The Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard (''Uma inornata'') 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
phrynosomatid lizard.
Phylogeny and evolution
The species is most closely related to
Uma notata, the Colorado Desert fringe-toed lizard. Genetic variation within the species is small, equivalent to that of one population of Uma notata.
The species population is isolated from other closely related lizards.
Characteristics
The species is well adapted to its desert habitat. It has a wedged-shaped nose which enables it to burrow through loose, fine sand. Elongated scales cover the ears to keep out blowing sand, and specialized nostrils allow it to breathe below the sand without inhaling sand particles.
[U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]
Coachella Valley Fringe-toed Lizard
/ref>
Ecology and behaviour
During breeding season, male lizards minimize time spent foraging for food to maximize time for mating. They preferentially ate readily-available flowers rather than spending time foraging.
Habitat and distribution
The lizard 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 else ...
to Coachella Valley, California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
.
Conservation status
It is listed as an endangered species in California, a threatened species in the United States
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 ...
, and the IUCN classifies it as endangered.[ Listed as Endangered (EN A1a, B1+2c v2.3)]
Refuge
The Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge, for the Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard, is contained within the Coachella Valley Preserve, and Indio Hills Palms State Reserve, located east of Palm Springs
Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by land ...
near Palm Desert, California
Palm Desert is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley, approximately east of Palm Springs, northeast of San Diego and east of Los Angeles. The population was 48,445 at the 2010 census. The city has bee ...
, in the Colorado Desert region of the Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert ( es, Desierto de Sonora) is a desert in North America and ecoregion that covers the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, as well as part of the southwestern United States (in Ariz ...
.
References
External links
Official Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge website
*
Uma
Reptiles of the United States
Fauna of the Coachella Valley
Fauna of the Colorado Desert
Fauna of Riverside County, California
Fauna of the Sonoran Desert
Endangered fauna of California
Reptiles described in 1895
Taxa named by Edward Drinker Cope
ESA threatened species
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