(Sceloporus cyanogenys)
Family: Iguanas (Iguanidae)
Order: Squamates or Scaly Reptiles (Squamata)
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Northern Blue Spiny Lizard
(Sceloporus cyanogenys) Family: Iguanas (Iguanidae) Order: Squamates or Scaly Reptiles (Squamata) |
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Size: 13-36 cm. The largest species of spiny lizard. Distribution: Southern USA (Texas), northeastern Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas, Veracruz). The range is discontinuous. Habitat: Cliffs and other rocky areas, stone piles, dry earth banks, abandoned buildings and construction rubble. Often found in or near thornscrub, arid woodland, and pine-oak forests. Food: Prefers flying insects, but other invertebrates are also taken. Reproduction: Gives birth to 6-20 young in February-June, which measure 6,5-7 cm at birth. Activity and behaviour: Diurnal. Shelters beneath and between rocks or in deep ground crevices. Enemies and defense: Birds of prey, snakes, mammals, and larger lizards are among the enemies of the spiny lizards. Although their spiny scales provide some protection against smaller predators, the spiny lizards are often the most abundant lizards within their distribution, and therefore an important food source for many predators. Longevity: Most spiny lizards can reach an age of 5-7 years in captivity, but at least one species is known to have reached 11 years. In the wild, they probably do not become that old, since they are hunted by many predators. For most species, the average longevity in the wild is more likely 3-4 years. Sexual differences: Males are the most colorful: ground colour brown with a brilliant, metallic greenish blue sheen, upper sides of legs bronzy, entire throat bright blue. Female and young males are grey or brown. Variation: Divided in two subspecies, Sceloporus c. cyanogenys and Sceloporus c. plioporus. The former is found in the northern part of the range, the latter in the southern part. Notes: This species was previously, at various times, regarded as a subspecies (race) of two other spiny lizards, Sceloporus serrifer and Sceloporus torquatus, but most sources now regard it as a separate species. All in all, about 90 different species of spiny lizards are known, ranging from the USA to Panama. References: Baker, R.H.; Webb, R.G. 1966. Notas acerca de los anfibios, reptiles y mamiferos de La Pesca, Tamaulipas. Revista de la Sociedad Mexicana de Historia Natural 27: 179-190. Behler, John L.; King, F. Wayne. 1979. The Audobon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 744 pp. Bell, E.L.; Smith, H.M.; Chiszar, D. 2003. An annotated list of the species-group names applied to the lizard genus Sceloporus. Acta Zoologica Mexicana Nueva Serie 90: 103-174. Castaneda, G.; Lazcano, D.; Garcia-De La Pena, C.; Contreras-Lozano, J.A. 2006. Sceloporus cyanogenys (blue spiny lizard). Predation. Herpetological Review 37(2): 227. Conant, R.; Collins, J.T. 1998. A field guide to reptiles & amphibians. Eastern and central North America. Peterson Field Guide Series no. 12. Houghton Mifflin, Boston & New York. 616 pp. Contreras Arquieta, A.; Lazcano Villarreal, D. 1995. Lista revisada de los reptiles del Estado de Nuevo Leon, Mexico. pp. 57-64. In: Contreras Balderas, S.; Gonzalez Saldivar, F.; Lazcano Villarreal, D. & Contreras Arquieta, A. (eds.). Listado preliminar de la fauna silvestre del Estado de Nuevo Leon, Mexico. [Preliminary list of the wild fauna from Nuevo Leon State, Mexico.] Consejo Consultivo Estatal para la Preservacion y Fomento de la Flora y Fauna Silvestre de Nuevo Leon, Monterrey. 152 pp. Contreras-Lozano, J.A.; Lazcano, D.; Contreras-Balderas, A.J. 2007. Sceloporus cyanogenys (blue spiny lizard): predation. Herpetological Review 38(1): 82-83. Dixon, J.R. 2000. Amphibians and reptiles of Texas. Second edition. W.L. Moody Jr. Natural History Series 25: 1-421. Farr, W.L.; Lavin Murcio, Pablo A.; Lazcano, D. 2007. New distributional records for amphibians and reptiles from the State of Tamaulipas, Mexico. Herpetological Review 38(2): 226-233. Greene, H.W. 1970. Mode of reproduction in lizards and snakes of the Gomez Farias region, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Copeia 1970: 565-568. Jetter, M. 2002. Haltung und Nachzucht von Sceloporus serrifer cyanogenys Cope 1885. Iguana Rundschreiben 15(1): 8-9. Köhler, G. 1992. Asymetrische zusammenhangende Doppelmissbildung (Duplicitas incompleta) bei Sceloporus cyanogenys. Iguana Rundschreiben 1992(2): 33-34. Köhler, G. & Heimes, P. 2002. Stachelleguane. Herpeton, Offenbach. 176 pp. Lazcano, D.; Contreras Balderas, A.; Gonzalez Rojas, J.I.; Castaneda, G.; Garcia de la Pena, C.; Solis Rojas, C. 2004. Notes on Herpetofauna 6: herpetofauna of Sierra San Antonio Pena Nevada, Zaragoza, Nuevo Leon, Mexico: preliminary list. Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society 39(10): 181-187. Martin, P.S. 1958. A biogeography of reptiles and amphibians in the Gomez Farias region, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Miscellaneous Publications Museum of Zoology University of Michigan 101: 1-102. Mendoza-Quijano, F.; Liner, E.A.; Montanucci, R.R.; Gonzalez Alonso, A. 1993. Sceloporus serrifer cyanogenys (blue spiny lizard). Herpetological Review 24(4): 155. Obst, F.J., Richter, K.; Jacob, U. 1984. Lexicon der Terraristik. Landbuch, Hannover. 465 pp. Olson, R.E. 1987. Taxonomic revision of the lizards Sceloporus serrifer and cyanogenys of the Gulf coastal plain. Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society 23(4): 158-167. Powell, R.L. 2007. Sceloporus cyanogenys (blue spiny lizard). Herpetological Review 38(1): 102. Powell, R.L. 2007. Sceloporus cyanogenys (blue spiny lizard). USA: Texas. Herpetological Review 38(2): 219. Schmidt, A. 1993. [Spiny lizards of the Sceloporus torquatus-group in USA]. (In Danish). Nordisk Herpetologisk Forening 36(5): 66-67. Schmidt, F.; Schaefer, H. 2007. Rekordwurf beim Blauen Stachelleguan (Sceloporus serrifer cyanogenys). Zoologische Garten 77(1): 54-55. Smith, H.M.; Chiszar, D. 1997. New records for amphibians and reptiles from Texas. Herpetological Review 28(2): 99-100. Stolk, A. 1994. [The North American iguana Sceloporus cyanogenys]. Aquarium (Hilversum) 64(11): 266-267. The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org Werning, H. 1994. Sceloporus cyanogenys Cope. Sauria (Berlin) 16(3): 303-306. Werning, H. 2002. Stachelleguane. Natur und Tier-Verlag, Münster. 143 pp. Wiens, J.J. & Reeder, T.W. 1997. Phylogeny of the spiny lizards (Sceloporus) based on molecular and morphological evidence. Herpetological Monographs 11: 1-101. Text & layout: Rune Midtgaard |
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