San Diego horned lizard
San Diego horned lizard | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Iguania |
Family: | Phrynosomatidae |
Genus: | Phrynosoma |
Species: | P. blainvillii
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Binomial name | |
Phrynosoma blainvillii Gray, 1839
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Synonyms | |
Phrynosoma coronatum blainvillii |
The San Diego horned lizard or Blainville's horned lizard (Phrynosoma blainvillii) is a species of phrynosomatid lizard native to southern and central California in the United States and northern Baja California in Mexico.[3]
Taxonomy[]
Described as a distinct species by John Edward Gray in 1839 (being named after Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville), it was later reclassified as a subspecies of the coast horned lizard (P. coronatum) in 1933. However, studies by in 2006 and 2009 found sufficient genetic evidence to again classify P. blainvillii as a distinct species. In 2021, Gunther Köhler again reclassified blainvillii as a subspecies of P. coronatum, although the Reptile Database has not followed this.[3][4]
Distribution[]
This species ranges from the Central Valley of California south through southern California to northern Baja California.[3]
Description[]
The lizards’ horns are used for defense to prevent snakes from being able to swallow the lizard. It primarily eats ants, especially harvester ants.[5]
Reproduction[]
In Southern California, the San Diego horned lizard's reproductive period ranges from early March to June.[6]
Threats[]
The San Diego horned lizard is no longer present in many sections of Southern California due to urbanization, and other types of habitat loss.[6]
References[]
- ^ "Phrynosoma blainvillii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ a b c "Phrynosoma blainvillii". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
- ^ Leaché, Adam D.; Koo, Michelle S.; Spencer, Carol L.; Papenfuss, Theodore J.; Fisher, Robert N.; McGuire, Jimmy A. (2009-07-28). "Quantifying ecological, morphological, and genetic variation to delimit species in the coast horned lizard species complex (Phrynosoma)". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 106 (30): 12418–12423. doi:10.1073/pnas.0906380106. ISSN 0027-8424. PMID 19625623.
- ^ "COAST HORNED LIZARD #SEAWEDNESDAY – Significant Ecological Areas Program". Retrieved 2021-11-04.
- ^ a b Goldberg, Stephen R. (1983). "Reproduction of the Coast Horned Lizard, Phrynosoma coronatum, in Southern California". The Southwestern Naturalist. 28 (4): 478–479. doi:10.2307/3670838. ISSN 0038-4909.
- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Phrynosoma
- Reptiles of Mexico
- Reptiles of the United States
- Fauna of the Southwestern United States
- Fauna of the Baja California Peninsula
- Fauna of the California chaparral and woodlands
- Reptiles described in 1839
- Taxa named by John Edward Gray