Banded rock lizard
Encyclopedia
The banded rock lizard (Petrosaurus mearnsi) is a species
of phrynosomatid
lizard
. The specific name, mearnsi, is in honor of American naturalist
Edgar Alexander Mearns
, who collected the first specimens.
and Baja California
, Mexico
.
. Its dorsum is olive, brown or gray, with white or bluish spots. It has a single black collar, a banded tail, and granular scales on its body, with keeled tail and limb scales. It is 6.2 to 8.7 cm long SVL (snout to vent length). Males have more pronounced throat patterns and brighter blue coloring than females.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of phrynosomatid
Phrynosomatidae
Phrynosomatidae is a diverse family of lizards, found from Panama to the extreme south of Canada. Many members of the group are adapted to life in hot, sandy deserts, although the spiny lizards prefer rocky deserts or even relatively moist forest edges, and the short-horned lizard lives in prairie...
lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
. The specific name, mearnsi, is in honor of American naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
Edgar Alexander Mearns
Edgar Alexander Mearns
Edgar Alexander Mearns was a notable American ornithologist and field naturalist....
, who collected the first specimens.
Geographic range
It is endemic to extreme southern CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Description
Petrosaurus mearnsi is an extremely flat-bodied lizardLizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
. Its dorsum is olive, brown or gray, with white or bluish spots. It has a single black collar, a banded tail, and granular scales on its body, with keeled tail and limb scales. It is 6.2 to 8.7 cm long SVL (snout to vent length). Males have more pronounced throat patterns and brighter blue coloring than females.