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 grow. It is similar in meaning to a biotope; an area of uniform environmental conditions associated with a particular community of plants and animals. The chief environmental factors affecting the distribution of living organisms are temperature, humidity, climate, soil type and light intensity, and the presence or absence of all the requirements that the organism needs to sustain it. Generally speaking, animal communities are reliant on specific types of plant communities. Some plants and animals are generalists, and their habitat requirements are met in a wide range of locations. The small white butterfly ("Pieris rapae") for example is found on