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Home »» Lizards »» Phrynosomatidae (North American Spiny Lizards) »» Blue Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus cyanogenys)


Blue Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus cyanogenys)Species of Least Concern





Description: Dorsal scales weakly keeled, mucronate, with several lateral denticulations, 32 to 40 from occiput to base of tail; lateral scales in oblique rows, somewhat larger than median dorsals; fourth toe about equal to distance from snout to posterior border of ear; hind leg 59 to 67 percent of snout-vent measurement; fourth toe 20 to 25 percent of snout-vent measurement; supraoculars irregular, not in two equal rows, rarely in a single row; median cephalic scales not extremely irregular; preocular rarely divided; inner row of labiomentals rarely terminating posterior to suture between second and third infralabials; rows of lorilabials usually not reduced to one at a point below subocular; femoral pores usually twelve or more on each side. General ground color greenish-blue (brownish prior to shedding); nuchal black collar four to five scales wide, sometimes continued on ventral surface, bordered anteriorly and posteriorly by a light band one or one and one-half scales wide, both interrupted medially by a dark scale; a light spot in center of interparietal and of each parietal; body without or with faint darker markings; throat and sides of belly in males pearl blue to flax-flower blue or campanula blue; lateral abdominal blue areas in males with a dark-blue medial border not encroaching on anterior distal surface of femur; throat not barred or rayed.


Habitat: Sceloporus cyanogenys prefers rocky terrains in arid and semi-arid environments where it is commonly seen on boulders, rock piles, cliffs, bridges, and in dry creekbeds.


Range: The range encompasses southern Texas, Mexico, northern Guatemala, and Belize. The range of S. serrifer is substantially larger than that of S. s. cyanogenys (or S. cyanogenys). The range is Mexico is several disjunct populations representing several subspecies.


Found in these States: TX


Diet: They feed on a diet that includes a variety of invertebrates, especially flying insects.


Reproduction: ovivparous


Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of the probably stable extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, number of subpopulations, and population size. No major threats are known.


Taxonomy:

»» Kingdom: Animalia - Animals
   »» Phylum: Chordata - Chordates
     »» Subphylum: Vertebrata - Vertebrates
       »» Class: Reptilia - Reptiles
         »» Order: Squamata - Lizards
           »» Family: Phrynosomatidae - North American Spiny Lizards
             »» Genus: Sceloporus
               »» Species: Sceloporus cyanogenys - Blue Spiny Lizard

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Sceloporus cyanogenys", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Content may have been omitted from the original, but no content has been changed or extended.

 

 

 

 


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Handbook of Lizards: Lizards of the United States and of Canada     Lizards of the World: A Guide to Every Family     Texas Lizards: A Field Guide     National Geographic Readers: Lizards



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Disclaimer: ITIS taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the United States is a party, wildlife statutes, regulations, and any applicable notices that have been published in the Federal Register. For further information on U.S. legal requirements with respect to protected taxa, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 
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