Gambelia

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Gambelia
Long-nosed Leopard Lizard (8043739603) (cropped).jpg
Gambelia wislizenii ,
long-nosed leopard lizard
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Crotaphytidae
Genus: Gambelia
Baird, 1859 [1]

Gambelia is a genus of lizards, commonly known as leopard lizards, within the family Crotaphytidae. Leopard lizards are indigenous to arid environments of southwestern North America. Specifically, in San Joaquin Valley and southeastern Carrizo Plain in California, is where the endangered species inhabits as it lives in isolated populations. [2] Furthermore, the Gambelia Sila or leopard lizard is active during the spring to early summer for 2.5 months after they estivate and goes back into hibernation soon after. [2]

Contents

Description

Species in the genus Gambelia superficially resemble those of the genus Crotaphytus . However, one difference between the genera Gambelia and Crotaphytus is that leopard lizards have fracture planes in their tails, allowing the tails to break off when grasped by predators.[ citation needed ]

Etymology

The generic name, Gambelia, is in honor of American naturalist William Gambel. [3]

Species

Three species are recognized as being valid. [4]

ImageScientific nameCommon NameDistribution
Gambelia copei.jpg Gambelia copeii (Yarrow, 1882) Cope's leopard lizard Baja California peninsula and adjacent southern California.
LIZARD, BLUNT-NOSED LEOPARD (Gambelia sila) (3-30-08) van metre wash, carrizo plain national monument, slo co, ca -2 (2380352944).jpg Gambelia sila (Stejneger, 1890)blunt-nosed leopard lizardsouthern California.
LIZARD, LONG-NOSED LEOPARD (gambelia wislizenia) moab, grand co, utah (14790202096).jpg Gambelia wislizenii (Baird & Girard, 1852)long-nosed leopard lizard United States from Oregon to Idaho in the north and from California to Texas in the south, south to northern Mexico in Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Zacatecas.

Nota bene : A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Gambelia.

References

  1. "Gambelia ". ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System). www.itis.gov.
  2. 1 2 Ivey, Kathleen; et al. (2020). "Thermal ecology of the federally endangered blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila)". Conservation Physiology. 8 (1) coaa014: 11. doi: 10.1093/conphys/coaa014 . PMC   7047230 . PMID   33649711.
  3. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN   978-1-4214-0135-5. (Genus Gambelia, p. 97).
  4. Genus Gambelia at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.

Further reading