Tiger Ameiva

Holcosus festivus, commonly known as the Central American whiptail, the Middle American ameiva, and the tiger ameiva, is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species is native to Central America and northern South America.

Geographic range: H. festivus is found from southern Mexico to Colombia.

 H. festivus is brown-colored, with darker browns making a zig-zag pattern down the back. A similar species is Holcosus quadrilineatus. Juveniles have metallic-blue tails.

Habitat: H. festivus lives in open habitats.

Subspecies: Three subspecies are recognized, including the nominotypical subspecies.

• H. f. festivus – northern Colombia and Panama
• H. f. edwardsii – Guatemala, Honduras, southern Mexico, and Nicaragua
• H. f. occidentalis – Costa Rica

Nota bene: A taxon author (binomial authority or trinomial authority) in parentheses indicates that the taxon (species or subspecies) was originally described in a different genus (in this case, a genus other than Holcosus).

Etymology: The subspecific name, edwardsii, is in honor of French zoologist Alphonse Milne-Edwards.