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Plateau Fence Lizard Juvenile

Home »» Lizards »» Phrynosomatidae (North American Spiny Lizards) »» Plateau Fence Lizard (Sceloporus tristichus)


Plateau Fence Lizard (Sceloporus tristichus)Species of Least Concern





Description: At up to 3.1 inches from snout to vent, the plateau fence lizard is a grayish, brownish, or greenish lizard. The upper side of its body has keeled scales and there is a series of narrow dark brown cross-bands on both sides of the midline. An elongated metallic blue patch can be found on each side of the belly and each side of the throat. Males are typically smaller than females with males and females in Montezuma County measuring 2.5 inches and 2.6 inches, respectively.


Habitat: The plateau fence lizard generally dwells in rocky and wooded areas, making use of canyon walls, boulder-strewn hillsides, fallen tree trunks, and other debris and vantage points.


Range: The plateau fence lizard is generally found in central Arizona, southwestern Utah, western Colorado, and the San Luis Valley. It can also be found in parts of New Mexico and Wyoming.


Found in these States: AZ | CO | NM | UT | WY


Diet: The lizard consumes mainly insects, spiders, and other arthropods.


Reproduction: Lays eggs. Females lay two clutches of 5 to 12 eggs a year, one in May and the other in June. Hatchings emerge mid-July to early September.


Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of the large and relatively stable extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, number of subpopulations, and population size. A split of this species into multiple species has been proposed, but further study is needed to clarify the geographic and taxonomic scope of the new species. Adopting such a split likely would not result in any species that are not Least Concern.


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 tristichus - Plateau Fence Lizard

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Plateau Fence Lizard", 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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