biology

Heloderma charlesbogerti

Heloderma charlesbogerti is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Heloderma charlesbogerti rather than just read about it. In short: The Guatemalan beaded lizard (Heloderma charlesbogerti), also called commonly the Motagua Valley beaded lizard, is a highly endangered species of beaded lizard, a venomous lizard in the family Helodermatidae. The species is endemic to the dry forests of the Motagua Valley in southeastern Guatemala, an ecoregion known as the Motagua Valley thornscrub.

Key takeaways

Heloderma charlesbogerti belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Heloderma charlesbogerti to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Heloderma charlesbogerti from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Guatemalan beaded lizard (Heloderma charlesbogerti), also called commonly the Motagua Valley beaded lizard, is a highly endangered species of beaded lizard, a venomous lizard in the family Helodermatidae. The species is endemic to the dry forests of the Motagua Valley in southeastern Guatemala, an ecoregion known as the Motagua Valley thornscrub. It is the only allopatric beaded lizard species, separated from the nearest population (H. alvarezi) by 250 km (160 mi) of unsuitable habitat. The Guatemalan beaded lizard is the rarest and most endangered species of beaded lizard, and fewer than 200 individuals of this animal are believed to exist in the wild, making it one of the most endangered lizards in the world. In 2007, it was transferred from Appendix II to Appendix I of CITES due to its critical conservation status.

Taxonomy The Guatemalan beaded lizard belongs to the family Helodermatidae, which forms part of a clade of reptiles with toxin-secreting glands. This species differs from other Heloderma species in coloration and size, being the smallest one. Home ranges and behavior of these lizards were investigated using radiotelemetry at the dry forests of Zacapa, Guatemala. The average home range for individuals was found to be 130 ha. This species was first discovered in 1984 by an agricultural laborer named D. Vasquez in Guatemala's Motagua Valley.

Etymology The generic name, Heloderma, means "studded skin", from the Ancient Greek words hêlos (ηλος), meaning "the head of a nail or stud", and derma (δερμα), meaning "skin". The specific name, charlesbogerti, honors US herpetologist Charles Mitchill Bogert.

Diet H. charlesbogerti dwells in arroyos characterized by high densities of bird nests of doves and parakeets, whose eggs form the primary component of its diet. These birds nest closer to the ground in these arroyos in trees with branches thick enough to support the weight of this heavy-bodied lizard. It is also known to prey upon insects, such as beetles and crickets. The eggs of the Guatemalan spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura palearis), an endangered species endemic to the same region, are an important food source for the Guatemalan beaded lizard, thereby possibly linking the status of the two.

References

Further reading Reiserer, Randall S.; Schuett, Gordon W.; Beck, Daniel D. (2013). "Taxonomic reassessment and conservation status of the beaded lizard, Heloderma horridum (Squamata: Helodermatidae)". Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 7 (1): 74–96. (Heloderma charlesbogerti, elevated to species). Owens, T.C. (2006). "Ex-situ: Notes on reproduction and captive husbandry of the Guatemalan beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum charlesbogerti)". Iguana. 13 (3): 212–215. Owens, T.C. and B. Lock, Endangered Relic: An Introduction to One of the Most Endangered Lizards in the World, the Guatemalan Beaded Lizard (Heloderma h. charlesbogerti). Reptiles. October 2006.

External links Media related to Heloderma horridum charlesbogerti at Wikimedia Commons. Data related to Heloderma horridum charlesbogerti at Wikispecies. Heloderma Project ZOO ATLANTA, IRCF, ZOOTROPIC, project Archived 2009-02-20 at the Wayback Machine.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Heloderma charlesbogerti

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Heloderma charlesbogerti claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Heloderma charlesbogerti before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Heloderma charlesbogerti ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Heloderma charlesbogerti

In research: Heloderma charlesbogerti appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Heloderma charlesbogerti in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Heloderma charlesbogerti is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Critically endangered fauna of North America, Endemic fauna of Guatemala, Fauna listed on CITES Appendix I, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Heloderma charlesbogerti outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Heloderma charlesbogerti in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Heloderma charlesbogerti means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Heloderma charlesbogerti out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Heloderma charlesbogerti in simple terms?

Why does Heloderma charlesbogerti matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Heloderma charlesbogerti?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Heloderma charlesbogerti.