Granite spiny lizard explained

The granite spiny lizard (Sceloporus orcutti) is a species of lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae.

Etymology

The epithet, orcutti, honors American naturalist Charles Russell Orcutt (1864–1929), who collected the type specimen in San Diego County, California.^{[1] [2]}

Geographic range

S. orcutti is native to southern California in the United States and Baja California in Mexico.

Description

The granite spiny lizard is 7.6- snout-to-vent length (SVL). Maximum total length including the tail is 28.9cm (11.4inches).^[3] Its dorsal scales are strongly keeled and pointed on its body and tail. It has a wide purple mid-dorsal stripe. The males of the species have yellow-green and blue-centered scales on the body; juveniles and females have distinct yellow-tan transverse bands on their body and tail. Additionally, the male has deep-blue ventral patches on its chest and throat and femoral pores.

Behavior and habitat

The granite spiny lizard is a colorful species that can be observed perched atop boulders from considerable distance. This species is primarily associated with rocky hillsides and outcrops.

Reproduction

S. orcutti is oviparous.

Sources

• This article is based on a description from "A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Coastal Southern California", Robert N. Fisher and Ted J. Case, USGS, http://www.werc.usgs.gov/fieldguide/index.htm .

Further reading

• Behler JL, King FW (1979). The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 743 pp. 657 color plates. . (Sceloporus orcutti, p. 527 + Plate 351).
• Stebbins RC (2003). A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, Third Edition. The Peterson Field Guide Series ®. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. xiii + 533 pp., 56 color plates. . (Sceloporus orcutti, pp. 287-288 + Plate 31 + Map 89).
• Stejneger L (1893). "Annotated List of the Reptiles and Batrachians Collected by the Death Valley Expedition in 1891, with Descriptions of New Species". North American Fauna (7): 159-228. (Sceloporus orcutti, new species, p. 181 + Plate I, Figures 4a-4c).

Notes and References

1. Beltz, Ellin (2006). Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained. http://ebeltz.net/herps/biogappx.html
2. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Sceloporus orcutti, p. 195).
3. [Hobart Muir Smith|Smith HM]