Lepidophyma

thumb|Madrean tropical night lizard (Lepidophyma sylvaticum) El Cielo Biosphere Reserve, municipality of Gómez Farías, Tamaulipas, Mexico (24 May 2005). Lepidophyma is a genus of lizards, commonly called tropical night lizards. The genus Lepidophyma (Greek for "warty scales") is one of three genera of night lizards (family Xantusiidae), which are a group of viviparous (live-bearing) lizards. There are 20 species of tropical night lizards in the genus Lepidophyma, making it the most populous night lizard genus. Species of the genus Lepidophyma are distributed throughout Central America, found anywhere from central Mexico to Panama, depending on the particular species. Tropical night lizards, particularly the yellow-spotted species, are sometimes called Central American bark lizards by pet dealers and owners.

==Species== The following 23 species are recognized as being valid. Lepidophyma chicoasensis – Sumidero tropical night lizard Lepidophyma cuicateca – Sunidero tropical night lizard Lepidophyma dontomasi – MacDougall's tropical night lizard Lepidophyma flavimaculatum – Yellow-spotted tropical night lizard Lepidophyma gaigeae – Gaige's tropical night lizard Lepidophyma inagoi Lepidophyma jasonjonesi Lepidophyma lineri – Liner's tropical night lizard Lepidophyma lipetzi – Lipetz's tropical night lizard Lepidophyma lowei – Lowe's tropical night lizard Lepidophyma lusca Lepidophyma mayae – Mayan tropical night lizard Lepidophyma micropholis – cave tropical night lizard Lepidophyma occulor – Jalpan tropical night lizard Lepidophyma pajapanensis – Pajapan tropical night lizard Lepidophyma radula – Yautepec tropical night lizard Lepidophyma ramirezi Lepidophyma reticulatum – Costa Rican tropical night lizard Lepidophyma smithii – (Andrew) Smith's tropical night lizard Lepidophyma sylvaticum – Madrean tropical night lizard Lepidophyma tarascae – Tarascan tropical night lizard Lepidophyma tuxtlae – Tuxtla tropical night lizard Lepidophyma zongolica