The Sonoran collared lizard (''Crotaphytus nebrius'') is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Crotaphytidae
The Crotaphytidae, or collared lizards, are a family of desert-dwelling reptiles native to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Alternatively they are recognized as a subfamily, Crotaphytinae, within the clade Pleurodonta. They are ...
. The species is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to the
U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
state of
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
and the
Mexican state of
Sonora
Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...
.
Description
''C. nebrius'' is a grayish-yellow with grayish-white spots, which are large down the middle of the body, and small on the sides.
Behavior
Adults of ''C. nebrius'' are primarily active during spring and summer; the juveniles can be active until November.
[ 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 plates, 39 figures, 204 maps. . (''Crotaphytus nebrius'', p. 274 + Plate 27 + Map 85).]
Reproduction
''C. nebrius'' is
oviparous.
["''Crotaphytus nebrius'' ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.]
References
Further reading
*Axtell, Ralph W.; Montanucci, Richard R. (1977). "''Crotaphytus collaris'' from the eastern Sonoran Desert: description of a previously unrecognized geographic race". ''Natural History Miscellanea, Chicago Academy of Sciences'' (201): 1–8. (''Crotaphytus collaris nebrius'', new subspecies).
*McGuire, Jimmy A. (1996). "Phylogenetic Systematics of Crotaphytid Lizards (Reptilia: Iguania: Crotaphytidae)". ''Bulletin of
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
The Carnegie Museum of Natural History (abbreviated as CMNH) is a natural history museum in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Pittsburgh-based industrialist Andrew Carnegie in 1896.
Housing some 22 million ...
'' (32): iv + 1–143, 52 figures. (''Crotaphytus nebrius'', new combination, pp. 88-92 + Figures 31A, 34).
Lizards of North America
Sonoran Collared lizard There are two species of lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes ...
Reptiles of Mexico
Sonoran Collared lizard There are two species of lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes ...
Fauna of the Southwestern United States
Reptiles of the United States
Reptiles described in 1977
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