Cope's arboreal alligator lizard of the pet trade. Cope's arboreal alligator lizard, also known as "Abronia aurita", is a species of alligator lizard found only in roughly 400 square kilometers of Guatemala. Specifically, the only suitable habitat for this species is between 2,000 and 2,600 feet above sea level on the west and south sides of Sierra de Xucaneb in the Department of Alta Verapaz. These species are considered arboreal, meaning they live in trees. They prefer to make their homes in the trunks of decaying, large trees, found in Oak or Pine forests. High tree density is considered optimal for these creatures as
Cope's arboreal alligator lizard aurita" are primarily omnivores, but can live on either insects or plants for long periods of time. In times of optimal conditions, they will often prefer to forage for abundant insects such as crickets and grasshoppers as well as other invertebrates such as caterpillars, snails, spiders and mealworms. In addition, alligator lizards also rely on eating bromeliads, which serve as a vital source of energy when insect abundance depletes. Because of this, presence of bromeliads growing on and around their habitat is an important factor when determining their immediate habitat location. It typically takes Cope's arboreal alligator lizards until the