armadillos[4]\u2014while none of these species are endangered[11,12,13,14], anything that benefits the Guatemalan beaded lizard will probably benefit them too[4].<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

References<\/strong><\/p>\n

1<\/sup> Reiserer, R.S., Schuett, G.W. & Beck, D.D. (2013) Taxonomic reassessment and conservation status of the beaded lizard.\u00a0Heloderma horridum<\/em>, 74-96.<\/p>\n

2<\/sup> Dom\u00ednguez-Vega, H., Monroy-Vilchis, O., Manjarrez, J. & Balderas-Vald\u00edvia, C.J. (2017) Aversive hunting and sight frequency ecology of Beaded lizards (Squamata: Helodermatidae).\u00a0Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation<\/em>,\u00a015(1), 47-51. 10.1016\/j.pecon.2016.11.003<\/p>\n

3<\/sup> Ariano-S\u00e1nchez, D. (2006) The Guatemalan beaded lizard: endangered inhabitant of a unique ecosystem. Iguana<\/em>, 13(3), 178\u2013183.<\/p>\n

4<\/sup> Ariano-S\u00e1nchez, D., & Salazar, G. (2015) Spatial ecology of the endangered Guatemalan Beaded Lizard Heloderma charlesbogert<\/em>i (Sauria: Helodermatidae), in a tropical dry forest of the Motagua Valley, Guatemala.\u00a0Mesoamerican Herpetology<\/em>,\u00a02(1), 64-74.<\/p>\n

5<\/sup> Fleishman, E., Murphy, D.D. & Brussard, P.F. (2000) A new method for selection of umbrella species for conservation planning.\u00a0Ecological applications<\/em>,\u00a010(2), 569-579. 10.1890\/1051-0761(2000)010[0569:ANMFSO]2.0.CO;2<\/p>\n

6<\/sup> Frankel, O.H. & Soul\u00e9, M.E. (1981) Conservation and evolution<\/em>. Cambridge: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge.<\/p>\n

7<\/sup> Burt, W.H. (1943) Territoriality and home range concepts as applied to mammals.\u00a0Journal of mammalogy<\/em>,\u00a024(3), 346-352. 10.2307\/1374834<\/p>\n

8<\/sup> Perry, G. & Garland Jr, T. (2002) Lizard home ranges revisited: effects of sex, body size, diet, habitat, and phylogeny.\u00a0Ecology<\/em>,\u00a083(7), 1870-1885.<\/p>\n

9<\/sup> Ariano-S\u00e1nchez, D., Gil-Escobedo, J., del Valle, E. & Pasachnik, S.A. (2019) Ctenosaura palearis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019.<\/em> Available at: https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/44192\/129419077#external-data<\/a> [Accessed 1 December 2020].<\/p>\n

10<\/sup> Cot\u00ed, P. and Ariano-S\u00e1nchez, D. (2008) Ecology and traditional use of the Guatemalan black iguana (Ctenosaura palearis<\/em>) in the dry forests of the Motagua Valley, Guatemala.\u00a0Iguana<\/em>,\u00a015(3), 142-149.<\/p>\n

11<\/sup> Helgen, K., Reid, F. & Timm, R.\u00a0(2016)\u00a0Spilogale angustifrons<\/em>.\u00a0The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species<\/em>\u00a02016<\/em>. Available at: https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/136636\/45221538<\/a> [Accessed 1 December 2020].<\/p>\n

12<\/sup> Helgen, K.\u00a0(2016)\u00a0Conepatus leuconotus<\/em>.\u00a0The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species<\/em>\u00a02016<\/em>. Available at: https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/41632\/45210809<\/a> [Accessed 1 December 2020].<\/p>\n

13<\/sup> Cuar\u00f3n, A.D., Gonz\u00e1lez-Maya, J.F., Helgen, K., Reid, F., Schipper, J. & Dragoo, J.W.\u00a0(2016)\u00a0Mephitis macroura<\/em>.\u00a0The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species<\/em>\u00a02016<\/em>. Available at: https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/41634\/45211135<\/a> [Accessed 1 December 2020].<\/p>\n

14<\/sup> Loughry, J., McDonough, C. & Abba, A.M.\u00a0(2014)\u00a0Dasypus novemcinctus<\/em>.\u00a0The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species<\/em>\u00a02014<\/em>. Available at: https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/6290\/47440785<\/a> [Accessed 1 December 2020].<\/p>\n

15 <\/sup>Angeldeleon7, CC BY 3.0. Available at: https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:HelodermaHCharlesbogerti.JPG [Accessed January 27th<\/sup> 2021].<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Maisie Mitchell \u00a0– Heloderma charlesbogerti, commonly known as the Guatemalan beaded lizard, is arguably already one of the most misunderstood species on the planet, despite only being classed as one in 2013[1]; when it comes to local folklore, the beaded lizard is so notoriously mythologised that it\u2019s often killed on sight[2]. With only around…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1374,"featured_media":22,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[23,37,36],"class_list":["post-102","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservation","tag-biodiversity","tag-conservation","tag-endangered-species"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lec101blog\/files\/2021\/01\/lizard.png?fit=418%2C677&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lec101blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lec101blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lec101blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lec101blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1374"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lec101blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lec101blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":151,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lec101blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102\/revisions\/151"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lec101blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lec101blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lec101blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/lec101blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}