The long-nosed leopard lizard (''Gambelia wislizenii'') 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 appropriat ...

of relatively large North American

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 altho ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Crotaphytidae. ''Gambelia wislizenii'' ranges in snout-to-vent length (SVL) from . It has a large head, a long nose, and a long round tail that can be longer than its body. It is closely related to the blunt-nosed leopard lizard ('' Gambelia sila''), which closely resembles the long-nosed leopard lizard in body proportions, but has a conspicuously blunt snout. The species ''G. wislizenii'', once considered part of the

genus 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 nom ...

Crotaphytus ''Crotaphytus'' is a genus of lizards commonly known as collared lizards. They are a genus of small to medium-sized predators indigenous to the American southwest, Baja peninsula, and Mexico. They can be as small as 8" or as long as 14″ (20-3 ...

'', is under moderate pressure because of

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

but is categorized as "least concern".

Etymology

The specific name or epithet, ''wislizenii'', is in honor of the German-American surgeon and naturalist Frederick Adolph Wislizenus, who caught the first specimen near

Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe ( ; , Spanish for 'Holy Faith'; tew, Oghá P'o'oge, Tewa for 'white shell water place'; tiw, Hulp'ó'ona, label= Northern Tiwa; nv, Yootó, Navajo for 'bead + water place') is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. The name “S ...

Description

''Gambelia wislizenii'' has granular dorsal scales that can be white, cream, or gray with irregular brown or dark gray spots along its body and head. Sometimes they have dark bars across their back. The tail also has dark bars across it. Juveniles have more highly contrasted markings compared to adults, often with rusty coloring on the back or bright red spots, and yellow on the thighs and under the tail. The male and female are different in appearance. The female is about snout-vent length, and the male is smaller, measuring about SVL. Both sexes are capable of marked color changes. In its dark phase the lizard's spots are nearly hidden and light crossbars become quite obvious on both the body and the tail. In the light phase the opposite is true with the dominant color consisting of gray, pinkish, brown or yellowish brown hues. During the mating season females develop reddish orange spots and bars on their sides and underneath the tail when gravid. Males develop pink or rusty wash on the throat, chest, and sometimes the body, during the breeding season.

Distribution and habitat

The long-nosed leopard lizard prefers to inhabit arid and semiarid plains growth, like bunch grass, alkali bush, sagebrush, creosote bush, and other scattered low plants. The ground can be hardpan, sand, or even gravel with rocks that may often be used as basking sites. ''G. wislizenii'' prefers flat areas with open space for running, avoiding densely vegetated areas. It is found from near sea level to around . Its range includes the western part of the United States from

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Monta ...

in the north, south to northern Mexico in

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

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 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into 72 municipalities; the ...

Coahuila Coahuila (), formally Coahuila de Zaragoza (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza), is one of the 32 states of Mexico. Coahuila borders the Mexican states of N ...

, and

Zacatecas , image_map = Zacatecas in Mexico (location map scheme).svg , map_caption = State of Zacatecas within Mexico , coordinates = , coor_pinpoint = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type ...

and Casa Grande, Arizona. In

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

County, it occurs east of the

Peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on a ...

Ranges within the Lower

Colorado Desert California's Colorado Desert is a part of the larger Sonoran Desert. It encompasses approximately , including the heavily irrigated Coachella and Imperial valleys. It is home to many unique flora and fauna. Geography and geology The Colorado D ...

. It is found in desert flats and lower foothills with little vegetation.

Behaviors

The long-nosed leopard lizard is often seen on small rocks along the roadside, preferring direct sunlight when basking. It is diurnal and has the potential to be active all day when the weather is mild to warm. The daily activity cycle starts relatively early (05:30–08:30, variation depends on location), and after a period of basking, long-nosed leopard lizards begin active hunting and feeding. When in danger, it uses a defense mechanism known as "freeze" behavior, which means it runs underneath a bush, flattens its body against the ground and is motionless until the threat is gone. If the case is extreme enough, such as capture, it is capable of

caudal autotomy Autotomy (from the Greek ''auto-'', "self-" and ''tome'', "severing", αὐτοτομία) or self-amputation, is the behaviour whereby an animal sheds or discards one or more of its own appendages, usually as a self-defense mechanism to elude a ...

, or tail separation. Its speed and agility are major contributors to its predatory success as well as its ability to evade predators. When running at rapid speeds it runs with forelimbs raised.

Feeding habits

The long-nosed leopard lizard preys on small lizards such as Aspidoscelis Costatus, in addition to insects and sometimes rodents, like all members of the family. This lizard also is cannibalistic, eating smaller leopard lizards when the opportunity arises. On occasion, it will eat the young leopard lizards as they hatch, but the adults are usually not active during the time period when most young hatch from their eggs. This allows the young time to grow and become more of a contender with the larger adults. Its long nose usually makes its jaw quicker and better for catching vertebrate prey. This species utilizes stalking and ambush techniques when hunting. As an ambush predator, it lies in wait in the shadows underneath a bush or small tree, where its spotted pattern blends, waiting for its prey to come within capture range. When prey is sufficiently close, it uses a rapid pouncing movement to capture the prey in its strong jaws. The long-nosed leopard lizard has been documented to jump up to in any direction, including into the air, in order to catch prey. "More than one leopard lizard has been found choked to death by the size of the prey it attempted to swallow." Some predators of long-nosed leopard lizards include a number of birds,

snake Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more ...

coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecological nich ...

badger Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by ...

s, and the

kit fox The kit fox (''Vulpes macrotis'') is a fox species that inhabits arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States and northern and central Mexico. These foxes are the smallest of the four species of ''Vulpes'' occurring in North Amer ...

Reproduction

Long-nosed Leopard Lizard - Gambelia wislizenii - Female Breeding Colors

The breeding season of ''G. wislizenii'' extends from May to June with a single clutch of 5–6 eggs being laid usually in June or July, which hatch in the late summer months of July or August. During mating no pair bond is formed between adults. A single clutch is usually laid per year but in the warmer climates towards the south, it is possible for a female to lay up to two clutches per year. Birthing and egg-laying occur in a burrow, although no nest structure is formed. Egg incubation is estimated to be between five and seven weeks. Young emerge in August, when adult activity is coming to an end. The timing of the juvenile emergence coinciding with the cessation of adult activity may aid in the prevention of cannibalism.

Conservation status

The blunt-nosed leopard lizard (''Gambelia sila'') is endangered. It is no longer present throughout most of its former range as the habitat has been significantly altered by farming, urban development, overgrazing, oil wells, mining, reservoirs, and off-road vehicle use. This habitat alteration continues. However, there are no specific conservation concerns for the long-nosed leopard lizard (''Gambelia wislizenii'' ).

References

External links

California Herps

Gambelia wislizenii
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2703595 Gambelia Reptiles of Mexico Reptiles of the United States Reptiles described in 1852 Taxa named by Spencer Fullerton Baird Taxa named by Charles Frédéric Girard