Sceloporus scalaris explained

Sceloporus scalaris, the light-bellied bunch grass lizard, is a species of small, phrynosomatid lizard.

Taxonomy

Currently, Sceloporus scalaris belongs in the scalaris group with a fluctuating number of other species.^[1] In 2010, Wiens et al. recognized the following species: Sceloporus aeneus, S. bicanthalis, S.chaneyi, S.goldmani, S. scalaris, and S. subniger while others such as Bryson et al. 2011 recognize: Sceloporus aeneus, S. bicanthalis, S.chaneyi, S.goldmani, S. samcolemani, S. scalaris, and S. slevini ^{[2] [3]}

Distribution

S. scalaris is widely distributed in Mexico, expanding northward from the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt to the southern United States of Arizona and New Mexico. The species is typically found in high elevation grasslands (1500 – 3000 m).^[4]

Description

Bunch grass lizards are typically grey in color, often with orange and yellow coloration around the neck and behind the forelimbs. Males will have more of this vibrant coloration on their underside while female undersides tend to be white. Adults range from 52–62 mm snout-to-vent length (Ortega and Barbault, 1986).

Reproduction

Many species of Sceloporus are ovoviviparous including the scalaris species. Juveniles are seen for the first time in late August (Ortega and Barbault, 1986).

Notes and References

1. Grummer, J. A., Bryson, R. W., & Reeder, T. W. (2014). Species delimitation using Bayes factors: simulations and application to the Sceloporus scalaris species group (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae). Systematic biology, 63(2), 119-133.
2. J.J. Wienset al./Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 54 (2010) 150–161
3. R.W. Bryson Jr. et al. / Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 62 (2012) 447–457
4. Ortega, A., & Barbault, R. (1986). Reproduction in the high elevation Mexican lizard Sceloporus scalaris. Journal of herpetology, 20(1), 111-114.