Canyon Lizard (Sceloporus merriami)
Description: Adults of S. merriami may reach 2.2 inches snout-to-vent length (SVL). Including the tail, they may reach 6.4 inches in total length. The dorsal scales are small, and the lateral scales are granular. Dorsally, the canyon lizard is gray, tan, or reddish-brown, matching the rocks on which it lives. There are four rows of dark spots on the back, and a vertical black line in front of the front leg. Males have blue and black lines on the throat.
Habitat: Habitats include canyon walls and rocky slopes with sparse vegetation. The lizard generally occupies steep rock faces and takes shelter in crevices. Eggs are buried beneath soil surface.
Range: S. merriami are found in the United States in the state of Texas, and it is found in Mexico in the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, and Nuevo Leon.
Found in these States:
TX
Diet: Eats insects and other small arthropods.
Reproduction: Lays 2 clutches averaging 4.5 eggs each, the first in May to June and the second in July to August. Eggs hatch in 30 to 40 days. Sexually mature in one year.
Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of the stable extent of occurrence and area of occupancy, high abundance within suitable habitat, and absence of major threats. Populations fluctuate with environmental conditions.
Subspecies: Seven, with just 3 found in the United States:
Big Bend Canyon Lizard - (Sceloporus merriami annulatus)
Southeastern Canyon Lizard - (Sceloporus merriami australis)
Ballinger’s Canyon Lizard - (Sceloporus merriami ballingeri)
Presidio Canyon Lizard - (Sceloporus merriami longipunctatus)
Merriam's Canyon Lizard - (Sceloporus merriami merriami)
Sanoja's Canyon Lizard - (Sceloporus merriami sanojae)
Williams’ Canyon Lizard - (Sceloporus merriami williamsi)
»» 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 merriami - Canyon Lizard
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Sceloporus merriami", 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.
|
){kind=link}
){kind=link}