Habitat Specificity, Speciation, and Species Density in Australian Desert Lizards

From data demonstrating habitat specificity, it is concluded that Australian desert lizards recognize more habitats than North American desert lizards. The large amount of environmental heterogeneity and intimate mixing of habitats in Australia allow many more lizard species to coexist there than in North America. An interpretive hypothesis for lizard speciation by means or habitats fluctuating in time and space is proposed.