in the wild are habitat destruction and trapping for international pet trade. Eagles are the greatest natural predator of X. grandis, but they are not considered a threat to the survival of the species as a whole. Also, warmer temperatures in their habitat have been shown to cause greater mortality rates among the lizards, posing another potential threat to the species. Temperature Higher temperatures have been associated with higher mortality rates for X. grandis. In the 2003-2004 wet season of Southern Mexico and Guatemala (the habitat regions of the species), the average temperature was 24.3 C. That temperature was in the top 12% of highest recorded temperatures in the past 34 years of record keeping. The mortality rate for yearlings (the youngest age group) increased from 0.1923 to 0.6551 and for adult II (the oldest age group) increased from 0.3956 to 0.5676 for the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 wet seasons respectively. If temperatures continue to increase, the survival of the species will be further threatened and currently 50% of wet seasons are warm enough to be considered to be unfavorable for the species. Population and growth rates As of 2004, X. grandis had a survival rate of 70.5% and a growth rate of 0.851. Even though the rates may appear to be low, in comparison to other lizard genera and families X. grandis is doing well. Currently the species is decreasing in population, which is thought to be primarily caused by human development destroying their habitat. If habitat destruction stops, the population should at least be stable, if not prosperous. References Further reading Boulenger GA (1885). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume II. ... Xenosauridæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 497 pp. + Plates I-XXIV. (Xenosaurus grandis, pp. 250–251). Gray JE (1856). "Notice of a new species of Nocturnal Lizard from Mexico". Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Second Series 18: 270. (Cubina grandis, new species). Xenosauridae Reptiles of Mexico Reptiles described in 1856 Taxa named by John Edward Gray