Liolaemus lutzae
CR

Liolaemus lutzae

Declining

Photo: (c) Leandro Cardoso, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Leandro Cardoso

Overview

Liolaemus lutzae, called commonly Lutz's tree iguana, is a species of lizard in the family Liolaemidae. The species is endemic to Brazil.

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.

Threat summary

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.

TERRESTRIAL· major

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Liolaemus lutzae classified as Critically Endangered?
Liolaemus lutzae is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. 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.
Where does Liolaemus lutzae live?
Liolaemus lutzae occurs in Brazil. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Liolaemus lutzae?
The main threats to Liolaemus lutzae are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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