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
Habitat conservation where species diversity is high, or in recreational sports which take place in natural environments such as hiking and mountain biking. The cost of repairing damaged ecosystems is considered to be much higher than the cost of conserving natural ecosystems. Measuring the worth of conserving different habitat areas is often criticized as being too utilitarian from a philosophical point of view. Habitat conservation is important in maintaining biodiversity, an essential part of global food security. There is evidence to support a trend of accelerating erosion of the genetic resources of agricultural plants and animals. An increase in genetic similarity of