Mountain Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus jarrovii jarrovii)
Description: S. jarrovii grows to a snout-to-vent length of 4.1 inches with keeled scales and a crosshatch-patterned torso. Its coloration includes tints of pink, green, blue, and copper. The top of the head is dark gray. Males have a blue throat and a blue belly. A complete black collar with a white inferior border distinguishes this lizard from similar species.
Habitat: This is a montane species, attracted to rocky canyons, cliffs, and hillsides, including areas of oak woodland, thornscrub, and mixed oak and pine. Typically it occurs on rocky outcrops, sometimes climbs trees.
Range: Southeastern Arizona and extreme southwestern New Mexico south into Mexico, south to Durango and Zacatecas according to the systematic arrangement of Wiens and Penkrot. Elevational range is about 4,500 to 11,600 feet. At the northern end of the range, this lizard occurs on major mountain ranges and certain minor mountain ranges.
Found in these States:
AZ |
NM
Diet: Insects and spiders.
Reproduction: S. jarrovii is viviparous. In Arizona, mates September-October, gives birth in May-June at lower elevations, late June at 5000 to 7000 ft; litter size, which increases with female size, averages 7 to 11. Litter size averages 7 in north-central Mexico, with neonates observed in May. May mature in 5 months at low elevations, 15 months at high elevations. Growth rate appears to be slowed when food resources are low
Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of the relatively large and stable extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, number of subpopulations, and population size. No major threats have been identified.
»» 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 jarrovii - Yarrow's Spiny Lizard
»» Subspecies: Sceloporus jarrovii jarrovii - Mountain Spiny Lizard
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "NAME", 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.
|