''Xantusia'' is one of three

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

night lizards Night lizards (family Xantusiidae) are a group of small scincomorph lizards, averaging from less than to over snout–vent length. Most species are viviparous (live-bearing), with the exception of those in the genus '' Cricosaura''. The fami ...

( family '' Xantusiidae''). Species of ''Xantusia'' are small to medium-sized, viviparous (live-bearing)

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 ...

s found in the U.S. Southwest and in northern Mexico.

Taxonomy and etymology

The names and descriptions of the genus ''Xantusia'' and the type species ''X. vigilis'' were published in 1859 by

Spencer Fullerton Baird Spencer Fullerton Baird (; February 3, 1823 – August 19, 1887) was an American naturalist, ornithologist, ichthyologist, Herpetology, herpetologist, and museum curator. Baird was the first curator to be named at the Smithsonian Institution. He ...

, the generic name commemorating the naturalist John Xantus. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Genus ''Xantusia'', p. 291).

Species

The following is a list of species in the genus. *''

Xantusia arizonae The Arizona night lizard (''Xantusia arizonae'') is a species of small smooth-skinned gray-brown lizards with dark spots that sometimes form partial lines down the back. The lizard has a slightly flattened head. The scales of the underside and tai ...

'' Klauber, 1931 – Arizona night lizard *''

Xantusia bezyi Bezy's night lizard (''Xantusia bezyi'') is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. The species is endemic to Arizona. Etymology Bezy's night lizard is named after noted American herpetologist Robert Lee Bezy (born 1941). Geographic ran ...

'' Papenfuss, Macey & J.A. Schulte, 2001 – Bezy's night lizard *''

Xantusia bolsonae ''Xantusia'' is one of three genera of night lizards (family '' Xantusiidae''). Species of ''Xantusia'' are small to medium-sized, viviparous (live-bearing) lizards found in the U.S. Southwest and in northern Mexico. Taxonomy and etymology The n ...

'' Webb, 1970 – bolsón night lizard *''

Xantusia extorris The Durango night lizard (''Xantusia extorris'') is a diminutive lizard found in the Mexican state of Durango. It is usually found in niches of agave and yucca ''Yucca'' is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, sub ...

'' Webb, 1965 –

Durango Durango (), officially named Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Durango; Tepehuán: ''Korian''; Nahuatl: ''Tepēhuahcān''), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated in ...

night lizard *''

Xantusia gilberti ''Xantusia gilberti'', also known commonly as the Baja California night lizard and ''la nocturna de Baja California'' in Mexican Spanish, is a species of small lizard in the family Xantusiidae. The species is native to the southern Baja Califor ...

'' Van Denburgh, 1895 – Gilbert's night lizard *''

Xantusia gracilis The sandstone night lizard (''Xantusia gracilis'') is a species of night lizard. Prior to 2005, it was considered a subspecies of the granite night lizard, ''Xantusia henshawi''. The physical difference is that the sandstone night lizard has lig ...

'' Grismer &

Galvan Galvan is an Irish surname. Irish surnames have had their original forms altered in many ways. Before being translated into English, Galvan appeared as O Gealbhain, derived from the words "geal," which means "bright," and "ban," which means "white. ...

, 1986 – sandstone night lizard *''

Xantusia henshawi The granite night lizard (''Xantusia henshawi'') is a species of xantusiid lizard endemic to North America."''Xantusia henshawi'' ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. Etymology The specific name, ''henshawi'', is in honor of Amer ...

Stejneger Leonhard Hess Stejneger (30 October 1851 – 28 February 1943) was a Norwegian-born American ornithologist, herpetologist and zoologist. Stejneger specialized in vertebrate natural history studies. He gained his greatest reputation with reptiles ...

, 1893 – granite night lizard *''

Xantusia jaycolei ''Xantusia jaycolei'' is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. The species is native to Mexico. Etymology The specific name, ''jaycolei'', is in honor of American herpetologist Charles J. "Jay" Cole. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael, ...

'' R. Bezy, K. Bezy &

Bolles Bolles is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Charles Bolles, alias Black Bart, American outlaw * Don Bolles, Arizona journalist murdered in 1976 after investigating the Mafia * Don Bolles (musician), drummer for the Germs * Garet ...

, 2008 *'' Xantusia riversiana'' Cope, 1883 – island night lizard *'' Xantusia sanchezi'' R. Bezy & Flores-Villela, 1999 – Sanchez's night lizard *''

Xantusia sherbrookei ''Xantusia sherbrookei'' is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in the Baja California Peninsula of Mexico. References

Xantusia Endemic reptiles of Mexico Endemic fauna of the Baja California Peninsul ...

'' R. Bezy, K. Bezy & Bolles, 2008 *''

Xantusia sierrae ''Xantusia sierrae'', the Sierra night lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Xantusiidae. It is a small lizard found in California. References Xantusia Reptiles of the United States Endemic fauna of California Reptiles described ...

'' R. Bezy, 1967 – sierra night lizard *''

Xantusia vigilis The desert night lizard (''Xantusia vigilis'') is a night lizard native to the Southern California Eastern Sierra and the San Gabriel Mountains into Baja California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and extreme western areas of Arizona. Desc ...

Baird Baird may refer to: Places United States * Baird, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Baird, Missouri, an unincorporated community * Baird, Texas, a city * Baird, Washington, a community * Baird Mountains, Alaska * Baird Inlet, Alaska ...

, 1859 – desert night lizard *'' Xantusia wigginsi'' Savage, 1952 – Wiggins's desert night lizard

Taxonomy and etymology

Species

References

Further reading