Liolaemus lutzae
Photo: (c) Leandro Cardoso, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Leandro Cardoso
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Liolaemus lutzae faces severe threats from coastal development and tourism infrastructure along Brazil's Atlantic coast, which has destroyed much of its specialized sandy beach and dune habitat. Rising sea levels and increased storm intensity associated with climate change pose additional risks to this ground-dwelling lizard's remaining coastal refugia. The species' extremely restricted range makes it particularly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation and local extinctions from human disturbance.
Habitat
This endemic Brazilian lizard inhabits sandy coastal dunes and beach environments along the Atlantic coast, particularly areas with sparse vegetation and loose sand substrates. It requires specific microhabitat conditions including adequate sand depth for burrowing and proximity to native coastal vegetation for shelter and foraging.
